“Global communication” can sound rather abstract and difficult for many of us to envision. Reading the diversity of messages from professors published here gives us a glimpse of the complexity of this topic. To add to this discussion, I would like to take this opportunity to examine a few fundamentals to support communication and how we can utilize them to increase our skills at a personal level to support communication outside our direct communities.

Even when speaking our first language, communication does not always go smoothly. When speaking in a second language, the situation can be even more complicated. We can be overly focused on our own ability or inability to express ourselves. In either a first or second language, everyone has had the experience of being nervous when speaking up in a new social situation. Maybe, it is the first day of class, and you are asked to give a self-introduction. Maybe, it is the first time you give a presentation. Maybe, it is writing an email to someone you have never met. While we may not often experience a heart-racing, palm-sweating, stammering feeling, we probably all remember a time that we did. In these situations, we produce speech or written language, but our emotional state can prevent us from being able to truly hear others and communicate in the sense of mutually negotiating meaning. How can we overcome these and similar barriers to quality communication?

As we become established members of a group, it is easier for interactive communication to take place. If you feel comfortable and supported by your peers, it is easier to explore ideas together. Thus, in the best situations, even “solitary” activities such as giving a presentation become communicative dialogues with your audience. Reaching this stage of meaningful communication is not necessarily easy. We may be tempted to say that it happens naturally over time. However, meaningful communication is not just a result of familiarity or practice; it also relates to the way we become intentionally involved in the communication process.

Considering the needs and motivations of ourselves and the people we are interacting with is one way to actively expand our communication skills. It is still more relevant when we are communicating with people outside of our familiar communities. Marshall Rosenberg, an international mediator and proponent of the nonviolent communication method, proposes we must remember that “everything we do is in service of our needs.” In order to have meaningful communication, we should examine the necessary foundations before a single word is spoken.

Almost counterintuitively, finding that foundation can start by considering questions seemingly unrelated to communication. For instance: Did you eat today? Do you know where you are sleeping tonight? Have you spent emotional energy downplaying aspects of your identity? In essence, what needs do you have that must be met before you can be mentally and emotionally present in this discussion?

The concept that individuals have needs that must be met before they can focus on more self-actualizing activities, such as communication, is not a new concept. Abraham Maslow’s 1943 description of a hierarchy of needs is often applied by educators to analyze and improve the learning environment. In essence, Maslow’s proposal is that we all have physiological and safety needs that must be met before we can give our attention to abstract concepts. For example, students cannot focus fully on studying if they are hungry or feel threatened. Once physiological and safety requirements are satisfied, needs such as a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization must be considered. Logically, if a student does not feel like a respected member of the class, they may be reluctant to interact with their peers or act in confrontational and self-defensive ways. Overall, for the classroom to be a productive place of education, there are prerequisite physiological and psychological needs.

These ideas are easily applied beyond education in general to communication specifically. If I am tired, it is easier for me to say something unintentionally harmful to another. At that moment, I lack the energy to think about how my words may impact others. This affects the quality of the communication process in multiple ways. My words might harm the person I am speaking to, but additionally, they make it unlikely that this person wants to spend time building meaning through our conversation. Not being aware of my own need for sleep before entering the conversation thus acts to shut down communication by failing to meet my conversation partner’s need for respect.

While it may be easy to guess if the person you are talking to is tired, many barriers that prevent people from being fully present in a dialogue are less obvious. For instance, one may not easily recognize the motivations of a person masking aspects of their identity to avoid social stigma, such as in the case of some members of the LGBTQ+ community. Solving serious barriers to conversations (such as physical or social insecurity) probably exceeds the scope of any given individual interaction. However, when communicating with others, we must remember that the person we are communicating with has their own needs and motivations. To the extent of our abilities, it is helpful to acknowledge the feelings and needs others bring to a conversation, in addition to our own.

This is where empathy and curiosity become essential. Words alone are not enough for communication. Avoiding assumptions and being honestly curious about the physiological and psychological needs and motivations of the people we are communicating with foster interaction and meaningful communication. To recognize those needs in ourselves and others, we can harness our curiosity and empathy to look beyond words. As we expand our connections from a local to international level, I challenge us all to think deeply and analytically about ourselves and the people we want to communicate with in order to promote more meaningful communication.