Adapting Your Communication
How will you adapt if your communication ventures beyond the key points you identified?
If my communication ventures beyond the key points I have identified, I will adapt by continuing to give my full attention. I believe that when a conversation goes off track, it can provide a great opportunity to share similar interests on related topics. Thus, making future conversations more comfortable. If the conversation goes off track for too long,I believe having the right tone of voice can help bring the conversation back on track.
Great, Caitlin! Taking note of topics to revisit is a great way to get the conversation back on track.
Dr. Jean Norris
continue listening, say something like, "that's really an interesting thought and I'd like to talk more about that in a bit... but first I'd like to circle back to what we started talking about..."
Thank you, Sadie!
Staying focused in a conversation is important, especially if you have something to accomplish. How do your students typically react when you ask questions that bring the conversation back to the key points?
Elizabeth Wheeler
Shirelette,
Perfect! making bullet points of your key topics is a great way to keep the conversation on track, but still allows you the flexibility to adapt your conversation based on the other person's responses.
Elizabeth Wheeler
Sadie,
Excellent awareness! Just picking up the phone and making a call without preparation invites misinterpretation. Check back in and let us know how it goes once you add the preparation step to your phone calls!
Elizabeth Wheeler
We need to prepare beforehand about the key points to be covered in the communication.
If we think the communication is going beyond our main topics, we need to check and refine the message.
I will adapt by being better prepared, identifying key talking points with bullets. This way, I can stay on topic and be in better control of my communication.
I have done this frequently as well and I feel that it definitely builds more trust and rapport with the student!
I think I will join you with being more prepared! Phone communication is my least favorite and I feel if I did prepare for the conversation in advance I would adapt better.
If my communication ventures beyond the key points I have identified I will ask the right questions to bring back the focus. When we are trying to communicate certain points, the right questions can always bring the focus back. If the means of communication is written, carefully constructed statements and questions can really bring out the key points for the receiver.
Cynthia,
Thank you for posting! This sounds like a worthwhile strategy.
Elizabeth Wheeler
I will back up. Regroup and try to use what I learned during this course.
Peter, It's great that you are so willing to learn. That's what it takes! I agree that you can definitely learn. Thank you for posting in the forum!
Elizabeth Wheeler
If my communication ventures beyond the key points I identified, I believe I will seeking for help from someone who is expert in the field or taking related course(s) or program so I can advance and master them to the fullest level. I am always willing to go beyond my current capabilities and expand my communication skills to another level as long as I can master it and as long as I have the potential. However, in the case of limitation I maybe feeling a bit of upset, yet I would also looking for professional help to see if I can overcome it, or maybe develop other alternative skills to replace or to assist the limited one.
For sure I will be very glad if I got communication ventures that is beyond the key points that I have identified. I am pretty sure with the professional help, I can incorporate them to my current assets and make them be part of my competitive advantages.
I will use a structured list of topics that will allow me to keep the conversation on track.
Russell, Very well said! It's important to keep the conversation on track. If you don't, what can happen?
Elizabeth Wheeler
I will adapt by adjusting my communication to fit the situation. You must sometimes get back on track while communicationg and steer the conversation back to the key points that you want to talk about and to make sure to answer questions completely.
Jean Michael, Great awareness! What have you discovered about your communication style thus far?
Elizabeth Wheeler
