Introduction to Good Communication…
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Written by Jimmie Burroughs 
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I just took a quiz on communication and I answered the questions as honestly and objectively as I could and received an excellent score:
Excellent! “You understand your role as a communicator, both when you send messages, and when you receive them. You anticipate problems, and you choose the right ways of communicating. People respect you for your ability to communicate clearly, and they appreciate your listening skills.”
Before you get the wrong idea and think I’m boasting, let me explain: It has taken me many, many years to get to where I consider myself a good communicator. I’m sure many have been able to get there much faster than I. So I have nothing at all to boast about.
Becoming a good communicator is one of the first life skills to develop; it will complement the rest. Becoming a good communicator usual does take time and a lot of practice, along with some failure. The failures are good teachers and reinforce what good communication is. It is good experience to listen to and read after those who are considered to be good communicators.
The three common forms of communication are: Conversation; the written word, and public address. In this article, we will be considering communication through conversation.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of meeting with and talking to Dr. Adrian Rogers, my pastor at the time. Dr. Rogers was one of the best communicators of the 20th century; he passed away in 2005. At the time I spoke with him, Dr. Rogers was president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and pastured one of the largest Baptist churches in the nation, which grew to 10,000 in attendance on Sunday mornings. His Television show can still be seen worldwide.
I met with Dr. Rogers in his study and for about 30 minutes we talked back and forth. Regardless of his notoriety, he seemed as down to earth as anyone I’ve ever known. He was humble and very kind and listened carefully to what I had to say without interrupting. He never questioned or criticized what I said. He showed great interest in me and wanted to offer his help. No wonder he was such a great communicator. He clearly loved people and was concerned about their needs.
I think that caring for others is at the top of the list for becoming a good communicator. When you care for others, you will take time to carefully hear them out. Communication is never to be just a one way street, where one person does all the talking; it is sharing interests and information. Although, being a good communicator is first being a good listener.
If you are a good listener, people will immediately consider you a good communicator and will love talking to you. Being a good listener is not only paying attention to what is being said, but also includes body gestures, such as nods to indicate you are listening. It also includes eye contact and slightly leaning forward while respecting the three foot rule privacy zone.
One of the most distracting things to any conversation is when someone is looking around the room as you try to talk to them. Give the other person your full attention. When you talk with someone, you should be giving 100% of yourself. The only exception is when something like a storm is blowing the building away and you have to take cover; well, maybe not that drastic, but you get the point.
Also talk in the other person’s interest. You may be thinking, but I want to talk about myself and what I’m doing, or have done. You are not alone; most people do, so it takes a special effort to let them do just that. There will be opportunities for you to add something from your own interest that relates to the context of the conversation. Here’s the thing: people for the most part are interesting; that’s why we like movies and stories, so talking in the other person’s interest can result in a very interesting conversation.
The point is that you can have a meaningful and interesting conversation all woven around another person’s interest. A good communicator has the uncanny ability to lead a conversation without the other person ever suspecting it. Therefore is able to add zest to what might otherwise be a boring conversation.
I hope you like this article; there will be much more on the way, on the art of communication.
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Jimmie Burroughs is the author of JimmieBurroughs.com ; get more tips on personal development: www.JimmieBurroughs.com
JimmieBurroughs.com is founded and maintained by Jimmie Burroughs Nashville, Tennessee. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Jimmie Burroughs. All rights reserved