Importance of Communication for Healthy Relationships

Communication is vital in creating and maintaining a relationship, whether it be an intimate relationship—such as with a partner, child, or friend—or a professional relation­ship—such as with a co-worker, supervisor, or client. Your communication skills affect how you solve problems, how you resolve conflict, and the level of trust you generate in your relationships. A lack of communication may result in confusion, misunderstandings, and the development of poor communication pat­terns.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Barriers to communication are things that prevent people from understanding a mes­sage, or understanding it the same way. Some common barriers to communication include:

·   Emotional barriers. There is a greater potential for misunderstanding when emotions are involved. For example, a sender who is upset or angry may not be able to effectively communicate his or her feelings and ideas. A receiver in a similar state may ignore or distort what the other person is saying.

• Environmental barriers. This can include a number of factors includ­ing, interruptions, distractions, physi­cal environment issues (lighting, noise, comfort), talking too softly, physical distance, a physical barrier between sender and recipient, etc.

• Timing barriers. The timing of a com­munication can affect it’s ability to be understood. For example, there may not be enough time to communicate the mes­sage fully, or it may be too early or too late in the day for someone to give the communication his or her full attention.

• Perceptual barriers. Each person experi­ences events—including communica­tions—in a way that is unique to him or her. A sender will communicate in a way that makes sense in his or her reality. A receiver understands a communication in a similar manner..

Communicating About Tough Issues

Effective communication skills are particularly critical when dealing with difficult issues. Consider the following strategies for commu­nicating about tough issues.

• Talk early. People often become aware of an issue sooner than you think. By dealing with an issue sooner rather than later, it is easier to maintain your objectivity and self-control, prevent the issue from escalat­ing, and avoid misinformation.

• Take out time for your conversation. Take out time to talk over the issue, when you won’t be overheard or interrupted.

• Initiate the conversation. You may need to be the one to start the conver­sation. This can be uncomfortable for many people. Consider saying some­thing such as,” Can we talk about it (soon)?”

 • Think ahead of time about what you want to say and how you want to say it. Be specific about what the issue is and give concrete examples of things you have observed .

• Explore the other person’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs. This will help you understand how the other person perceives the issue, which can help you address your concerns in a way that takes into account his or her perspec­tive.

 • Talk about your own feelings and be personal: Statements such as, “I’m worried or concerned,” “I would like” and “I feel,” can ease tension and help the other person learn more about your point of view.

• Be open. It is critical to develop a rela­tionship in which the other person feels comfortable expressing his or her feelings and concerns and asking questions freely.

• Be encouraging, supportive and positive. Don’t try to avoid topics because you are uncomfortable, unsure of the answer or don’t have time to dis­cuss them. If you can’t address a ques­tion or if you don’t have an answer, be honest about it, but say you’ll try to find out, and make certain to follow through.

• Be honest. Give straightforward and honest information and address all the issues. Honesty builds trust. Avoidance, in whole or in part, may lead to con­tinued—or escalated—problems or to the person having to seek information elsewhere and being misinformed.

• Be patient. Allow the other person to set a pace that’s comfortable for him or her, formulate his or her thoughts and put those thoughts into words.

Speaking

The goal in speaking is to convey a message to another person so that the other person understands it exactly as you intended it. The following strategies can help you sharpen your verbal communication skills.

• Make certain you have the other per­son’s attention.

• Focus on your feelings, be less defensive­ness, and help the other person under­stand your point of view rather than feeling attacked.

• Speak so the listener will understand.

• Encourage open-ended conversation. Use open-ended questions that promote a response, avoid one word answer.

• Be open. Share your feelings truthfully … but respectfully. Approach the dis­cussion as an opportunity for the other person to learn something about you.

• Be specific and objective. Identify the specific issue at hand and how it makes you feel. Avoid generalizing statements such as “always,” “ever” or “never.”

• Be positive. Focus on the other person’s positive points. Make sure that positive feedback outweighs criticism.

• Try to resolve conflicts, not to avoid and win them.

Conclusion

Communication is built on mutual respect. Communicating assertively means that you speak up for yourself, while respecting the right of others to do the same. It also demonstrates that you are sensitive to the rights of others and willing to work constructively to reach a mutually agreeable outcome.It is essential to :

• Stand up for yourself by clearly express­ing your thoughts, feel­ings, rights and interests

• Demonstrate respect for others by con­sidering their needs and rights.

• Develop and expect trust and equality in relationships

Communication is important to build meaningful relationships.We as individuals need to  work on our relationships not only as social practice, but also to build our  ability which will enable us to create and maintain positive and long-lasting relationships.