What can we learn from deaf people about effective communication?

When it comes to critical leadership qualities (and life skills in general), effective communication is perhaps the most important skill that a person can have.

The ability to share thoughts and ideas while inspiring others and communicating effectively with them is a truly remarkable skill that can be enough to make a person great leader at the helm of a team. That’s not to say that it’s a skill that can’t be developed with practice, though!

To learn how to communicate effectively, we can look not only to great orators, but also towards the deaf, who have developed unique and expert communication skills. In this post we will explore what the deaf can teach us about how to communicate with impact.

Communication Advice from an Unexpected Source

Being able to communicate in a precise, rapid, and respectful way is one of the most precious skills one can possess to be effective in both life and work.

We all want to be listened to and to be taken seriously by those around us, and being a great speaker is just one element of this relationship. We focus intently on forming the right sentences and using the right words, but there is a whole other world to communication and being taken seriously.

We can turn to real experts from the Deaf world to better think about our own communication skills as a whole.

Bruno Kahne has studied Deaf Communication for more than 8 years and consequently has developed a course where Deaf people teach Hearing people their communication skills.

Participants remember it years after.

Deaf communication proves to be more precise than Hearing communication, because of some specific behaviors. When we think about each of these behaviors in turn, it is important to think about how they could improve your own communication.

• They sign one at a time
• They systematically reformulate and check understanding
• They dare to say "I don’t know," "I don't understand"
• They read body language
• They stay focused on the conversation
• They easily express their emotions
• They talk straight
• They remain simple & precise

Reflecting On Deaf Communication Skills

Of the skills listed above, which do you think could best help you to communicate more effectively as a leader and also in general?

One of the most important elements of being heard comes with listening, and the necessity of signing one at a time ensures that deaf conversations go this way. Body language is also another important element when it comes to conversations between the deaf, and could be better integrated into the communication of Speaking people.

If you would like to learn more about how to bolster your communication skills from the way that non-hearing people communicate, you can find more at the following links:

7 Important Lessons Deaf People Can Teach You About Communication, PurposeFairy

Lessons of Silence, Strategy-Business

How Deaf People Can Teach Us About Communication, Independent

Let’s learn from the experts!