The key to effective communication is recognizing that 90% of
communication is non-verbal. One of the first things we teach new coaches is to stop focusing on the actual words and start listening to the non-verbal communication.
I was reminded of this a few weeks ago while training in Lima, Peru. My Spanish is very limited – just a few words and phrases. And yet, I understood much of what was being communicated.
For example, when a participant would ask me a question in Spanish, instead of waiting for the translation in English, I listened to the non-verbal communication. In most cases the message was received.
All the best,
They are called “Community Grandmothers.”
Robert Shane
This article really brings to light the issues that people face on a day to day basis