TDP1_COM_Reading_Fundamentals & Techniques

1. The impossibility of not communicating
2. The content and relationship aspects of communication
3. The punctuation of a series of events (cause or effect)
4. Digital and analog communication
5. Symmetric and complementary interactions: Similarity and disparity

Each person experiences the world and people in his environment subjectively – on the basis of his individual life experiences and personal circumstances. Everyone lives on their own island.

What a “sender” is expressing in writing, language, gestures and facial expression may be completely clear to him. But the “receiver” always hears, reads or sees this information on the basis of his own personal experience of life and communication. He can only understand the message through the filter of his own “internal map”. The meaning that he gives to the sender’s words and gestures may match what the latter wanted to express – but it may also differ considerably.

thought/intended is not said/written

said/written is not heard/read

heard/read is not understood

understood is not agreed with

agreed with is not implemented

• The participants accept one another in their respective roles and treat each other with fairness and appreciation.
• Differences in hierarchy are not blurred or concealed in this process: the manager remains the manager, the employee remains the employee.
• Communication between equals (as human beings of equal value and on the same level, despite hierarchical differences).
• Participants continue to respect each other even in the event of conflict.

1. Most day to day work discussions are focused on factual information (blue). While people are exchanging factual information, communication is also happening on three other levels that are critically important for communication to move forward successfully. Often, they are only recognizable indirectly (through non-verbal signals/body language), e.g. intonation, facial expression, gestures or demeanor.
2. The sender always reveals something of himself: Self-revelation (green).
3. At the same time, he expresses the nature of the relationship and what he thinks of his conversational partner: Relationship (yellow).
4. He says or shows more or less clearly what he wants the receiver to do: Appeal (red).

• Comprehensibility
  •  As the sender: express yourself matter-of-factly, precisely and comprehensibly.
  •  As the receiver: listen attentively, understand and summarize the information.
• Openness and personal transparency
  •  As the sender: show who you are as a person – show that you are credible and open.
  •  As the receiver: understand your conversational partner on an emotional level as well.
• Establishing a relationship based on respect
  •  As the sender: be appreciative and constructive when dealing with others – even in the event of conflict.
  •  As the receiver: be aware of how the other person establishes the relationship.
• Focus on goals and solutions
  •  As the sender: put across your targets and (role) expectations clearly and without ambiguity.
  •  As the receiver: ask about targets and (role) expectations and take them on board.