Hilda Campbell is an Honorary Fellow of QNIS, a Network Weaver and the CEO of COPE Scotland. This blog accompanies the COPE Scotland tips for effective communication, a free resource that can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.
Honest, open communication is the only street that leads us into the real world.We then begin to grow as never before. And once we are on this road, happiness cannot be far away.
John Joseph Powell
During deaf awareness week, COPE Scotland sought the views of colleagues from the deaf community about our ‘Art of Conversation’ tips sheet, inviting areas where we could improve the content. We are grateful to Deaf Scotland for their assistance in co designing these new tips, which are shared in this piece.
We realised as we worked together on this, there were so many other barriers to communication and connection. While these wee tips sheet alone will not have all the answers, we hope you find the useful contacts section helpful to learn more about how we reach out and connect with each other. Sometimes there can be barriers to connection however, working together we can begin to overcome them.
On the 24th July the Samaritans hold 24/7, an annual awareness day to remind people they are there if people need to talk where if we choose, we can take a pledge to
- I pledge to listen without being distracted
- I pledge to listen without interrupting
- I pledge to check in with my loved ones more often and ask them how they really are
- Or make up a pledge which matters to you.
You may also enjoy this video on the COPE Scotland website, it teaches you the art of Using Your Senses to Relax. This resource was co designed with people for whom ‘audio’ relaxation alone was not helpful in acquiring new skills to relax. The process of making the video, taught me, new ways to unwind that I had never considered before. The world can become richer as can our experiences when we learn from each other, how to perceive it in new ways.
To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
Tony Robbins
Make time for yourself, as well as everyone else. It’s a truth often forgotten that you matter too. Thank you for reading, for caring and seeking to perceive the world from another’s point of view. Together, we can help build a kinder, more connected world for all of us, and the planet.
Free download: The Art of Communication Tips Sheet
Hilda Campbell is joining our virtual conference event as a key note listener for the session ‘Believing what we see or seeing what we believe?‘ with speaker Margaret Hannah.
If you would like to find out more please visit our conference website Fairer, Kinder, Greener.