Slow down!
The speed of communication is constantly increasing, and we place a lot of emphasis on saving time and making things go as quickly as possible. We want to get as much information across in as little time as possible. We often prefer to email or text instead of calling or meeting face to face. The problem occurs when we rush too much to the point where we lack context and we lose the personal side of the communication.
7 / 38 / 55
When we process communication we look at three things: what is said (the words used) and then how they are said (both the tone of voice and body language). When you are trying to figure out if someone is telling the truth the words are only 7% of the big picture! The other 93% are the tone of voice (38%) and body language (55%). When we use email to communicate we are missing both of these elements and therefore we have to supply the context ourselves, either based on prior communication with the party or the experiences we have had with communication in the past. Emphasis and tone of voice can completely change the meaning of a sentence, depending on how it is read.
Without context the meaning is therefore based on how the reader chooses to interpret them, which can be totally different than what the writer had in mind. When personal connection is missing we lack the context and the odds of miscommunication increases, which can then lead to conflict. It’s well worth it to slow down and give yourself the time to communicate clearly to be sure that the message has been received the way it was intended.
There are many benefits to slowing down when it comes to communication:
- You seem more calm and your message gets accross better
- It reduces stress
- There is less risk of misunderstandings
- It improves the connection between parties, and the human connections are vital for us to be able to experience happiness in life.
Let’s slow down and take the time to connect and enjoy our conversations today!
Love,
Lilja