Online Class: Mastering Conversation Skills

Unlocking the Power of Impactful Communication: A Comprehensive Guide

Step into a world where every conversation is an opportunity, and every interaction, a chance to inspire. Welcome to our course, dedicated to honing your communication finesse for both social engagements and professional environments.

Understanding the core of communication is not just about speaking; it's an intricate blend of listening actively, exuding empathy, and mastering the art of non-verbal cues. This course doesn't just skim the surface; we delve deep, laying out the foundational blocks of communication. Grasp how elements synergize, shaping our everyday interactions and the impressions we leave behind.

Master the subtle dance of conversation, from the nuances of small talk to the impactful resonance of storytelling and humor. Uncover the secrets behind effective conversational flow, ensuring you can spark meaningful exchanges with anyone, anywhere. And for those moments when words seem elusive? We introduce the magic of improvisation, a tool to rekindle conversation and banish awkward silences.

But we won't stop there. We're offering more than just conversation mechanics. Navigate the complexities of leading dialogues, understanding when to listen and when to take charge. Gain practical strategies to alleviate anxiety or hesitation in social situations, ensuring you always present your best self.

And the benefits? They're boundless. As you integrate these skills, you'll notice a profound transformation. Conversations become richer, relationships deepen, and opportunities multiply. Your heightened self-awareness and confidence will make you a magnet for both personal connections and business collaborations.

So, are you ready to elevate your communication prowess? To transform casual chats into meaningful dialogues and business talks into influential discussions? Join us, and unleash the power of masterful communication, a skillset that promises to open doors in every facet of life.

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Assertiveness Training

Confidence Building

Listening Skills 101

Course Motivation

It is an important starting point to broadly define communication as a function in which people convey thoughts, emotions, or meaning to others. Communication is fundamental in how human beings relate to others socially, as well as vital in creating and maintaining societal and cultural structures. It is a complex phenomenon that includes multiple skills, which work together to allow people to pass along and interpret information and messages to others. It is important to note that each of the following communication skills is not used in isolation, but is like an instrument in a larger orchestra. Each skill often involves the use of other skills.

Active Listening

Active listening can be overlooked when considering communication skills, since communication is often most aligned with providing information or conveying messages to others. However, communication is a two-way practice, with listening being vital for understanding. Active listening is different than simple passive listening, because it is defined by the focus of attention on the information the other person is producing. The goal of active listening is that all the information conveyed is absorbed by the listener, understood, and can be reproduced at a later point to confirm understanding. A key factor in practicing active listening is to concentrate on the details of what the other person is communicating to you with the goal of taking in those details, as opposed to preparing what you want to say next.

Empathy

In order to relate to others, whether personally or professionally, it is important to be able to put yourself in their shoes. Empathy is a skill that helps you feel what another person is feeling as they share an experience. Empathy is key in developing relational rapport in the professional world. As a person uses the skill of empathy to relate to another person, trust begins to form, which lays a foundation for future clear, honest, and functional communication. Empathy, while a skill in itself, also involves the use of both verbal and non-verbal communication skills to convey a genuine desire to understand the experience of another person. Empathy also uses other skills, like asking questions and providing validating statements to demonstrate that the other person's feelings and experiences matter to you.

Non-verbal Communication

Conflict Resolution

Skills involved in mediating areas of disagreement or conflict can be vital in both a personal and professional arena. Conflict resolution involves the use of compromise and openness. In order to reach an agreement with others, a person must be willing to be flexible and also open minded to other perspectives. The sub-skill of remaining open minded can be practiced through the use of active listening and empathy. As a person develops his or her active listening and empathy skills, they broaden their perspective and build the capacity to be patient and open to others. This practice is vital in conflict resolution. The key is to make the other person feel heard and respected, otherwise, that person has little reason to reciprocate and have respect for your own ideas.

Another key aspect of conflict resolution is anger management. When there is a disagreement in the home or workplace, it can be easy to let emotions like anger take over our ability to be rational. Breathing exercises are very helpful to a person who may be more easily triggered with anger. If you feel you are practicing empathy and listening, yet the other person is being unreasonable, deep breathing will allow you to regain your logical thinking. When reaching a level of conflict that feels as though the other person cannot reach an agreement, reassessing the goal of your communication with this person can be helpful, such as, "Let's each take a minute and think about what our mutual goal here is?" Mutual goals can help keep each party grounded in the purpose of your discussion and also perhaps allow flexibility on both ends to compromise.

Knowing When to Lead and When to Follow

This communication skill follows closely after conflict resolution, because it is a skill in which you are working to read the other person. The essential component of this skill is to understand when you should take charge in a conversation, or let the other person lead.This is a very complex skill to acquire and requires continued growth in one's own self awareness of one's strengths and weakness. Professionally, if you know that you may not be as well versed on a topic, compared to a colleague, using the skill of active listening and focused questioning can demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow. Or, if you have confidence in a certain topic, because of your education or extensive experience in that area, it is fitting to take the lead on providing information to others. However, an important question to ask yourself before you endow another person with the knowledge or information you have, or as you begin to drive a conversation is, "What is my goal for providing this information?" Depending on the context, your goal may be to impress your boss, in which case finding a window to direct the conversation to demonstrate your strengths is appropriate. In other contexts, your goal may be to teach others what you know, in which case it is important to avoid the desire to portray your strengths, and instead focus on the objective of teaching the others what needs to be learned. Overall, knowing the context and the goals of the needed conversations is the foundation to knowing whether to lead or follow.

Perceiving in the Present

While past experiences can be important for our own ability to predict situations, it is important to try and be present when communicating with someone -- gaining all the facts and information about that person, as an individual, as opposed to letting assumptions form your perceptions of them. The skill of being present is key to reading and sensing who the other person is. The skill of perception can allow you to avoid becoming unfairly defensive toward someone who may remind you of a past negative experience. Avoiding assumptions is a sub-skill of perceiving in the present, as it allows you to remain open and also be able to connect with the immediate conversation.

Use of Language

While we discussed that non-verbal cues actually make up the majority of communication, this should not take away from the power of word choice. Being able to select the words you use in a conversation -- intentionally and thoughtfully -- can pave the way for ease of communication and understanding between the parties involved. The use of language skills relates closely to many other communication skills discussed here. Active listening is key in selecting the words you will use to convey your own understanding of the other person. Also connected to active listening is the skill of perceiving in the present and avoiding assumptions. As you are actively listening to the words used by the other person, it is important to not assume you know the definition, as it relates to that person. So a key skill is to ask the person, "What do you mean by 'X'?" Here, you demonstrate to the other person you are actively listening by using his or her word choice. You also demonstrate an avoidance of assuming you know what that person means, and therefore, are not being clouded by past experiences, but rather perceiving in the present during that conversation.

Use of language involves your own taking in of the other person's specific word choice, which will then influence the words you choose to try and convey in a message to another person. Redundancy can lead to confusion on the part of the person you are communicating with. Pay close attention to the words you are using; if you notice you use the same words over and over, yet the other person still does not seem to understand what you mean, it may helpful to try and select different words. However, if, over the course of the conversation, you still find yourself being redundant and the other person finds you unclear, it may be an indication you also are confused about what you are trying to convey. This means you may benefit from stepping away from the conversation and doing some reflection on your own end as to what message you are trying to communicate. Once you feel more sure of the meaning, you may then be able to use more concise and specific language to convey your message.

Considering Culture

Making a point on culture is important when considering communication skills. Gaining awareness of other cultures' styles of communication is an important skill to acquire, and one that feeds into all the other skills discussed here. Especially in regard to perception and assumptions, working to ask questions about another person's culture can help to broaden your own perspectives. For example, a person may not make eye contact and you may have past experiences that lead you to form a perception of that person as timid and lacking confidence. However, being able to take a step back to get to know that person's culture, not only establishes rapport through empathy and active listening, but also allows you to avoid wrong assumptions. It may be that the person is from a culture that views direct eye contact as disrespectful, so in fact, his or her lack of eye contact is their attempt to demonstrate respect.