Do you want your communication to be pleasant, intimate and productive? Build your communication skills. For example, the skill of "paraphrasing" will help you better understand your partner and maintain warm contact with him.
Paraphrasing is the speaking of your communication partner's message in your own words.
The "paraphrasing" technique has several communication goals:
- Clarify your partner's thought. Because you have paraphrased his words, he has a chance to correct you. After all, sometimes it happens that in communication we misunderstand each other, but we do not always have the opportunity and desire to correct the error.
- Show your partner that you understand him and listen carefully and you are not indifferent to his words. By paraphrasing, you show empathy and strengthen the psychological connection between you.
- Help your partner focus on the essence of their story and develop their thoughts. By paraphrasing, you are promoting your partner in self-understanding.
You need to rephrase briefly and to the point. You don't need to try to completely retell everything that your partner has told you in communication. Limit yourself to what is really important to both of you. Paraphrasing will be more successful if you speak in the language of your partner, that is, call things by the same names as he does.
A common paraphrasing mistake is the mechanically accurate repetition of the communication partner's words. When you repeat someone else's words, rather than trying to say the same in your own words, then you negate the positive effect of the paraphrase technique. There is a risk that this will irritate your partner and the relationship will deteriorate.
It will be difficult to rephrase at first. But constant training will allow you to quickly develop this useful communication skill.
Warn your partner that you want to practice your communication skills while interacting with them. This will relieve the tension between you that can arise if you are not very skillful in paraphrasing.
