Effective communication is an important characteristic of strong, healthy families.

Research identifies
communication as an essential building block of strong marital, parent-child, and sibling relationships.

Communication involves the ability to pay attention to what others are thinking and feeling. In other
words, an important part of communication is not just talking, but listening to what others have to say.

Communication within the family is extremely important because it enables members to express their
needs, wants, and concerns to each other. Open and honest communication creates an atmosphere that
allows family members to express their differences as well as love and admiration for one another. It is
through communication that family members are able to resolve the unavoidable problems that arise in
all families.

Just as effective communication is almost always found in strong, healthy families, poor communication
is usually found in unhealthy family relationships. Marriage and family therapists often report that poor
communication is a common complaint of families who are having difficulties. Poor communication is
unclear and indirect. It can lead to numerous family problems, including excessive family conflict,
ineffective problem solving, lack of intimacy, and weak emotional bonding.

Understanding the importance of family communication will help you realize that while sweeping things
under the rug may be easier, it's not the wisest thing to do in the long run.

Reasons Why Family Communication Is Important

Reason #1: Reach Understandings

When you are able to communicate with family members, you will be able to share what you believe
and learn what others feel is right. While you may not agree, you may begin to understand more about
the reasons why they do what they do or say what they say. You could even grow a better appreciation
for them.

Reason #2: Solve a Problem

Many issues among family members arise because of miscommunication. Coming together to talk about
a particular problem can open the lines of communication so you can find solutions to what is negatively
affecting both of you.
Reason #3: End Gossip

Family members love to talk about one another, and sometimes the details of topics become
misconstrued. By the time it's been passed down the grapevine, facts are no longer facts. Going to the
family member people are gossiping about to ask about the situation is a great way to open
communication so that no one gets the wrong impression of the situation.

Reason #4: Encourage Support

A family system helps every one of its members through the good and the bad times. When a family
communicates well, everyone understands what loved ones need, making them better able to provide
support. Even if nothing can be done about the situation, just providing a listening ear can make all the
difference.

Reason #5: Provide Insight on Situations

Family members often disagree about how they should deal with their personal problems. While it may
be difficult to hear, sometimes it's good to have a family member share another perspective of a
situation. This enables the person dealing with the issue to make an informed decision about what
troubled him.

The problem occurs when the different perspective offends the family member, especially when it
dramatically goes against what he or she believes. If this happens, it's best to share the perspective and
then take a step back. It's your loved one's decision to take what you have said into account.

Reason #6: Form Tighter Bonds

Trusting in family members by communicating with them will foster the love you share and tighten your
bonds. Many families grow apart because the individual members each become wrapped up in their
individual lives, and they forget to come to home base to talk about the world around them. When
problems do come up, if you've established a strong communicative base with your family, you'll feel as
though your family is a safe place to seek shelter.

Importance of Family Communication During Disagreements

Communicating with family members on neutral ground is easy. However, during disagreements it may
seem impossible to communicate anything to the other person. It's important not to turn the other way
though, or you could ruin the relationship you have with that person for many years. Many families go
through this and it causes strife for not just the two in conflict, but for other family members as well.

If you often have family issues or you are currently in cahoots with your loved one, learn about conflict
resolution in family. Good communication helps both people come to an understanding, which is the
basis for all healthy familial relationships.

Effective Family Communication

Outside of the home, communication is when you express your thoughts, feelings and opinions to
someone else, while they listen and reciprocate. In the home, communication takes on a much more
personal level. When you communicate within your family, you can expect a listening ear that can gently
soothe or an honest opinion to direct you on the right path. Making sure that your family works on
communication skills can keep your family tightly knit while being open and honest with each other.

Self-Esteem

The children of parents who allow them to freely express their feelings, thoughts and opinions have
higher self-esteem overall, hypothesizes the University of Delaware. This is because they are raised in an
environment where their thoughts and opinions are valued and recognized. When they go to school,
head to extracurricular activities or participate in social events, they won't be shy to express themselves.

Expression of Feelings

Anger subsides when a child learns to effectively communicate her feelings, says the University of
Florida. Learning how to effectively express feelings can reduce the arguing and yelling in a household as
well as increase satisfaction and the sharing of feelings. When a family knows how to communicate
effectively, then all of the members of the household learn conflict management, problem-solving skills
and the sharing of thoughts and ideas.

Acting Out

Some children learn to act out or create problems for shock value when they want attention from their
parents. When parents and siblings allow for better communication, there is no need for children to use
those shock tactics, because they are given the time and patience to talk about their feelings and
communicate their needs.
Listening Skills Development

Effective communication in the home will stay with children as they move through their lives. The
communication skills of expression, listening and conflict resolution will affect their school, social and
eventual professional life. They'll learn how to listen effectively, reserving judgment and showing
empathy. They'll learn the right words to use when communicating with others. And most of all, they'll
develop skills that will affect all of their future relationships; professional, educational and personal.

Effective communication promotes a sense of trust at its core. Conveying words, facial expressions and
hand gestures ineffectively can destroy home and work relationships. Leaving out details in your
communication, forgetting to communicate important information and not listening actively prevent
you from being able to properly communicate in a way that is essential for sustaining a relationship.

Workplace Collapse

Whether it occurs on a farmer’s cornfield or in the high-rise office cubicle of a New York City financial
firm, poor communication can contribute to tension and overall financial failure at work. This happens
when colleagues start to feel reticent about sharing information with each other or the boss does not
receive the information he needs from his subordinates to be able to fulfill his role. An order of fertilizer,
for example, might not get shipped on time because an email to order did not get sent when it was
supposed to. Poor communication in a work environment can disrupt the structure of a workplace and
cause strained employee relations, lower productivity and diminished problem-solving capacity.

It's easier to communicate, so you don't have to put effort into relationships anymore.

Technology hurts relationships because people have to communicate too much.

Technology allows you to stay in communication even if you are far away.

all of the above

Since early childhood, friendships play an important role in everyone’s life. Socializing and
communicating with peers is important for a balanced individual development. Friends can have a
serious impact on a person’s views and lifestyle. For this reason, parents often try to control their
children’s choice of friends. Although friendships can mean many things to many people, having a
support team you can rely on in the hardest times of your life has positive effects on a person’s
psychological wellbeing.

Effective communication is needed to build and maintain a healthy, solid foundation for a friendship. To
communicate well, you need to know how to listen, build trust and deal with any issues that may cause
tension.

Back Up Words with Actions

Telling your friend she can always count on you to be there for her means nothing unless you actually
prove this to be the case. When friends know what to expect from each other, trust is easier to establish
and preserve, says Michele. For example, by telling your friend, "I will go to the gym with you," and then
turning up every week to lift weights with her, you are building trust. Your friend will know she can trust
your words, because you have communicated it to her through your actions.

Face Up to Conflict

Arguments between friends can be healthy, provided they are dealt with in the right way. Bickering,
getting defensive and avoiding the issue entirely are not healthy ways to deal with conflict, says
psychologist Susan Heitler in the "Psychology Today" article, "What Makes Conflict? How are Conflicts
Resolved?" Talking about the problem with your friend is the only way to reach a resolution. Both
parties need to agree that a conflict exists before taking turns to suggest ways to deal with the issue,
explore the pros and cons of each suggestion and reach a compromise. If both of your concerns are
addressed, neither will feel short-changed, and the effective resolution of the conflict will strengthen
your existing bond.

Evolving Beings

search

Explore

About

EBTV

Recommendations

Search
Communication - The Cornerstone of All Relationships

Written by Evita Ochel

Published on Mar. 19, 2010 • Updated on Dec. 21, 2017

ADVERTISEMENT

Communication has been a key structural element in every society since the beginning of time. Through
the use of communication in our everyday lives, people are able to live with one another and interact
with the whole world. Sometimes however, we take communication for granted and expect or assume
people will know what we need, want or like. This puts huge strains on our relationships.

What makes relationships work?

That, is not always an easy question to answer as there are numerous parts that make up quality
relationships.

One aspect however does stand out above all else, and something I have seen to be the most important
theme in any and every relationship I have ever had in my life, and that is communication.

How we communicate with others, can literally make or break a relationship – dictating wholeheartedly
the quality of all our relationships. This is why communication in my opinion is the cornerstone of all
relationships. Without this, it is very difficult to have a good relationship with anyone.

To help expand our awareness of how important proper communication is, let’s explore the purpose
and elements of good communication between friends, lovers and families. Let us look at how we can
improve our communication in each of these areas, in order to have the best relationships we can with
all those who cross our life’s path.

Communication Among Friends

There are as many definitions of friendships out there as there are friends, but the one thing that is for
certain is that most people seek someone for a friend whom they can trust and be themselves with.
Friendships play very important roles in our lives, sometimes even more important than family
relationships.

Most people become friends quite easily, but whether they stay friends or have a solid friendship that
will last, is a whole other story. When friends share openly and honestly their thoughts and feelings,
trust in each other grows naturally. The relationship continues to expand and both parties feel more and
more at ease. Intimate conversations among friends provide opportunities to monitor the emotional
depth of the friendship. These are motivated by the compelling desire to honestly reveal emotions and
thoughts to develop a bond.

As the years go by, some friendships may go through hardships or simply drift apart and may be in need
of some recharging. In these cases it is especially helpful to talk to the friend about the changes taking
place, to reaffirm the friendship if both of you so choose. If we ignore issues that bother us, or give up
talking and sharing our feelings, friendships continue to deteriorate. Recharging a friendship may be as
easy as discussing topics that were touched upon briefly or ignored in the past, but now need a deeper
approach.

Sometimes in our friendships, a small difference of opinions can lead to disagreements. This is not
necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary in many cases if approached from a conscious way, it can lead
to insightful and stimulating conversations as long as the people involved do not attach their egos to the
outcomes or turn it into a debate with a winner and a loser.

When friendships falter, it is at these times that friends need to consider proper communication about
an outstanding issue more than ever, if the friendship is to have a future. Consider taking time out to sit
down and talk together by sharing your feelings and opinions openly.

As friends learn together, many qualities that attracted them originally will be highlighted and brought
out in these conversations. That is why even though friends may know each other well, intimate
conversations provide excellent opportunities for both friends to expand their friendship and discover
each other even better.

Of course sometimes, as both parties grow and evolve in different ways, the loving thing to do may
actually be to end the friendship. If people start bringing out the worst in each other, or simply grew to
hold completely different interests, there is nothing wrong with lovingly going separate ways. At yet
other times, friendships just naturally drift apart.

In the end, it is not about staying or not staying friends with someone, but about always communicating
your needs and feelings openly and honestly with the other person and being open to the same in
return. It is not always easy, but honest, clear and open communication always moves us in the direction
of our highest state of being.

.....

Communication has been a key structural element in every society since the beginning of time. Through
the use of communication in our everyday lives, people are able to live with one another and interact
with the whole world. Sometimes however, we take communication for granted and expect or assume
people will know what we need, want or like. This puts huge strains on our relationships.

What makes relationships work?

That, is not always an easy question to answer as there are numerous parts that make up quality
relationships.

One aspect however does stand out above all else, and something I have seen to be the most important
theme in any and every relationship I have ever had in my life, and that is communication.

How we communicate with others, can literally make or break a relationship – dictating wholeheartedly
the quality of all our relationships. This is why communication in my opinion is the cornerstone of all
relationships. Without this, it is very difficult to have a good relationship with anyone.

To help expand our awareness of how important proper communication is, let’s explore the purpose
and elements of good communication between friends, lovers and families. Let us look at how we can
improve our communication in each of these areas, in order to have the best relationships we can with
all those who cross our life’s path.
Communication Among Friends

There are as many definitions of friendships out there as there are friends, but the one thing that is for
certain is that most people seek someone for a friend whom they can trust and be themselves with.
Friendships play very important roles in our lives, sometimes even more important than family
relationships.

Most people become friends quite easily, but whether they stay friends or have a solid friendship that
will last, is a whole other story. When friends share openly and honestly their thoughts and feelings,
trust in each other grows naturally. The relationship continues to expand and both parties feel more and
more at ease. Intimate conversations among friends provide opportunities to monitor the emotional
depth of the friendship. These are motivated by the compelling desire to honestly reveal emotions and
thoughts to develop a bond.

As the years go by, some friendships may go through hardships or simply drift apart and may be in need
of some recharging. In these cases it is especially helpful to talk to the friend about the changes taking
place, to reaffirm the friendship if both of you so choose. If we ignore issues that bother us, or give up
talking and sharing our feelings, friendships continue to deteriorate. Recharging a friendship may be as
easy as discussing topics that were touched upon briefly or ignored in the past, but now need a deeper
approach.

Sometimes in our friendships, a small difference of opinions can lead to disagreements. This is not
necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary in many cases if approached from a conscious way, it can lead
to insightful and stimulating conversations as long as the people involved do not attach their egos to the
outcomes or turn it into a debate with a winner and a loser.

When friendships falter, it is at these times that friends need to consider proper communication about
an outstanding issue more than ever, if the friendship is to have a future. Consider taking time out to sit
down and talk together by sharing your feelings and opinions openly.

As friends learn together, many qualities that attracted them originally will be highlighted and brought
out in these conversations. That is why even though friends may know each other well, intimate
conversations provide excellent opportunities for both friends to expand their friendship and discover
each other even better.
Of course sometimes, as both parties grow and evolve in different ways, the loving thing to do may
actually be to end the friendship. If people start bringing out the worst in each other, or simply grew to
hold completely different interests, there is nothing wrong with lovingly going separate ways. At yet
other times, friendships just naturally drift apart.

In the end, it is not about staying or not staying friends with someone, but about always communicating
your needs and feelings openly and honestly with the other person and being open to the same in
return. It is not always easy, but honest, clear and open communication always moves us in the direction
of our highest state of being.

Communication Among Lovers

Apart from friendship, love plays another important role in our lives. These two areas are closely linked
as friendship is normally the basis for building an intimate and long lasting love relationship.
Communication in romantic partnerships therefore may be seen as playing an even more important
role, especially if two people want to commit to each other on a serious level.

An essential part of communicating successfully with a lover is establishing good conversation patterns.
The conversation patterns that one establishes early on, will be the foundation upon which the rest of
the relationship is based on. Poor communication habits are later hard to change without hard work and
even bruised feelings. This is why honest, open and forthright communication right from the beginning
of a relationships is critical to making it a good one.

Another key element to good communication between lovers is being able to talk freely about anything,
without fear or shame. Talking openly and sincerely about sex, passion, commitment, and one’s dreams
from the very beginning and throughout the relationship helps it grow into a long lasting love
relationship. This helps the bond between you and your partner grow, evolving the relationship into a
true unity.

Being intimate with a partner is more then just showing physical affection for each other, it is showing
that you care enough to be your partner’s best friend. Being there for your partner when they need a
shoulder to cry on, or a friendly ear to listen, becomes even more important as a relationship matures.

Regular communication with our partners can also help us learn more about them. Learning as much as
we can about our mate by talking and listening to them can greatly improve the relationship. By doing
this we can try to understand the person in depth so that we can respond to their needs in the best way.
Good knowledge of the other person’s needs, wants and standards also eliminates many unnecessary
fights or arguments, since we will know how the other person may react or respond to a certain action
or situation. This by the way is an ongoing life process, as long as you are with your mate.

Good communication in relationships is also based on good conflict resolution. If any kind of problems
arise, they should not be avoided but brought out into the open. You and your partner should feel
comfortable to share your feelings openly, but always in a respectful way. By keeping negative feelings
in, they decrease the level of honesty in a relationship and therefore they start to deteriorate the
relationship itself.

When a person is upset or frustrated, it is of course difficult to communicate effectively. Getting angry
without specifically defining the problem, sets the stage for an emotional war of words with angry
accusations. Therefore at these times instead of resorting to any kind of screaming or yelling clearly
describe the reasons why you are unhappy, making sure at all times to keep conscious of the part your
ego is playing in all of this. The other person should at this time try to be understanding and show a
willingness to openly talk about the conflicting issues.

There are times too when lovers are faced with serious problems which may take many discussions and
require great amounts of time to steer the relationship back on track. It is at these crucial points
especially that couples should concentrate on acquiring good communication so that they may truly try
to resolve the problem, and not just turn their backs on each other and give up.

In the end however, whether one is a man or a woman the best way to a good love relationship is to
build intimacy through good communication. This can be achieved by being more open about one’s
feelings and also spending more time with your partner to have more opportunities to communicate
together.

Communication Among Family

Apart from friends and lovers, another important part of our lives is our family. Sometimes a person can
be all three things to us – a friend, a lover and a family member. It is here that communication must not
only be effective, but also continually emphasized in order for the family to function well together.

Communication between parents and children is one of the most important aspects here, since the way
parents communicate with their children teaches and effects how they will communicate in the future.
The words parents choose make a big difference to a child. Although children also perceive their
parent’s attitude through their voice and body language, what is actually spoken to a child no matter
how old, plays a big part in their lives.
It is important not to make the child feel low or bad about themselves. This can be achieved by avoiding
hurtful criticism, sarcasm, insensitive comments, unrealistic expectations or the withholding of love and
praise. It is also important for parents to get their kids to talk about their feelings. This helps children
deal with their feelings and emotions but also builds strong bonds through the production of intimate
conversations.

In families, parents should also be comfortable and able to talk to their kids about any issue that may
surface no matter how difficult. Frequent and meaningful communication between all family members is
crucial for talking about important issues, but also for resolving problems, heading off destructive
confrontations and reinforcing family unity. Without open conversations, a family’s growth can be
stunted by resentment, conflicts and passivity.

Families should always have an ability to establish a conversation network that provides an equal
opportunity for airing grievances, presenting opposing view points and most importantly for creating
mutual respect for all its members. Parents need to keep their pride, ego and authoritarian ways in
check here especially, as that sets a huge tone for the attitudes, behaviors and future communication
styles of the children. Once such a network is established and functioning, parents and children alike will
understand where other members stand on vital issues that affect their family. This way the
conversation network is the family’s lifeline where its unity provides personal strength and emotional
support.

The way to establish such a network is first, and most importantly, talking to your spouse about house
rules, expectations, discipline, etc. This also establishes good communication between both parents,
which must be effective in order for the rest of the family to function properly. Another step is putting
aside certain times strictly for family activities. These shared times provide important opportunities for
conversations. This ensures that all members can bring up their own issues and no one is left out or
neglected. This is also the key to family decision making, since it gives everyone the opportunity to
express their opinion, encourage discussion and try to find a solution based on compromise.

By following simple rules such as these, families can improve and strengthen their communication skills.
This in return will help the family grow in deeper love, honesty and unity.

Conclusion

Communicating well with friends, lovers and family members is a very important part of our lives, at
least if we want to be happy. We must all remember to communicate with others, as well as we wish to
be communicated with. This builds respect, trust and honesty among people and benefits all those
involved.

Communication is a crucial bridge between all people. When communication breaks down, the
relationships themselves break down. Communication requires perhaps the most conscious effort of us
in our daily lives.

Conscious communication also takes into account your body language, listening skills and the type of
language you use. Equally important is the maintaining of and having intimate conversations with the
people in your life. Even though these are not always easy to initiate, breaking through the barriers of
mutual understanding and respect is worth the risk since the superficial layers of chitchat are stripped
away and we become closer to the people we love.

Together friends, lovers and family members all influence our lives and it is through the gift of
communication that we can stay close to these people, expand our unities and maintain great intimacy
which enriches all of our lives.

....

Workplace communication is very important to companies because it allows companies to be productive

and operate effectively. Employees can experience an increase in morale, productivity and commitment
if they are able to communicate up and down the communication chain in an organization.

The most essential benefit of good communication is its ability to resolve issues before they snowball
into major problems. ... Communication is essential for effective teams and creates efficiencies by;
motivating employees, encouraging open dialogues, and fostering an environment of collaborative
problem-solving.

Strong communication has always been a priority for H.R. ... When it comes to benefits offerings,
specifically, increased employee communication will help employees better understand their choices, be
able to make more informed decisions and appreciate the value of the benefits they have access to
through their employers.

Managers play a key role in establishing clear lines of communication within the organization. ... By
going further to communicate more effectively with employees, you can achieve a more efficient,
productive and satisfying work environment.
The best managers understand the need for building alliances and communicating throughout all levels
of the organization. Effective communications skills are a must for breaking down barriers, which
promotes the collaborative atmosphere that an organization needs to thrive.

Poor communication in the workplace will inevitably lead to unmotivated staff that may begin to
question their own confidence in their abilities and inevitably in the organisation.

The importance of strong communication runs deep within a business. Here are five key reasons you
should be paying attention:

Team building – Building effective teams is really all about how those team members communicate and
collaborate together. By implementing effective strategies, such as those listed below, to boost
communication you will go a long way toward building effective teams. This, in turn, will improve morale
and employee satisfaction.

Gives everyone a voice – As mentioned above, employee satisfaction can rely a lot on their having a
voice and being listened to, whether it be in regards to an idea they have had or about a complaint they
need to make. Well established lines of communication should afford everyone, no matter their level,
the ability to freely communicate with their peers, colleagues and superiors.

Innovation – Where employees are enabled to openly communicate ideas without fear of ridicule or
retribution they are far more likely to bring their idea to the table. Innovation relies heavily on this and
an organisation which encourages communication is far more likely to be an innovative one.

Growth – Communication can be viewed both internally and externally. By being joined up internally
and having strong lines of communication you are ensuring that the message you are delivering
externally is consistent. Any growth project relies on strong communication and on all stakeholders,
whether internal or external, being on the same wavelength.

Strong management – When managers are strong communicators, they are better able to manage their
teams. The delegation of tasks, conflict management, motivation and relationship building (all key
responsibilities of any manager) are all much easier when you are a strong communicator. Strong
communication is not just the ability to speak to people but to empower them to speak to each other –
facilitating strong communication channels is key.