Dealing with difficult people can be hard. It oftentimes feels very personal which can cause us to react. It’s easy to take things personally when we feel tension or challenges communicating. In reality, most of the time it has nothing to do with us at all. Instead of being reactive, it’s important to be proactive to keep communication healthy.
Being proactive includes prevention
It’s easier to have healthy communication when you plan for success. Setting up parameters about your communication puts everyone on the same page. An example could be creating policies and procedures about returning emails or phone calls. This ensures people aren’t left hanging wondering why they aren’t being answered. In the home, this could look like making sure people sync their schedules so there aren’t loose ends that disrupt the flow.
Anytime you can prevent a roadblock or a misconception you’re less likely to deal with fall out or uncomfortable conversations. When everyone agrees to the expectations and follows through there’s no need to worry.
Being proactive includes honesty
A lot of the time people who feel slighted or uncomfortable because of poor communication hold their feelings in which causes resentment. They may not know exactly where or why the communication failed but they also don’t address it. Since they don’t say anything, they simply manufacture the reason in their head. If their reason is inaccurate, there’s a big problem.
It’s important to talk it out when it comes to miscommunication or hard feelings. Being open, honest, and up front in a healthy way can help remove doubt, uncertainty, and keep things clear. Most of the time, we discover that what we thought was happening wasn’t at all. Being confident to approach someone when you feel communication is off is a proactive way to prevent unhealthy communication.
Being proactive includes feedback
We are never fully aware of our impact on others unless we ask. Feedback is a perfect way to make sure we are on point when it comes to communication. Checking in and making sure things are good helps. You never know when you may be coming across in an unhealthy way. Getting first-hand information can help you curb bad habits or make important changes.
Make feedback with friends, family, and colleagues common. It doesn’t have to be formalized. Casually touching base is fine. Statements like “Just checking in to make sure you feel like we are communicating well” open up the opportunity for a good conversation. Avoid feeling defensive or hurt if you discover you haven’t been as good at communicating as you thought.
Healthy communication is intentional. Being proactive about your communication can help avoid pitfalls and miscommunication. Taking the lead and creating healthy communication can prevent resenting someone or feeling anxious needlessly.
