Effective Communication: Gains & Gaps Analysis

I was already familiar with most of the principles presented about effective communication. However, we can all use a refresher course from time to time, because even though I was familiar with them, that does not necessarily mean that I am an expert at practicing them.

Getting back to the basics was my first “oh yeah” moment. Simply remembering communication components should be one of the first things one should consider. Although they all look different and may overlap at times, they remain. They are a source, a message, the channel, a receiver, and feedback. All are dependent on the audience and the situation, or context. And each serves its own purpose, which also varies. For the past few years, I have found that about 90% of my communication has been in three settings: work (which has changed recently), home, and an athletic facility. My communication style at work has changed. I have gone from operating in a fire station, directing emergency incidents with clear, direct, and decisive communication, which was mainly one-way. Not long ago, I took a position in administration, where I interacted with other city departments, vendors, and contractors. This requires a very different communication style. At home, I am more relaxed and light-hearted with my family, sometimes being sarcastic or making jokes. If I am not in either of those places, I am at an athletic facility, training with my son, or watching him play football. It is usually loud and chaotic in these settings. This has caused us to use a lot of nonverbal communication, usually hand signals and gestures. Having reviewed the importance of effective communication, I have become more intentional in ensuring that I am taking strides to improve my communication, helping minimize misunderstandings and confusion.

Gaps

It didn’t take long for my gaps to be revealed. Instead of self-identifying, I opted to ask those around me. I started with my close friends, then coworkers, and ended with my family. The unanimous feedback I received, without pause, I might add, was that I move through a conversation too fast. This was no surprise, because I feel myself doing it sometimes and am working to correct it. The approach I have taken at times is that if I am talking to someone I will be interacting with frequently, I let them in on it when the time is right. I don’t stop there; I ask them not to hesitate to point it out if I am doing it. This lets them off the hook by giving them full permission to correct me; hopefully, staving off feeling awkward or frustrated. The second point is that I often fail to close the communication loop by soliciting feedback to ensure complete understanding. This makes sense to me since it was already noted that I sometimes move through conversations too fast.

I don’t have to strain too hard to look back and recall an instance where the communication I was involved in was inefficient. Not only that, but I can usually pinpoint what caused it to be inefficient. This shortcoming is relatively easy to work on, since I don’t seem to have a problem providing feedback. What I have been doing is making sure to ask for feedback before I provide it.