Have you ever wondered why people around you behave the way they do? Did you ever wish that some of your family members, friends, or co-workers were a bit easier to communicate with? Unless you are a relationship guru, it is more than likely that you have asked yourself similar questions regarding the behavior of the people around you.
Is there anything that can be done that would help us improve our relationships with everyone around us, even with those who we perhaps perceive as difficult at the present moment? The “ANSWER” is a resounding “YES”! Commit to becoming a better communicator. (The bigger question: Will you commit to the time necessary to become a better communicator?)
The Cost of Poor Communication & Conflict In And On Our Society
The lack of good communication skills destroys families, poison workplace morale, and leads to lots of stress that could easily be avoided. That being said – I am a firm believer that communication skills are the most important skills one can acquire. Just think – Anyone who lacks good communication skills goes through life destined to encounter frequent conflicts and misunderstandings, combined with an inability to maintain effective relationships in either their personal or professional life.
Only through committing to a life time of learning and growth in the area of communicating effectively do we get to enjoy great personal and professional relationships and ultimately enjoy greater levels of success in all areas of our lives. Unfortunately, only a few of us take studying communication skills seriously and our whole society suffers as a result:
- Workplace morale is often poisoned by coworkers who are poor communicators.
- Lost productivity, high turnover, disciplinary actions, litigations are some of the by-products of on-the-job poor communication skills
- Many of the marriages and live-in relationships are filled with almost daily arguments; sadly, considered by many as a normal part of being in a relationship.
- Many children grow up in hostile environments; often under regular verbal abuse, and neglect
- High stress levels produced by regular conflict, tension, and miscommunication, often result in medical problems, such as ulcers, heart problems, etc.
The above is only a short list of the negative effects of poor communication in and on our society; however, it should be enough to seriously inspire all of us to spend more time developing our communication skills.
Take an Honest Look in the Mirror
Our everyday experiences are primarily dependent on two factors:
- Our ability to communicate effectively.
- Our ability to create successful relationships with those around us.
Without these two factors in place, our journey on this earth can be quite challenging. Therefore, to find out if we have these two factors in place, we have to be able to take an honest look in the mirror and ask ourselves:
- Am I communicating effectively with those around me?
- Do I feel understood by most people in my environment?
- Do I understand most people in my environment?
- Have I been able to develop and maintain successful relationships in my private and professional live?
- What interpersonal skills do I need to further polish in order to become more effective at creating and maintaining successful relationships in all areas of my life?
Becoming aware of even some of our communication blind spots can be a great “first step” towards becoming a better communicator. It is also a great first step toward building and maintaining successful relationships.