A happy marriage involves two people who have agreed to act as a partnership. In business, one partner has complete confidence in the other partner and if one member of the partnership is unable to decide on his or her own how to handle a given situation, the two partners discuss the problem and come up with a solution. The same is true with the partnership of marriage.
Compromises must be made, humility will be shown, and ultimately the best option possible for both parties will be chosen. Although you will not need to consult with your partner on every decision that you will make in life, your line of communication should be such that if you are not sure about the other person's feelings regarding a decision, that you never assume that something is your own problem or decision. Never let the line of communication be cut. You are a teammate to your partner. You do not and should not feel like you are answering to each other, but rather that you are consulting with each other.

Naturally, you cannot have effective communication without effective listening skills. In a marriage, sometimes listening to what the other person has to say can be extremely difficult. In intensely personal matters that deal with the future, money problems, or the children, many times the decisions that we make alone are what we believe to be the best decisions possible. Therefore, very difficult arguments can result. There is not a problem with having an argument now and then. Emotions run high and human nature is to loose control on occasion. Arguments become a huge problem and barrier to effective communication when one or both parties refuse to listen. Perhaps you are the kind of couple who wouldn't classify yourselves as an argumentative couple because you think you know what your spouse is going to say and answer before they finish. Instead, listen to them and then work out what to say. You may be surprised that what you though your partner would say was really not what they were feeling at all.

Communication in a marriage is always for the betterment of the couple and the family as a whole. Other types of communication are really so that you make sure that you are understood or that you get your point across. In a marriage, there are times when you have to agree on something that is not best for one or the other but rather what is best for the family.

Communicate with kindness and love and you will find that your marriage will be edified because of it. Remember that the reasons why you chose to marry the person with whom you must communicate involved that the two of you were compatible on a number of different levels not that you were perfect. The best marriages are not created over night. They take time to develop, make sure that you stay committed to wanting a happy marriage and use your time to improve your communication skills.