Communicative skills are a person’s ability to interact with other people, adequately interpreting the information received, as well as correctly transmitting it. These skills are very important in society when it is necessary to interact with many people every day. Some professions oblige you to pay more attention to them, since in certain types of activities the main method of work is communication: journalism, psychology, pedagogy, sociology, etc. However, professional needs are only a small part of the reasons why communication skills are so important. After all, any person needs to communicate for psychological satisfaction, social realization, and just in order to survive. Individuals who neglect their best practices are unsuccessful, and it is more difficult for them to realize themselves.
Communication skills: definition
There is a synonymous concept in psychology: communicative competence. This is a combination of such human skills that are adequate for a particular social environment and include:
- knowledge of limitations and cultural norms in communication;
- knowledge of traditions and customs;
- possession of etiquette;
- demonstration of good breeding;
- skillful use of communication tools.
They are developed along with the social experience of a person, as well as with the help of additional study of psychology and other sciences. We get some data in childhood, along with upbringing, when we explain the boundaries of decent behavior, as well as through the assimilation of the concepts of “good” and “evil”. However, this is not enough, and to successfully establish a communication channel, you need to meet certain parameters that the addressee expects from us, and they sometimes require additional effort. For example, a Japanese who does not know the Russian language will not be able to fully communicate with Russian-speaking people until he owns their symbolic-semantic system of transmitting information.
Communication skills: abilities
There are a number of abilities that together provide a person with communicative competence.
- Ability to make a socio-psychological forecast of a communication situation. Here, a person adjusts to the upcoming conversation, evaluates how they can be perceived by those to whom he will turn, and, accordingly, simulate several models of behavior depending on their reaction.
- Programming the communication process. Here, a person is already trying to translate the conversation into the direction he needs, which depends on the purpose of the conversation and his personal preferences. Of course, this is done carefully so as not to injure the identity of the interlocutors, with a degree of immediacy and diplomacy.
- Communication management. A vivid manifestation of this skill can be seen daily on TV screens in various television programs, where the presenter conducts a dialogue with the guest. Often, the host is eager to get answers to questions that his interlocutor does not want to talk about, but in most cases, professionals in their field still put the guest in such a communicative situation that he cannot help but talk about it. Sometimes you can meet enough strong-willed and vivid personalities as interlocutors whom the journalist cannot persuade to talk on an unpleasant topic.
Communication skills: rules
There are several rules that are universal for any type and conditions of communication.
- The reported thought should be understood first of all by the one who intends to voice it.
- Understanding. Interlocutors should always be ready for mutual understanding and try to communicate their positions in the most understandable way.
- The specifics. Sound phrases should be accurate and not imply a few meanings.
- Nonverbal signs. You should also pay great attention to your own facial expressions, gestures and intonations, which should correspond to the information provided.
Thus, observing these simple rules, communication skills will be improved, and communication will become a way to remove psychological barriers between people.