Being able to connect with people and communicate effectively is one of life’s most critical skills. And yet, it’s not something that we’re taught in school and many of us may not have been modelled particularly positive communication habits growing up. Whether you consider yourself to be an introvert or an extrovert, being able to connect and communicate is going to be vital to the way that you move through life personally and the progress that you’re able to make on a professional level too.
Connection is the foundation of communication
If you want to communicate well with other people then the first step is to connect with them. Most of us are ploughing through a million different attempts at communication every day, whether that is from brands in a commercial sphere or individually with friends or in the workplace. Communicating with people so that they actually hear you is one of the biggest challenges - and this is where connection comes in. If you’re connected to someone then they are much more likely to hear what you’re saying whereas if there is no connection there you aren’t going to get your message through. Emotional connections can supercharge your attempts at communication, no matter what the context. You might be able to establish these connections instantly or they might take time to develop - either way they will make it much easier to ensure that you’re being heard.
Using connection to optimise communication
Connection and communication are two sides of the same coin and one simply doesn’t work without the other. You might have top notch communication skills but if you’re not able to connect with the people you’re trying to communicate with then those skills will be wasted. On the other hand, if you’re able to improve how you connect with other people then you will see a considerable improvement in how effective your communication becomes.
Connection will multiply the influence that you can have
When you know how to connect with people you can establish a level of influence that can create many advantages, both on a professional and personal level. So, how do you go about doing this?
● Take the initiative and be the first person to speak up or make contact. You can make someone feel valued by doing this and instantly create the opportunity for connection to take place.
● Get into the habit of doing this if you find it intimidating at first - interact with the people who make your coffee, the servers at the supermarket, the people you bump into at work and in public spaces. Introduce yourself, make conversation and welcome people into your chats.
● Leave your ego at the door. Effective connection skills require a certain level of humility, being the first to speak up and smile and showing that you’re interested or that you care. There is no room for ego in this process - it can mean that you hold back and stop connections from being made.
If you want to become a better communicator then improving the way you connect is going to be an essential part of the process. Find out more by booking onto our Connecting and Communication training course.