Admit it. When was the last time someone asked you, “but are you’re listening to me at all?” Or when you yourself had the impression that you were talking to someone, but the message did not go through, as if there was a wall on the other side and not a human being. So, what are the key areas in effective communication? First, bilateralism, the assumption that both sides participate in the conversation. What is the pleasure of a meeting when only one side speaks, asks, and the other side does nothing?

Communication is more than just sending information. Both sides should have the intention of participating in the conversation. This means “here and now” activity. Secondly, listening to others, showing them that we not only hear them, but also that we are listening to them. In this way, we assure our interlocutor that his message is important and interesting to us. Listening means being engaged in conversation. It’s the ability to let others know that what they say is important to you. And thirdly, effective communication involves emotions. Do emotions help or disturb? It depends. Sometimes they help and sometimes they interfere. Emotions can be the driving force behind our speech. They make us more authentic, more credible. If we tell someone about our passion, let them see in us fascination, joy and our energy. In difficult moments, strong emotions can disturb our message or hinder the message. It is worth taking a pause then. The pause will allow us to calm down, clear our head and hold our tongue.

Being aware of your emotions will give you control over your behaviour and your communication with others.