ng aware of a variety of techniques and developing skills such as being a good listener, avoiding judging or bias, and thinking before answering. Richard Gemmet argues that there are ten key skills to be developed when trying to become successful at personal communication:
Good listeners don’t interrupt, especially to correct mistakes or make points.
Face the speaker; be close enough to hear.
Are aware of biases or values that distort what they hear.
Look for the feelings and basic assumptions underlying remarks.
Avoid rehearsing answers while the other person is talking.
Don’t insist on having the last word
While all of the above skills help one communicate more effectively, there are other critical components of effective personal communication skills that need to be developed. For example, asking questions is one way of providing good communication but such questions should be broad and open-ended for optimal effect. Providing feedback is another excellent method of personal communication, but skills in this area also need developed. For example, it would be much more effective to say “You’ve disagreed with nearly everything I said”, as opposed to “You’re being stubborn”. The second feedback statement could be viewed as a confrontation or challenge and may construct barriers to effective communication. Finally
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