I have a definition of communication that I use in all my public speaking training. There are multiple definitions that I could use. I chose this one. It gets everybody on the same understanding of what oral communication is. The definition is:
Communication is the giving and receiving of information, ideas and attitudes.
Most people will pick up on the fact that it is a giving and receiving process and most will acknowledge that we exchange ideas and information. Many will miss the fact that we also exchange attitudes when we communicate. We do that through our nonverbal message. Through our facial expression, body language, and our gestures. We also do it tone of voice. So it is important that we ensure that these are in synch with our message.
While we acknowledge that communication is a giving and receiving process most of us don’t put enough emphasis on the receiving portion. This is particularly true when we are speaking to a group of people. Depending on the size, most audiences will communicate solely by nonverbal. In these situations we have to condition ourselves to listen with our eyes in order to get the messages they are sending.
Now go out and Make Your Voice Heard!
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I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Leave me a comment or suggest a topic for a future blog.
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