Communication Barrier #7: Habit
The first step in changing any behavior is to become aware of it
While developing effective communication skills, many of us realize that we have learned defensive or offensive communication practices that we are unaware of.
These communication habits often cause communicators to defend against non-existent attacks. Communication habits are not only automatic, but often unconscious, which makes them all the more difficult to change.
The SpeakStrong Method
- identifies individual, relational and organizational communication cultures and the communication habits that make up those cultures.
- provides communication standards to aspire to, to make existing habits apparent by contrast.
- provides tools and skills to find alternative ways to communicate so when you abandon a bad habit, you have a skill to replace it with.
Impatience and a desire for quick fixes can be a barrier for long-term communication development. The development of effective communication skills takes time, and rushing the process can inhibit experimentation with new communication tools and approaches.
Perfectionism assumes a single right answer and evaluates expressions and input based on whether they stand as the perfect view or explanation. This inhibits creative communication by critically evaluating undeveloped expressions.
We receive extensive conditioning to believe that there is a single right answer to every question, and to abdicate to the “voice of (external) authority“. When our own perception and reason contradict what we are told, our subjective observations and experiences are too often negated rather than considered and integrated.
Many people don’t speak up due to fear. Whether your current way of communicating works for you or not, at least it’s familiar.
Many people complain of lack of effective communication skills. Even if you know where you want to go, if you don’t have a way to develop the skills to get there, you won’t know where to start.