Trust, rapport and connection. These three things are the basic elements to any good relationship (work or personal) and it’s key to have them in mind when communicating with others.
Work/life coach, Traci Phillips, visited us at Frontier RTP last week as part of our On the Menu series to talk about effective communication. Traci explained the differences between these types of communication:
Transactional communication vs. Relational communication
- Transactional is simply exchanging information whereas relational is just like it sounds, focused on building relationships and rapport.
Having an agenda/assumption vs. Focusing on intentional curiosity
- When we’re focused on intentional curiosity, we practice open and neutral sharing instead of expectational sharing.
Avoidance vs. Using our valuable voice
- Our voices need to be heard and it’s important to be expressive in our relationships. Even when there is something difficult or uncomfortable to communicate, challenge yourself to share your ideas and speak your truth.
If these communication styles are hard to remember, try prompting yourself with three simple words: what, how and why.
What do you want to communicate? How do you want to do it? Why do you need/want to communicate it?
Pausing to ask yourself these questions will guide you as you strive to communicate with intention.
If you want to learn more about communicating effectively, check out Traci’s full talk on our YouTube. You can also dive deeper into this topic by checking out Traci’s book recommendations: “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz and “Dare To Lead” by Brené Brown.
Thank you to Alta Wren for supporting this program!