Communication is one of the most important factors in our lives. It dictates the relationships that are established with individuals in their personal and professional lives. Effective communication provides the foundation for the growth of trust and respect. It also helps you better understand a person and the context of the conversation. People often believe that their communication skills are much better than they actually are. Communication appears simple; however, much of what two people discuss is misunderstood, thus leading to conflict and distress. To communicate effectively, you need to understand the emotion behind the information being spoken. Knowing how to communicate effectively can improve the relationships you have at home, at work and in social affairs. Understand communication skills such as; listening, non-verbal communication and stress management can help improve the relationships you have with others. One of the main aspects of communication is listening. An effective listener is one who not only understands how the speaker feels, but also understands what the speaker is saying. Building a strong connection between speaker and listener is one of the first steps to becoming a good listener. By building this connection, speakers should first be in an environment with open-minded listeners, because it makes them feel more comfortable expressing their opinions, feelings, and ideas. Listeners should avoid judging. The individual does not have to agree with the speaker's ideas, values, or opinions; however, to fully understand them, one must set aside their criticisms. Speakers will believe they can trust listeners with their information when they know they will not be judged. Communication problems happen frequently, listen... middle of paper ......pay attention to how people react to each other's comments, guessing the relationship between people and guessing how each person feels about what is said . This can help people better understand the use of body language when conversing with other people. It is also important to take individual differences into account. Different cultures use different nonverbal gestures. Often, observing these gestures alone, the observer can get the wrong impression, for example, the listener may unconsciously cross his arms. This doesn't mean they are bored or annoyed by the speaker; it can be a gesture they feel comfortable with. Viewing the gestures as a whole will avoid these misunderstandings. Nonverbal gestures aren't just physical, for example; the tone of voice when speaking to a child will be different from that with which one speaks to an adult.