The Missing Piece of Communication

I have an insider’s peek for you today! Our wonderful Team Success Specialist, Cara, reached out to our VAs in this month’s newsletter, and it was so, SO good that I wanted to share it with you. Cara eats, breathes, and sleeps Team Success here at Rock Solid. It is truly her heart to see that our teams have the support they need to reach new heights! Cara talked to our VAs this month about The Missing Piece of Communication, and I think you will benefit from what she said as much as our VAs did!

~ Tracy

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The Missing Piece of Communication + four tips on how to become a better listener!

Hey, hey! Cara here, and this week, I'm talking all about communication!?

As someone who communicates with our teams daily, I've seen firsthand how much communication matters to a successful team. There are so many aspects to communication, but there is one in particular I want to talk about, and it's one I think we forget about.

Active Listening!

I'm sure there has been a time when you are talking with your client about something very important, and although you are communicating clearly, they still don't hear you out, which can be frustrating! This could be for a number of reasons.?

We all know how busy our clients are, and that's why they have us: to help them be less busy so they can focus on the essential parts of their business.

Being an active listener is a crucial part of communication! It involves not just hearing the words but actively processing them and attempting to understand their meaning and intent. I recently read a book that talks about communication, and I found this part to be so interesting!

“The reason many people are ignored is because processing information demands the brain burn calories.”

?It went on to talk more in-depth about how when our brain has to process too much unnecessary information, we begin to ignore the source of that information in an effort to conserve calories.

Now, I'm not saying your client is ignoring you or Visa Versa. But after I read the above quote, it got me thinking! Sometimes, less is more when we communicate, especially when it comes time to listen to someone. Since our clients are so busy and don't always have a lot of time to talk with us, it's important that we communicate our needs quickly. That way, they are more likely to actually hear what you are saying! Especially knowing that after the brain processes too much information, the source of that information can be ignored.

There are obviously going to be times when you need to communicate in much more detail, and that's completely understandable! But on a day-to-day basis, I think it's essential to keep your communication intentional with your client, and always remember to be clear, concise, and thoughtful as well!?

I know communication as a whole is something that everyone can improve upon, so I wanted to share a few tips on how to?become a better listener:?

Paying full attention

~ maintaining eye contact, minimizing distractions, and focusing on your teammate's words and body language

Asking clarifying questions

~ seeking further information to understand your teammates's perspective better

Nonverbal cues

~ using body language like nodding, smiling, and leaning in to show you are actively listening

Be empathetic

~ try to understand your teammates's feelings and perspective

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These are just a few ways we can improve our listening skills to communicate better with our clients—and the same goes for them! Try these tips with your client, and let me know how it works!

Talk soon,?

— Cara