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Step 1
Practice a policy of honesty. Nothing cripples wholesome communication more than a mountain of lies. If you are lying, what you are sending is mixed signals, ultimately serving to stymie communication. Truth, by contrast, is diametrically opposed to falsehood. Consequentially, it produces different results. If you want others to feel comfortable in relating with you, use honesty to a practical purpose. Doing so may require you to take responsibility for your own shortcomings; however, the more you rely on honesty as a tool to foster communication, the more you will develop your character.
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Step 2
Strive to be considerate. No one enjoys being interrupted while speaking. However, we feel tempted to interrupt a speaker whenever we aren't experiencing an active interest in what the speaker is trying to say. For this reason, skills of active listening are worth practicing. Active listening can be accomplished by paying attention, asking questions when appropriate and providing advice if it is solicited. By modeling skills of active listening, you are likely to receive similar attention when you are given an opportunity to speak.
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Step 3
Respect differing points of view. In a debate, two speakers can quickly become entrenched in ideologies, preventing healthy communication from occurring. To avoid reaching a stalemate, express a willingness to consider the worth of different points of view when communicating. This does not mean that you must relinquish your own beliefs but instead that you expand your own beliefs by acknowledging new ideas.
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Step 4
Accept the worth of different styles of communication. Since we are each different people, we are each bound to communicate differently from one another. Embrace these differences. Appreciate the worth of a masculine style of communication as opposed to a feminine one and vice versa. Be attentive to cultural differences when communicating. For example, a person from Japan may communicate in a reserved style compared to a person from Italy. While the Japanese speaker may communicate humbly and quietly, the Italian speaker may be loud and expressive in his style of communication. Regardless of how a person communicates, pay attention to what he is saying and what he intends to communicate.
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Step 5
Focus on mutual interests and goals. Healthy communication should be purposeful in nature. Furthermore, partners should share certain fundamental goals as they communicate. Communication goals don't necessarily need to be complicated. Rather, they may be simple, such as to transfer information clearly or to openly discuss new ideas. Sharing these goals allows communication to become a cooperative effort. Even two people who share opposite opinions can benefit from communicating with one another if they each focus on shared interests and goals.
