Communication Tips

Ten Ways to End Communication

1. Moralize, preach.
2. Assume, jump to conclusions.
3. Judge, label, name-call.
4. Give orders, tell the person what he or she should do.
5. Threaten.
6. Interrogate, cross-examine.
7. Joke about the situation and discount it.
8. Ridicule the person, be sarcastic.
9. Change the subject.
10. Withdraw, shut down.

Six Ways to Encourage Communication

1. Listen with full attention.
2. Comment briefly, rarely, to show you are listening (optional).
3. Indicate you have an idea of what the person might be feeling (I’ll bet that made you really sad, mad, jealous, etc.).
4. With children, acknowledge their fantasies (You want that toy right now).
5. If you don’t have time to listen right now, set a time, soon, when you will listen.
6. Recognize that when someone is upset, they often just want you to listen. If you think the other person wants your advice, wait for them to ask for it.