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In Step 1 of this series, we talked about preparing to listen by removing distractions and empathizing. In Step 2, I introduced four tips to connect with the other person.
Once you’ve focused and connected, it’s crucial to confirm that you’ve understood what the other person is saying!
To quote George Bernhard Shaw:
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Paraphrasing is a wonderful way to confirm your understanding.
To paraphrase means to restate in your own words what the other person said.
When you want to check that you understand a problem or a request or the next steps at the end of a meeting, paraphrasing is a terrific technique.
Paraphrasing is especially important in global business, where people often have diverse interpretations of what’s said depending their culture and background.
If you’re curious about how you can start using this tool, here are two expressions for paraphrasing that I often use.
Two Useful Expressions for Paraphrasing
1. “So if I understand correctly, you’re saying [restate in your own words what the person said]. Is that right?”
2. “Could I just confirm my understanding? [Restate in your own words what the person said.] Is that correct?”
Practice paraphrasing and see how many times your understanding is correct and how many times the other person corrects you (and helps you avoid a miscommunication in the making).
* * * * *
If you think about it, paraphrasing is actually a way of asking a question. You’re restating what the other person said and asking if that’s correct.
Next week, we’ll look more broadly at the question of questions.
Thank you for listening!
Thanks, TopTia, for the photo.