Learning to Become a More Effective Communicator-Day 4- Paraphrasing

The feeling that we get when someone really listens to us and understands what we are saying is truly amazing. Paraphrasing allows people you are communicating with to KNOW that you are hearing them.

Paraphrasing simply means that you will relay the information back to the person who told you in a different way.

If someone tells you “Today was really difficult, I got up late, almost missed the train and now I have so much work to catch up on.” The correct way to paraphrase this would be “I hear what you are saying. Waking up late and missing the train can be stressful, and then having to come in to a pile of work on top of everything else can make the day difficult."

Paraphrasing is a very beneficial tool because it shows the person that they were being listened to. This builds rapport and trust. It shows that you cared enough to listen to their everyword. It validates them. 

Practice using paraphrasing today in your daily conversations. Notice how people open up to you. You will make them feel good!