Welcome to Part II of Interpersonal Communication Tips. Check out the last five tips from, Interpersonal Communication, below:

“Interpersonal Communication

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5. Avoid asking “why” questions, as they are often interpreted as blaming or indicating that you disagree with what a person has previously said. “Why” questions can also lead to long-winded explanations

6. Use silence and pausing more. Sometimes just by your being silent, the other person will open up more. And if you pause, it gives the other person a chance to absorb what you have said. It also gives you time to think about where you want the conversation to go

7. Ensure mutual understanding by recapping or using reflecting statements, for example, “Let’s see if I’ve got it right” or  “Do you mean …?

8. Prompt the other person if they seem stuck for words or have lost their way, for example, “You were talking about …”

9. Watch for stresses on words. Sometimes you may notice a particular word or phrase has been used or accented and this may seem significant. Explore this further and repeat the word or phrase, with a question mark in your tone

10. Don’t worry about making mistakes – nobody’s perfect. Even the best communicators have made mistakes. That way, they can correct them for the future.”

Hopefully these tips will help you. Contact me if your office needs legal training. Until next time!