Summary
Highlights
Competent communicators are active listeners. They don't just hear but internalize, paraphrase, and create meaning from what is being said. Effective listening helps in managing conversations, being more involved, and crafting messages tailored to the other person's needs, as seen in sales.
Cognitive complexity involves looking at various situations from multiple perspectives and thinking about them in different ways, which helps in crafting messages effectively. Ethics in communication means following social norms, not deceiving or hurting others, and having no ulterior motives.
Conversational involvement refers to how engaged you are in a conversation through non-verbal cues and questions. Conversational management is the ability to further the conversation, moving it along smoothly and avoiding interruptions, rather than letting it stall.
Communication competence is defined as being effective and appropriate for the situation and knowing when to adapt, as per Spitzburg and Cupach. It's a perception, and what one person considers competent, another may not.
Effectiveness means achieving your communication goal. An effective communicator crafts messages that appeal to their audience, monitors feedback, and engages listeners. While the sender aims for effectiveness, accurate reception also requires effort from the receiver.
Self-monitoring is the ability to notice what you're doing in different situations and recognize when to adapt. Adaptability is the act of making those changes in your communication based on the audience and situation, like speaking differently to children versus adults, or friends versus co-workers.
Appropriateness goes hand-in-hand with adaptability, meaning you adjust your communication to fit social norms, such as avoiding slang or profanity in formal settings. Empathy is the ability to understand and put yourself in someone else's shoes, considering their perspective and feelings.