In a recent post on the Transforming Monday Blog, I talked about "honesty without compassion". This is when we communicate bluntly using phrases like:
I’m just being honest.
I just say it like it is.
You know me… I’m blunt.
...or the #1 answer... "I was just trying to help!"
The problem when we communicate these statements without compassion is that we often end up offending and insulting the person we're communicating with. We invalidate what they are feeling because these phrases are interpreted as "I'm right, you're wrong".
If we're going to communicate effectively, especially in difficult circumstances, then rapport building is a skill that needs to be learned.
Building rapport allows us to connect with the other person, getting past the outer defenses we all have, and allows us to communicate more effectively.
On this episode, Charlotte from Moms With A Passion, again joins me as we discuss the importance of building rapport so that we can gain permission to communicate and, at the same time, understand the boundaries we and others have.
We discuss simple ways to build rapport, such as:
Communicating in the other person's language (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic)
How agreeing with them lowers their defenses
How physical movement can build and/or break rapport and change the pace of the conversation.
These simple techniques are easily put into practice in your daily life and you will astonish people with your awesome communication skills.
We'd love to hear from you about tonight's show. Connect with us:
On Facebook at TransformingMonday
On Twitter at XformMonday
Via email at christian@transformingmonday.com
Tonight's show was sponsored by ATransformedYou.com. If you're looking to totally upgrade your life, physically, financially, or emotionally, visit A Transformed You and see how you can do it in just 60 days.
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