Communicating Effectively

Boost your effective communication skills! Learn communication styles, active listening, and body language in this essential practice worksheet.

1. Effective communication is a key to building healthy relationships. 2. There are three types of communication styles. 3. Becoming aware of your communication style will help you to understand how others perceive you. 4. Three styles of communication are aggressive, passive assertive. 5. Communication Styles - People with an aggressive communication style may not pay attention to others' thoughts, feeling, or needs. 6. Communication Styles - Aggressive - being overly forceful, pushy or hostile 7. Communication Styles - People may adopt a passive communication style because they dislike conflict and will go out of their way to avoid an argument. 8. Communication Styles - Passive - being unwilling or unable to express thoughts and feelings in a direct or firm manner. 9. Communication Styles - Being assertive involves standing up for your rights and beliefs while also respecting those of others. 10 . Communication Styles - Assertive - expressing your view clearly and respectfully. 11. Which method of communication will improve your relationships with others and ensure that your own needs are met, along with the needs of other people? aggressive passive assertive 12. Ways to communicate - To communicate effectively, you need to learn speaking skills, listening skills, and nonverbal communication. 13. Communication is a two-way street. 14. Speaking Skills - The key to good communication is to say what you mean. 15. Speaking Skills - It's not reasonable to expect other people to read your mind or be able to pick up on subtle hints. 16. Speaking Skills - one way to make sure you don't sound disrespectful when talking about a touchy subject is to use "I" messages. 17. "I" message - a statement that focuses on your feelings rather than one someone else's behavior. 18. Listening Skills - Make sure other people's messages get through to you by practicing active listening. 19. Active Listening - paying close attention to what someone is saying and communication. 20. Ways to show that you are actively listening when someone else is speaking: (select all that apply) don't interrupt show interest tell them your side of the story ask questions show empathy ignore the person restate what you hear 21. Nonverbal communication - Your body language affects the meaning of the messages you send. 22. Body language - nonverbal communication through gestures, facial expressions, behaviors and posture. Using the image below, answer the #23- #25 23. When referencing the picture on the left, the girls body language is saying: "I don't want to talk to you" "I'm worried" "I'm really interested in what you're saying" 24. When referencing the picture on the RIGHT, the girls body language is saying: "I don't want to talk to you" "I'm worried" "I'm really interested in what you're saying" 25. When referencing the picture in the MIDDLE, the girls body language is saying: "I don't want to talk to you" "I'm worried" "I'm really interested in what you're saying" 26. Offering constructive feedback can improve your relationships with others. 27. The goal of constructive criticism is to bring about positive changes. 28. To offer constructive criticism: Use "I" messages that focus on the problem, not on the person. 29. To offer constructive criticism: Point out a specific problem, explain why it bothers you and suggest a solution. 30. Letting people know how their actions make you feel isn't something you should do only when theirs a problem. 31. Let the people in your life know you value them and appreciate what they do for you.