In many situations, the actual problem is lack of communication or misunderstandings and not actually what everyone thinks of the problem to be. The best way to avoid such circumstances is to communicate better. Wait for the other to finish talking Yes, it can hard to be patient when someone is talking to you and a question arises for you to ask them, before they are finished talking. However, if you stay remain forbearant in those moments and listen carefully until the person you’re listening to finishes talking, you’ll realise that most of your questions are automatically answered and if they’re not, you can rephrase them better now as you have more information. Listen, don’t just hear it out The difference between hearing something and listening to something a person is saying to you is that if you just hear what they say, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have understood and processed their words. Listening, on the other hand, means your brain has properly registered everything that has been said and hence, it will be less likely for you to forget or subconsciously neglect those words. Avoid vagueness Using vague words that usually tend to be perceived in an uncertain manner are a major reason for the formation of communication gaps and eventually lead to misunderstandings among people. So, highly avoid using phrases like ‘I don’t know’, ‘maybe’, ‘could be’ etc in your conversations. Pay attention to the others’ facial expressions What someone means by their words is highly affected by their facial expressions. The first step to communicate better with someone is to fully comprehend their words so you can give them a well-informed enough answer. Hence, it is vital to pay attention to the other’s facial expressions and instantaneously figure out what they’re meaning to say. Be precise and concise Throwing in unnecessary and insignificant details into conversations tends to shift focus off of the central point of what is being communicated. Hence, always try to keep your words limited and the actual point of the conversation in mind while talking to others.