Do you ask for and listen to feedback from the people that can help you the most? Co-workers, clients, the CEO and, of course, customers are you biggest source to unlocking your professional growth or increasing your business.
Most people are afraid to hear the unvarnished truth about themselves or your business but feedback is like exercise…rebuilding the tiny tears in your muscles after a good workout is what makes you stronger. Listen to others with the intent to grow stronger and the tiny tears in your ego can blossom into your becoming a more empathic individual. And that’s good for you and your business.
Ask the right questions and listen without judging. Decide what might be true and then commit to making changes. Try it.
Learn more communication tips in Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Learn more here.
Decision making becomes a chore for me when I haven’t established clear priorities…and maybe it’s the same for you.
Priorities may be dictated by any number of things including: your feelings, personal goals, your health, business mission, deadlines,or your mother’s voice bouncing around in your head. But honestly, establishing priorities is as simple as Stephen Covey’s rule: First Things First.
So simple, yet no so easy. Start with logic but don’t end there. Even if you do manage to set your priorities there’s one more thing you must do– check in with our intuition because even logic has its limitations.
Don’t ignore this powerful decision making tool. Your intuition is an internal compass pointing the way to the decision that honors your life purpose.
But accessing clear “inner communication” can fail when clutter abounds. Physical clutter, mental clutter and emotional clutter.
If you’re not feeling confident making decisions it just might be time clear your space, get quiet, think less and feel more.
Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? Share the knowledge but you MUST include the following: Allie Casey , Communication Coach and Reinvention Specialist, can help you and your team ramp up your communication for more productivity and profits with fewer misunderstandings and headaches. To get your F.R.E.E. audio course, more communication articles and information visit www.alliecasey.com.
I invite you to get your Free Strategy Session if decision making, life purpose, or communication keeps you from creating the life you want. Click here to learn more.
The process of communication gets initiated even before you utter the first syllable. If being misunderstood while communicating is something you have experienced, you need to read on and find a solution to the problem.
Account for Communication Filters. You must consider how your listener might be filtering your message. What is her perception on receiving your message? Is the message too emphatic and in a tone which is too demanding on her? Is there a language barrier? If your listener speaks a different dialect or a different language, interpreting your message may lag behind the pace of your speaking. These filters, if not removed, break the communication process. Communication filters are inherent to the process of communication and some major reasons why they creep in are:
- Cultural Differences. Are the two communicating parties from divergent cultural backgrounds? Different religious overtones? These differences could color the way your message is received and perceived. Be aware of such a difference.
- Level of Education. Varying levels of education between communicating parties need a higher level empathy on the part of the better educated. The other party might be feeling threatened by an imposing attitude or show of more knowledge.
- Different Social Levels – A huge barrier and an obstructive filter to efficient communication. Your feeling of being socially upward compared to the other party shows in your mannerism and is a strict No-go when you want to have a successful communication. Balanced mannerism and profile show prior to start of a conversation leads to higher chance of the conversation moving ahead and also puts the other person at ease. So, leave the heavy baggage behind and treat every one your equal.
The practice observing your listener for signs of confusion will stand you in good stead. Check to see if your message will pass through the receiver’s filters and still be understood as you intended. Be a responsible communicator to avoid misunderstandings.
From my new book,Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up — coming soon. Watch for it. In the meantime, get your FREE 6-part audio series, The Power of Effective Communication simply by entering your name and email in the box to your right.
It always helps to have a quick formula that’s easy to remember, easy to post where you can see it and easy to implement. In touchy communication situations when emotions might thwart clear thinking try these 3 steps:
1. Look – Observe the pace, voice, eye-contact and posture of your listener. Pay attention to emotions, intentions, and any mental or physical distractions. Match and step it down if emotions are high.
2. Adjust – Shift your style to communicate in the way your listener likes to communicate. A small adjustment now saves time, money and effort later.
3. Verify – Verify that the translation and comprehension of your message matches your intention. (and be honest about your intention-is it aligned to your highest self?)
Ready for more tips you can use? Just enter your name and email in the boxes to your upper right and get FREE Instant Access to your 6-Part Audio Series – The Power of Effective Communication now. Go. 6 short audios that can change the way you communicate. or CLICK HERE
“Open up a place in the conversation so your listener can fit in.” I made this assertion a while ago and I swear by it even today. You need to give space to your listener so that the conversation gets initiated, and converts from a monologue to a dialog and eventually into a mutually beneficial business relationship.
Excellent listeners, regardless of their job function, brand themselves as leaders. It’s a natural process. Poor listeners can damage their careers and never know why. I wrote about this a couple of months ago and recent interactions with those that commented have made my resolutions stronger. The basis of my article then was to shortlist 5 basic mistakes that people made while communicating in the workplace and I would like to restatethem:
Mistake # 1 – Judging rather than Focusing. Critical to avoid if you intend to have an honest and fruitfulconversation. You MUST focus on the other person’s conversation rather than his or her clothes, accent or appearance. Stop judging the speech pattern, accent, presentation or mannerisms and instead listen to the message. You need to focus on the value of the content he or she is providing. Suspending your judgment for a short time might lead you to learn something helpful or important.
Mistake # 2 – Making Assumptions. Do you always know more than the speaker? Should you always start and continue a conversation with a preconceived notion? Do you use phrases such as “I know that already” before you have heard a complete sentence? The message you send is, “I know more than you do, so let me help you out.” This is not only rude behavior but it will brand you as a “know it all.” Learn to listen patiently.
Mistake # 3 – Correcting and Disagreeing. Let the speaker complete his chain of thought and deliver what he or she wants to convey before you jump to tell him or her that he or she is incorrect. Give the other person a chance to put across his or her point. Don’t be a conversation breaker. You might have missed a key point and this might turn out to be a major insight into something that eluded your consideration.
Mistake # 4 – Impatient Behavior. A strict No. Don’t let the speaker feel that you are wasting your time conversing with him. Be patient and give the speaker his due. When you tend to lose interest in a conversation, either excuse yourself, if appropriate, or change the direction of the conversation by asking questions. Remember, your non-verbal communication speaks loudly, meaning your foot tapping or turned shoulders will show your impatience, even if you never say a word. Even if someone has a boring delivery, shift your outlook and you’ll likely learn something.
Mistake # 5 –- Failure to listen to the entire message. You need to understand the message in its totality before jumping to conclusions. Don’t get stuck to a single point in a conversation and lose the bigger picture. Don’t react emotionally to a single idea and leave the others aside.
Learn to develop listening skills and you are sure to become a great communicator. The essence to great conversation is space for each speaker to put in his or her point. If you master this, you are sure to raise the level of your business relationships and help your career.
Short and sweet communication nuggets. Get into the customer communication game with these tips:
Business etiquette plus positive personality equals excellent customer service. Think Zappos!
Would you do business with you? Spend time being your customer, evaluate everything from reputation to referrals.
Make these ABCs essential to your business–Articulate what you do clearly and concisely, Build Rapport first, Confidence is what people notice first–own it!
Make listening easy for your customers–eliminate communication barriers. Take a moment to find out what might be in the way–an accent, speech pattern, distracting gestures…etc. and vow to banish it so you can be heard.
No matter what you are selling–ask for the sale. It’s a disservice to your customer if you don’t.
That’s today’s quick tips–add one of your own in the comments.
Even though we live in an age with more communication tools than ever (Facebook, email, Twitter, texting), we are not necessarily more connected with the people around us.
Many of us yearn to be more connected with our loved ones and friends. In addition, we long for more effective and efficient communication in the workplace. The amount of busyness in a person’s life can hinder their ability to communicate effectively–creating costly misunderstandings.
Here are some tips to help you if you are a time-starved communicator.
1. Make a list of the most important people in your life personally and professionally–and keep your priorities straight! Note which people you would like to connect with on a deeper level.
2. Next to each name make a note about the frequency and type of your currently communications. e.g. Boss: daily email status update and a 15 min. phone meeting once a week.
3. Notice how frequently your communication is face-to-face and how often it is electronic. (This might an eye opener.)
4. Now substitute one electronic communication with a face-to-face conversation. Get up and go to your boss with your update. Vow to speak with your kids for ten minutes before bedtime. Give your spouse 215-20 minutes of undivided attention nightly. If face-to-face is not an option then try a phone call over an email.
5. Be intentional about your communication–really consider how you could up level your connection with this person.
Ultimately, increasing your face-to-face communication will actually save you time by avoiding misunderstandings and help create deeper relationships.
Information Contact Allie at 407-313-4967
or Ask Your Questions on the Contact Page
