Perceptions and barriers to communication
The 2 most important points about the class for me were, in first place, how the perception plays a role in our way of communication. In the first phase how we select the messages depending in our attitudes, interests and needs. We perceived the colors, sizes and other characteristics depending on what our minds want to see or hear according to those interests or needs.
In another way, how we perceive the things, the quick information we have on material things and the interpretation of them and their meaning based on our experiences and knowledge.
All this information is taken from our upbringing and here, is where cultures play an important role in our minds and behaviors. Although we have our individual personalities, ways of thinking and different perceiving patterns, there are common thoughts and behaviors that are shared in small groups of people. A common religion, language, the influence of geography, food and others.
Today more than ever we see how different are our manners and to obtain what we need or we are interested in, is important to be open mind on those differences being more respectful and comprehensive having into account that are cultures that think and act extremely different from us.
The second point is how those things affect or benefit our communication, how we assume that other people could be so similar to us, how we assume people understand just because for us is obvious something. Is important to say that communication is a complex process due to implicit message and to know how give to the other the information i want and minimize misunderstands to have better relations, so, developing abilities of communication is crucial to obtain what we want from others.
Although we have our own patterns and personalities, sometimes is wiser try to understand other people thoughts in order to have benefits not only individual but also collective. being flexible is not always bad and doesn´t mean other thinking ways are better or worst, just different meanings and believes, different circumstances and arguments.
thats why we need to be more comprehensive and soft when we talk to others in order to understand their behavior and not showing anxiety of what we want just let the other feels we are trying to understand and facilitate the communication instead of judging others and going home with empty hands.
The importance of build a more effective communication
Developing abilities to look how to transfer information better is one of the most important things in this times where globalization is bigger every day making people work in other countries, sharing information easier than ever and creating us the need of interact to do business and exchange knowledge.
Being so different create conflict, and conflict is the worst in the moment of having success results. nobody wins, the only good thing we subtract from it is the experience and feedback to know we could do better, but why not to do better before going to conflict and end in bad terms with others?
sometimes is difficult to change our thoughts, to give others the reason, to put down our heads and accept we are wrong or put in others shoes because we constantly ask why others can not put in ours?
but, sometimes doing mentally those exercises teach others how to do it. The thing is know the limit of how much to accept we are wrong when maybe we are not, or forget our ethics and beliefs to obtain benefits, at least theres people cares about it, others will not give it that importance and just go for the benefit. But what if sharing ideas and trying both parties to get an agreement being neutral gives us more benefits than we expected?
At least something we know, and is that there is not formula or steps to doing the best but there are tips to doing better. Being active listeners, asking questions to our selves, learning to control our weaknesses, looking for solutions instead creating an espiral around the conflict giving assertive messages.
Is not about avoid, is putting our 5 censes when we communicate, that way our perceptions and understanding could be more effective. Is esencial trying not to put emotions in conflicts, separate how we feel about the other, trying not to be aggressive understanding what is what makes us react that way to know how control the emotions and improve our active listening. Being soft with the people and hard with the problem to go trough a win-win negotiation.
http://www.revistanegotium.org.ve/pdf/10/Art2.pdf
http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/mexiko/08627.pdf
http://www.degerencia.com/articulo/las_tecnicas_de_comunicacion_en_la_negociacion_cara_cara
