Interpersonal Communication: What Are Confirming Messages?

Many of my clients are staying connected to staff, customers, or members, by hiring me to deliver virtual presentations.

I provide high-impact and high-content virtual presentations through Attendify, Engagez, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar, Google Meet, Hopin, Loom, Meetview, Microsoft Teams, StreamYard, Webex, and Zoom.

Do some of your coworkers seem to snub you?  Do some of your staff delay responding to emails or sometimes not at all?  Do you walk down the hallways, meet coworkers, and they don’t say anything to you?  Do you feel invisible?  Don’t let that be you.

Your coworkers are not sending confirming messages.  Confirming messages convey that parties in the relationship are valued.

There are three main categories of confirming communication:  showing recognition, acknowledging the other person’s thoughts and feelings, and expressing agreement.

Recognition seems simple, however, sometimes we miss opportunities to re-inforce the value of the other person.  Be sure to greet others, wave to them, reply to their emails, text messages, and respond to their phone calls and voicemail messages.

Acknowledgement takes a little more effort.  Listening is the most basic form of acknowledgement.  Be sure to ask questions, paraphrase responses, and reflect on what people are sharing with you.  Acknowledge the contributions of the other person by either supporting or taking issue with what the other party says.

Showing agreement is the strongest type of confirming messages.  This is often referred to as endorsement.  You can do this in a variety of ways.  You can agree with the facts, in principle, their perception, or outright praise.  You can say things like, “You’re right, I was in a hurry.” Or, “You’re correct, I have been working extra hours to finish this project.”  Or, “I can understand how you could feel that way.”  Or, “I agree with you completely.”

Put some effort into sending confirming messages to others.  It will be a much more pleasant place to work if you project positivity, participate fully, and praise other’s participation.  Powerful!

What are confirming messages?   Recognizing others, acknowledging them, and agreeing when you can.  Enjoy the positive communication environment you create.

If you need to find a keynote speaker, plenary speaker, breakout speaker, concurrent session speaker, seminar leader, or workshop facilitator who can deliver in-person, virtually, or via prerecorded session, Kit Welchlin, M.A., CSP, CVP, is a nationally recognized professional motivational speaker and author and can be found at www.welchlin.com or www.SeminarsOnStress.com.