In episode 3 of  ‘We’re The Campells’ Erica flies to Dallas to do her radio show and goes a little too far on air with co-host Griff, and then she questions the higher-ups about policy; after talking to MC Lyte, Joi decides to leave Warryn’s label; Goo gets some great news.

This week’s episode really showed you what communication means. When communicating with others, we often focus on what we should say. However, effective communication is less about talking and more about listening. Listening well means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker is trying to communicate.

There’s a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing. When you really listen—when you’re engaged with what’s being said—you’ll hear the subtle intonations in someone’s voice that tell you how that person is feeling and the emotions they’re trying to communicate.

Joy missed out explaining why she was in a dark place.  She started the episode off with holding back her disappointment with the way ‘MyBloc‘ has handled her career. MCLyte chats with Joy and helps her think  about how to communicate her unhappiness on the label.  Goo Goo explained her desire to move forward with her ‘Goo’s Glam Suite‘ and thoroughly showed through. Erica  learned that Griff was using comedy to protect himself and heal his spirit from his divorce. She had to hear what was disturbing him and why he was upset that she put him on blast.

In every case you saw a running thread. Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information.

If there seems to be a disconnect, reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is…,” or “Sounds like you are saying…,” are great ways to reflect back. Don’t simply repeat what the speaker has said verbatim, though—you’ll sound insincere or unintelligent. Instead, express what the speaker’s words mean to you. Ask questions to clarify certain points: “What do you mean when you say…” or “Is this what you mean?”