Being a communicator in education is SO critical. Too often we are good at one or two forms of communication, but not all the various ways of communicating. As an example, some people are great writers, speakers, and articulate at disseminating info. Yet, they aren't good listeners, have poor non-verbal communication skills, and aren't concise. For me, I've recently ran into in my workplace, the complete lack of communication from a few critical people. The result is disastrous. Whether in the business world or education, communication is vital to the success of the organization. Meaningful relationships--a key to any organization, require communication.
Five tips and thoughts to consider surrounding communication:
1) Communication is equally about listening as it is talking. Sometimes people just want someone to list to them. What does your air time look like when in a conversation? Are you talking more than listening?
2) Communication is about what is not said just as much as it is about what you do say. Being honest, transparent, and keeping it real is critical. Leaving out things isn't a "lie", but it's not honest. Although this can be tricky, so important to speak your truth. Even more, it's important to communicate non-verbally via hugs, high-fives, eye contact, and listening intently to someone. Sometimes someone just needs a hug more than they need you to say something. Ask them how their day is going, what is new in their life, and is there anything you can do to help them have a better day.
3) Being responsive is critical. Daily I hear about someone who never responded to an email, never returned a phone call, or never front-loaded communication; rather, they just blind-sided people. You MUST return those texts, direct messages, emails, phone calls, etc. Communication is the one thing that builds your credibility, trust, and belief in people. Using various ways to communicate is equally critical. You have to meet people where they are and where they are comfortable communicating.
4) Reflecting daily on your communication is critical. Every day I try and reflect on my many conversations and think about what I could have done better, what I hope to change for the next day, and is there anyone I need to circle back to. I KNOW one of my areas of growth is talking too much. I TRY and work on this and some days I'm more successful than others. Other times, I'm a joker and love laughing, but may unintentionally offend someone; it's critical to circle back to people if you are unsure if communication didn't go well. I also reflect on being a distracted listener. Too often I catch myself looking at my phone when someone is communicating. It's rude, and I'm not giving them my full attention. In the end, we all need to reflect on how we can be better at communicating. You get better at things you work on and reflect on!
5) Model it! In the end, as educators, and even adults in any field, we MUST model communication. That means, the way we talk to each other and kids must be appropriate, loving, caring, and positive. Yelling at someone, letting your anger come out, and making it personal all leave an impression. Sometimes, it's better to say nothing at all, and often best to pause before firing back. People watch and listen to your words. Your non-verbal actions say just as much.
In the end, communication is one of the most critical aspects of a relationship and an organization. We ALL have to work on it, reflect on it, and model it. Take the challenge today to up your game at communication. Be intentional about it, listen more, reflect more, and improve! Go give a hug, high five, and ask someone how their day is going!
