However, for those that are mechanics, you may only need to talk them through it because you can map a lot of information on to their schematic blueprints of the relevant mechanical features for that task. But sometimes, even when you fully understand a concept or idea, you still have difficulty explaining it to other people. As an attorney, when speaking to a client it can be easy to forget that oftentimes this is the clients first experience dealing with a lawyer and they are entirely unfamiliar with the legal process and legal terms. I parry the abstractions within the explanation whilst I speak. When I'm talking to my sisters they always get the impression that I'm shallow and they start lecturing me on stuff I already know as if they believe I see the world in black and white. A forum community dedicated to all ranges of personality types and people. Licensed Mental Health Therapist | Clinical Director, Pineapples Therapy. Yes, getting my thoughts outside of my brain is quite difficult for me. We approach every problem, fact, or concept from a given perspective, with our own biases and motivations. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. We need to know the previous information they have received, and above all, we need to know whether they want the information explained or not. Some people find it hard to respond when others put them in spotlight. Learn more about Reddits use of cookies. Idk. Audience characteristics should have a bearing on everything from the choice of words to the tone that you adopt when delivering a speech. When trying to explain things to other people, then, we need to take this into account, to try and put ourselves in their place, to use common language that everyone can relate to such as metaphors (you might want to prepare these in advance since its pretty hard to come up with great metaphors at the moment). Using analogies can also be a better way to make information relevant, pique their curiosity and get their attention. The only time this doesnt happen is when Im either 100% confident in what Im saying or Im hyper then you wont be able to stop me from talking lol.

Since starting my own firm, I have continued to call my former boss when I need help in difficult situations and need insight on how to explain that situation to the client. When using either of the mentioned, one assumes unless they have taken the learners characteristics into account- that the learner understands the vocabulary or interplay between discussed relationships. You didnt talk much growing up. Its really important that the explanation engages the audience at their level. Too often professionals or those who know a lot about a particular thing throw in industry-specific words or another language that does more to confuse the average listener than to enlighten them. Although, you can offer lengthy explanations at times, try to keep them as short as possible. However, there should be an opportunity to answer questions and clear up any areas of misunderstanding. I believe most people that struggle with explaining something believe they have the solution to the best strategy before completing the necessary homework. Individuals and brands can do themselves great damage with a carelessly worded social media post or offhand comment so ensure that your words communicate your intended messaging and that is as important when speaking to a neighbor or business associate as it is when crafting a press release. This requires more than a single question. Understanding what the person is looking to get out of your conversation can also help you cover just the topics that actually need explaining. Thus, you can explain things better by adding suitable examples from real life. This is because appropriate body language promotes a better understanding of your words.

Oftentimes clients start to ask me a question and Ill jump in before they fully finish their thought, thinking I know where their question is going only to learn they were actually asking me something entirely different. Well, whats a base number? The story of my life. I'm terrible at explaining stuff (I'm better in words). As a marketer, the ability to communicate meaningfully with others is an integral part of healthy, positive relationships which are not limited to our personal relationships either. What Ive noticed as an incredibly inefficient way to explain things is to describe the features, rather than benefits, the hows before whys. My experience is that the explanation is the most effective when it follows this flow: In short, start from the core by linking the idea to existing experience or phenomenon, then move on to explain the specifics, never the other way around. When I start working with a new patient, I may know all the best strategies for the patient to start implementing in their lives, provided the patient is ready to immediately adopt potentially drastic changes. Just last night I saw a thread to which I desperately wanted to respond but realized how big the answer was, how it was tied into everything else, how it couldn't be explained apart from my entire world view, and how impossible it would be to answer just the one question without that answer leading to my having to try to express and defend the entire contents of my mind. However, you should focus on shared interests and areas of concern. That's most people who struggle with that while everyone surrounded them who know the issue barely help if at all, I know how you feel, it happens to my also sometimes. The ability to explain things articulately and effectively can help you in your everyday life and your career. Im having this same problem. This is because by asking appropriate questions, you can prompt your audience to think in the direction you wish them to. As a result, your audience gets confused and you cannot explain things properly. Tailoring your explanations to the individual you are explaining things to is a critical skill. I used to feel this way a lot, then I just started to force myself to spit it out. in the process, things jumbled get all somewhere up. It also means assessing the learner, identifying when and which modality to use, and taking the time to check for understanding. Also, we regularly make use of teaching and learning resources such as diagrams and visual aids wherever possible to stimulate, motivate, and focus learners attention during the instructional process. When you skirt around the topic, your audiences focus gets drifted from the central issue. You may have your Ph.D. in the topic, but the listener is just looking for a laymans understanding. When I verbally speak, I feel like its hard for me to explain things, even simple things. There are many different approaches to teaching and when youre explaining something you are essentially teaching. But when I start explaining they don't. I end up stuck at dead ends, wondering how other people even function, or how distorted their sense of reality must be if they don't have any foundation at all. The complexities of what youre teaching along with the resources provided by the context youre teaching in and the learners experiences will directly impact the quality of your explanation. Chances are if you are having to explain it to the person, he or she doesnt have as much experience in the subject as you do. Focus on what is in it for them and how they benefit not the features which can be boring until they are interested. I am a big fan of storytelling as a way to get information across. In order to become better at explaining things, you have to take into account the learner (e.g., age, schemas), the content (e.g., simple vs. complex concept), the context (e.g., classroom), and the modality of the explanation (e.g., audio-only vs. illustrative). This methodology will definitely help those who are struggling at explaining things such as educators, administrators, business professionals, etc. When you talk, body language can interact softly alongside you.

Its important when you are in the position of explaining that you come off as credible, or your message will be lost. One thing that has helped me explain things better to my clients is understanding that I cannot give cookie-cutter responses or explanations in every circumstance. I will try harder to get my thoughts out if the person I'm conversing with seems to be an exceptional listener. MI uses various strategies to assess readiness for change, reduce sustain talk (it is too expensive to eat healthily), and to increase change talk (I guess I would have more energy if I exercised more). These are the types of questions that you should consider before you begin writing or speaking. Lastly, if youre going to explain things to the higher management and you know your anxiety levels tend to shoot out in such situation, you may want to talk to yourself in a mirror, so that you could see how you can articulate your message and work on your body language. I really don't know why.. maybe its because i have some form of dyslexia. For me, it's hard to know exactly how much background info the other person needs.

You will lose the interest of the listener if you are rehashing information that they are familiar with. In order to explain effectively, it is important to keep your explanation short. If a student does not understand an explanation, it is important to stand up in the moment and articulate what they understood and what they did not. As a result, I frequently find myself in the position of advising people on how to most effectively communicate their ideas, how to explain their big ideas or new concepts whether in entertainment, advocacy or business. You need to relax your mind when you speak. It is crucial that we not just teach and tutor, but also make sure that our listeners understand and absorb information in the way that we intended to convey it without defensiveness. Your ability to communicate and explain information to other people in the workplace is worth its weight in gold. Researcher | National Director of Quality and Research, PT Solutions Physical Therapy. Once you know the other person actually wants to hear what you have to say, make sure that you really know the subject matter well. If youre confident that the audience has a high level of understanding then you may include technical terms, with little explanation. Further, you should first collect ideas in your mind, structure them in the easiest way possible, and only then proceed towards explaining things to your audience. In order to communicate effectively it is important to support your verbal messages with the appropriate body language. It gets annoying because we're essentially arguing the same thing. If I have to explain my own ideas, I tend to have trouble. Our current baseline understanding and cognitive biases are hard to buck. Thus, it is important to keep your explanation short. Whats repeated addition? If you get to the stage where they want the explanation, the hard work is over. Richard Feynman said, if you are unable to explain something so that a child can understand it, then YOU dont understand it. When we can map new concepts on to existing knowledge we not only help individuals understand things better but retain the information better as well. I know its considered in poorer taste than talking to the person irl but Im just so much better at communicating my thoughts in writing. For many of us, being placed on the spot will inevitably lead to discomfort or trigger unwanted tension, which at the moment detracts from our ability to focus and interact. The learner could be a traditional or nontraditional student, an employee at a training workshop, or your best friend that really wants to learn how to solve a rubrics cube. Saaame.

Weave in storytelling elements, including metaphors and symbols. One of the best ways to revamp your communication skills is to always consider what you need to communicate ahead of time. While there are quite a few people that can find the right words and effortlessly explain complex ideas to colleagues or supervisors, others arent so good at it. Realized its just another skill that requires practice. In the early days of mankind, stories were a great way to communicate around the campfire, they are critical to the Bible and they are still effective today. If you cant explain it simply, you dont understand it well enough..