COMMUNICATION: 8th in the Series of Etech’s 12 Character Commitments

Communication!  That’s a word we hear often isn’t it?  It’s an important word in our English language and it’s an important aspect of relationships.  We often think of communication as the act of speaking to one another or to a large group, but there really is so much more to communication than what meets the “ear.”

Here is a definition of communication from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:    the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.

Based on this definition, it’s easy to see why this “word” in our English language is so very important, because it speaks to many aspects of interacting with others, not just speaking words but sounds, signs and behaviors as well.  I came across on article on the topic of communication from Helpguide.org  that you can check out here.  This article highlights four aspects of effective communication:

• Listening
• Non-verbal Communication
• Managing Stress
• Emotional awareness

Hmmm, none of these have anything to do with speaking do they?  I find it fascinating that the #1 aspect of being a good communicator is Listening.  Listening is an art, because it requires us to not just hear what’s being said, but to also hear what’s NOT being said.  By that I mean, listening for clues about how the person feels, and paying attention to their facial expressions and body language, in other words, their Non-verbal communication.  Managing Stress: that’s one that surprised me; we don’t often think about that when it comes to communication, but what an important skill to have to avoid the “heated” discussions and arguments that can so often erupt quickly……particularly within families. Learning when to walk away from a discussion in order to reduce the stress of the moment and avoid hurtful words is more important than we realize.  Emotional awareness, understanding our own feelings about a certain issue is a very critical aspect of effective communication.  If we’re not really identifying our own emotions, how can we effectively express our feelings or views to someone else?

You know, as I sit here and look at these four aspects of communication, I’m struck by the fact that each one of these requires us to be face to face with the person or people with whom we’re communicating. That’s something that, unfortunately, I think we’ve gotten away from in this highly technical age we live in that allows us to “communicate” almost immediately through various channels and apps. It truly does reinforce the fact that communication isn’t really about WHAT we say, but more of what we DON’T SAY, that really counts.

At Etech, we believe strong communication is vital to the success of our organization and our clients’ organizations.  We meet regularly within the company and with our clients, in person and in video conferences, to stay connected and really listen to what the other person is saying (both verbally and non-verbally).  This has made a huge impact on our relationships and overall success.

This blog entry was written by Matt Rocco, President and COO of Etech Global Services. If you would like to learn more about Etech and our contact center technology and service solutions, please contact us at info@etechgs.com.

Interested in learning how to become a great communicator, click here