Every success story is connected to good communication skills. Therefore, every satisfying relationship became successful because of the ability of individuals to communicate in a proper manner. Besides, we all know at least one person who communicates effectively when trying to put their point across. Communication involves two processes; listening and talking. Most time people usually allocate listening less time and attention compared to talking. Professionally, it is more important to listen rather than talking. Walking with closed ears (to people’s ideas) is fine if the world doesn’t change and if you are sure that what you are doing is right. However, we tend not to do the right thing all the time and the world is continually changing. Therefore, we should cultivate a culture of listening to what other people have to say, their perspectives, emotions and feelings. For this reason, we should try as much as we can to improve our listening skills. There are many tips that one can use to do this. I have summarized some of the most important tips to effective listening. Let’s look at how they will make our listening better.
The first tip to effective listening is paying attention. Listening is actively involving yourself in the whole process and not just waiting for your turn to speak. When listening we should ensure we absorb both the obvious and the subtle information that is being said. Ensure that you maintain eye contact with the person you’re talking to so that you concentrate. Also, read the body language of the person so that you are in line with the person’s emotions and understand them better. For instance, a patient bending down when sitting shows that they are disappointed or are in pain. Moreover, a doctor can point to a certain direction in directing the patient where the laboratory is. Lastly, when paying attention, respond to the person with your body language, such as shaking your head to show you are not for the idea being put across or in sympathy for them. Discrimination and prejudice might arise in body language since there are some nonverbal cues that some people use that are not in other groups.
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You should not derail or interrupt the speaker. We all at some point want people to sit and listen to what we think about a certain topic. Therefore, we should give the same to individuals who are speaking to us. Under the guise of being interested, some people usually derail a speaker’s line of thought. Professionally, it is so unethical to do this. To be able to get all the information that a speaker is saying, you should not interrupt them so that they empty all their thoughts as they had planned (Zolnierek and DiMatteo, 2009). Wait until your speaker is done talking to give your opinions and ask questions.
To listen effectively, we should deal with a monologist in a graceful manner. As an exception to not interrupting your speaker, it is allowed when you have lost the flow of the story. Sometimes, we hold conversations with people who use lengthy monologues. The possibility of not concentrating or falling asleep amidst the conversation is high. Therefore, you can step in. However, you should interrupt someone in a polite way by seeking clarification so that you get the flow of the story from where you had left.
Another tip to be a good listener is reflecting back on what you have heard. A good listener does not defend or attack the speaker, however much you feel that their words have offended you. To avoid making a scene and ending the conversation in a huff, you should simply reflect on what you have heard. If you find there is nothing to listen to since the speaker is not talking beyond monosyllables, an effective listener asks open-ended questions on what you are sure is of interest to the person you are conversing with.
After listening to what a client has to say concerning their animal’s illness, it is also crucial that you communicate to the m effectively on their treatment procedure. A patient is entitled to understanding the kind of treatment procedure that they should use. Communicating clearly requires that we learn some important skills. In trying to improve communication with the clients and coworkers, a veterinary doctor should use skills that deepen his connection with others, improve teamwork, and build greater respect and trust among those he works with. To have good communication skills, the first thing that one should do is incorporating listening skills (Covey, 2004). The procedure of improving listening skills has been given above. We should, however, note that when we immerse ourselves in our own view point when communicating, the other party might feel left out and therefore stop listening to what we have to say.
The second tip to improved communication is clarity. Clarity involves making your remark or opinion clear without exempting anything from the recipient. For instance, in a hospital setting, it is the responsibility of the doctor to clearly explain to the patient what they should do and what food should be given as a daily routine for their pet to get well. Besides, in the case where a prescription has been given, the doctor should clarify how it should be given to the sick animal.
When improving one’s communication, it is important to use a logical and organized approach when talking. The underlying principal to having an organized and logical communication approach is adequate preparation. In adequate preparation, one is encouraged to stick to one subject before moving to another. In a hospital setting, a doctor will have to attend to one patient first before moving to the next. Moreover, the doctor should move to the next client only after finishing and making everything clear to the other patient.
Another tip to effective communication is brevity. When a doctor wants to be clear enough it is easier when they use the minimum possible number of words. Use of excessively long, descriptive sentences complicates the issue discussed. The best practice here is to avoid sentences that have no meaning. When communicating we should consider situational analysis. Situations that are urgent or of caution require a different approach also, one should analyze his audience first to know how well he can communicate (Stewart, 1995). For example, a doctor when talking to learned patients will use brisk to-the-point language. On the other hand, he will use detailed explanations and slow speech when talking to people with low education. Lastly, feedback is important in communication. Effective communication incorporates the sender conveying the message properly and also the recipient getting the intended message. To make sure that the recipients have gotten the information as they should is through securing feedback. Securing feedback can be done through reading the body language and the visual cues of the recipient. For instance, a blank facial expression shows that the message has not been understood and a quizzical facial expression indicates that the recipient needs some clarity (Covey 2004). In addition, failure to maintain eye contact shows that the client is not interested in what you have to say. A doctor should give the client a platform to ask questions in order to correct misconceptions reinforce the message.
A conversation with a client who has brought an animal that cannot be treated should include an explanation of the disease of the animal and why euthanasia is the only solution to help it. For instance, the doctor can tell the client that his dog has an illness whose treatment mechanism cannot be established. The client then asks the doctor if there is any way that can relieve the dog of pain and make it live longer. The doctor, in response to this, says that the disease can easily spread to other animals and kill them too. So for them to save the dog from pain and infecting other dogs it is better to kill it. In a situation where the doctor has prescribed an intravenous injection for a donkey, he will explain to his coworkers that they should tie the donkey on the ground and ensure that both pairs of legs are firmly tied so that the animal in injected on the left thigh. The coworkers might ask if it is necessary to hold the donkey’s nostrils. The doctor insists that it is a must and they should be careful so that they don’t injure themselves. Another situation might arise when the doctor tells a client to be coming for yearly wellness checks. The client does not understand what that means and its importance and therefore asks the doctor what it means. The doctor explains to the client that it involves health checks that are done once a year on their animals to ensure they are in perfect good health. The doctor also tells the client the importance of this wellness check is to treat any disease in the animal at its early stage. After a surgical procedure, the doctor will tell the client the exact time that the patient will be discharges. The client might ask if they will be free to go home from that time. The doctor tells the client that they will have to clear with the finance office first before going home. The doctor also tells the client to give the dog a comfortable place to rest for the next one week and also provide light food such as soup and milk to the dog.
In conclusion, effective communication goes hand in hand with good listening skills. Therefore, one should merge good communication skills and effective listening skills to communicate effectively. Effective communication can be developed through constant practice. With time, one will be able to communicate effective without struggles.
References
Covey, Stephen R. (2004). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Free Press (Division of Simon and Schuster).
Stewart, M. A. (1995). Effective physician-patient communication and health outcomes: a review. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 15(9), 1423.
Zolnierek, K. B. H., & DiMatteo, M. R. (2009). Physician communication and patient adherence to treatment: a meta-analysis. Medical care, 47(8), 826.
