How to communicate better with other people? 5 useful tips

Communication is a good part of who we are. No person exists as a solitary island, we always evolve as human beings in contact with others, regardless of whether we enjoy most social relationships or not.For this reason, many people are worried about an issue: “how can I communicate better with other people?” .

Learning to be understood and interact correctly with others is so important. In this article we will see several tips on how to communicate better with others from simple ideas to apply in your day-to-day habits.

How to communicate better with others?

Before seeing the specific techniques to apply in your social relationships to better connect with those around you, it is important to understand some basic principles of communication, whether in the field of friendship, partner or work . They are the following.

1. You are responsible for making yourself understood

Does that old saying “I am responsible for what I say, not what you understand” sound familiar? Well, you will be interested that this is false, or at least partially false. The communication does not work as a system of transmission of data packets that one emits to the outside and that’s it; It is something much more dynamic, we must participate in the process by which the other person interprets what we say.

This is so because the simple fact of being a different person to the receiver already makes our point of view and experiences lived in the past and in the present be different, which means that no matter how well we do it, misunderstandings can always appear.

2. You have to put yourself in the shoes of others

This advice is derived from the previous one, given that the process of communication is dynamic and you have to make sure that there are no errors .

3. The context must be taken into account

Beyond the individuals involved in an act of communication is the context, and this conditions both what is said and how it is interpreted what is said to always be considered a very important factor.

For example, it is not the same to say something in a meeting in a restaurant than in the office where you work and being one of the two the head of the company.

Techniques to express yourself better and connect with other people

Given the above, we can now go to see several tips on how to communicate better with others and make this improve your social relationships.

1. Adapt your language

It is very important to adapt the language to the conversation that is taking place, considering especially two factors: the education and educational level of the listeners, and the context in which the conversation takes place .

For example, if you dedicate yourself to research in biology and want to explain what a dog breed you have at home, you should definitely avoid using very technical jargon, unless the other person asks you to explain those details.

On the other hand, if you are in a professional context it is likely that you will not look kindly on expressing yourself as you would with your lifelong friends; As much as this is an arbitrary imposition, breaking these unwritten rules can eclipse the content of your message, as well as wearing down your image in many cases.

2. Look in the eyes

This is possibly one of the simplest and at the same time basic tips about how to communicate better. If you do not do it, it will generate a strange situation in which it will be difficult to interpret what you say, given that your intentions will not be clear (since you will be speaking but at the same time you show that you would like to be anywhere but having that conversation) .

Of course, so you do not obsess over something so basic, it is better to worry about not stop looking into the eyes for many seconds in a row, rather than focus on looking all the time in the eyes. The ideal is to do it with a spontaneity that allows you to forget the subject unless you detect that you are not fulfilling it.

3. Avoid prejudging

Sometimes we may be tempted to express prejudices about others, albeit positive or negative, if only to generate conversation. Avoid this In any case, ask questions to allow others to let themselves know more.

4. Check if the other person feels nervous

Occasionally, you will find people prone to feeling nervous during conversations, especially if they know you very little.

When you detect these signs of stress, show them your complicity and use strategies to release tension and generate a more relaxed atmosphere : make a joke, adopt a relaxed nonverbal language, show that you take the other person seriously and care about what think about you, etc.

5. Practice active listening

When they speak to you, do not adopt a passive attitude. Even if it’s your turn to remain silent, it gives signs that you’re paying attention: look into the eyes, nod, react with some exclamations depending on the emotions that are caused by what you hear , and occasionally add small comments or ask questions related to the subject (Provided they do not involve telling a story too long that does not have much importance in that situation).