|
|
|
Business Like Image
So you want to start a home based business. Just think, you can work in your slippers when you want to - what could be better? No commute, not having to play office politics, no income - Whoops how did that sneak in? Let's have a reality check...
Christian Business Opportunities Bring Relief to Your Daily Routine
Christian business opportunities can literally transform your life. You'll be able to balance your personal and professional responsibilities, increase your sense of financial security, and integrate your Christian beliefs into your workday.
...
The Wages of Science
In the United States, Congress approved, last month, increases in the 2003 budgets of both the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. America is not alone in - vainly - trying to compensate for imploding capital markets...
Throw Out The Lifeline
The television show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" made a great splash when launched, and even spawned a number of imitators.
One of the features that made the show popular was the Lifeline. That's a mechanism an uncertain contestant used to...
Uncovering Soul in the Workplace
Learn about a growing trend in spiritual revival in the workplace.
The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported “soul is in”. In a headline calling it “the buzzword of the ‘90s” a front-page story reported that some 322 citations for the word...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Talk the Talk
Word Count: 438
Summary: 5 practical ways to improve your communication skills.
============================================================================ Talk the Talk
Do you know why toddlers throw temper tantrums? They are angry, they are frustrated, they want something, but they have a limited ability to verbally express themselves.
On the flipside, the most influential leaders in business and politics are successful because they know exactly what to say, how to say it and when to say it. They have an uncanny ability to paint a picture and persuade people to buy into their vision.
Unfortunately, most people are more like a toddler than they are a leader. Miscommunication runs rampant in our relationships and work environment. We know what we are thinking, but we aren't able to put those thoughts into words. We can't find the words that fit the emotion we are experiencing or the idea we want to convey. So we, as adults throw our own version of a temper tantrum using the silent treatment, insults or resentment. Most of us can't find the right words, because our communication skills are too limited.
Here are 5 ways to improve your communication skills:
1. Read more. Fiction, biographies, magazines, newspapers, just about anything. You will be able to pick up new words and see them naturally used in context.
2. Speak slower. Give your mind time to search for the appropriate word and use it at the right time. Have you ever had the experience where
you were babbling on and on not quite saying what you mean, only later to have the right words come to you? The words will come to you when create the space for that to happen.
3. Learn a new word everyday. There are calendars, websites, and newsletters that have word-a-day programs. Pick up a new word every morning and commit to use it several times throughout your day.
4. Learn of the power of distinctions. Distinctions are subtitles of language, that when used correctly give your words more punch. There is a distinction between power and strength, between respond and react, and between fulfilled and satisfied. The differences are subtle, but they do exist. Using the right word in the right situation will have an impact on how your message is received.
5. Study great communicators. Use the tape player in your car to create a university on wheels. Listen to some of the books on tape put out by business leaders and public speakers. Notice their word choices, their sentence structures, their use of humor. Emulate their style as you begin to create your own.
It is not difficult to become a better communicator. Take advantage of the many resources available to help you in that quest.
About the Author
Myrtis Smith is a personal coach. She works with people who are undergoing a career change. Sign up for her free newsletter Change Now! at www.premeditatedlife.com or send an email to changenow@premeditatedlife.com Premeditated Life .......because life doesn't just happen!
|
|
|
|
|
|