What is it?

Communication is giving, receiving, and sharing information between two or more people. Communication happens in many forms:

• Spoken — between individuals/groups, public addresses from leaders, or daily casual conversations
• Written — text messages, emails, formal letters, or on adaptive devices
• Listening — actively listening when being spoken to instead of waiting to respond or listening for meaning
• Reading — messages from casual text reminders to formal communication
• Non-verbal — unspoken cues taken from a person’s body language and the physical way they interact with others

Communication should always strive to be clear, understandable, and respectful.

Why does it matter?

The key to all relationships is trust and understanding. One of the essential skills needed to achieve these components is good communication. Good communication is clear, unbiased, and presented in a manner accessible to the working population. Good communication also focuses on helping children and families share their experiences, expectations, needs, and goals for our time together. When working with people from groups, you don't belong to. You should expect the cultural norms and practices around communication to be different. These differences stem from cultural values and standards and should not be considered invalid.

Practice strategies that work

When working with colleagues and organizations, try to be: 

Clear

• Know the “why” or what you are trying to accomplish in the conversation.
• Stay on the message – what do you want others to most understand.
• Avoid words, acronyms, and phrases that others may not understand.
• Avoid “Uh” “Ummmm” – Slow down and take natural pauses or breaths in place of filler words.

Unbiased 

• Use gender-neutral phrases, such as, instead of “Hey guys,” try “Hey everyone.” 
• Avoid the use of words like normal or typical.
• Avoid using identifying characteristics when it is not relevant to the conversation.
• When in doubt, respectfully ask people how they want to be identified (see Inclusive Language Guides such as this one from Oregon Health and Science University for more information or our courses on Culture).

Accessible

• Use smaller, more common words
• Leave room for others to ask questions – avoid one-sided conversations. 
• Ask if others are following you or what you are saying makes sense.

Communication is a lifelong skill, to learn new skills or refine your skills, also try: 

Active listening

• Maintain eye contact and use brief physical and verbal affirmations you are listening.
• Clarify understanding, such as, “What did you mean when you said …?”. 
• Restate what you are hearing to seek validation you understand by saying phrases such as, “So you feel that…” or “Are you trying to say…”.
• Don’t interrupt, and encourage communication. 

Nonverbal

• Be aware of your facial expression. Video communication has provided us with a new opportunity to monitor ourselves. 
• Be aware of the tone of your voice and non-verbal communication, such as grunts and sighs. 
• Nod in agreement to show you are listening. 
• Use culturally appropriate touch with consent. 

Seek feedback

• Be prepared to feel uncomfortable. And spend some time thinking about what you would like to improve on or get validation you are doing well. 
• Ask coworkers, supervisors, and clients for feedback on your performance in real-time. 
• Pose specific questions, such as, “What is one thing I could do to improve our communication/meetings?” or “How did that go from your perspective?”