Are You Fit to Communicate?
Intelligent people are making sure that they keep their bodies fit by walking, swimming, running, dancing, or other forms of exercise. It is also important to keep your communication skills fit. Just follow the regime below to ensure that your people skills are in good shape:
1. Give one factual compliment each day. Describe exactly what the person did and then tell them how it helped. Spread the compliments around. Do not wait until they do something extraordinary. Sincere compliments can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary!
2. Keep your voice calm in tense situations by lowering the rate, pitch, and volume. The natural tendency is to speak louder, faster, and higher. You can only control the situation after you have control over yourself.
3. Listen to someone every day. Stop what you are doing, give them eye contact, and tune into a great AM station: “It’s not About Me.” Listen to understand what the person means. Don’t change the subject or start talking until you have proven that you have listened first.
4. Get comfortable saying “no.” Without this ability, you will over-promise and under-deliver or run yourself down.
5. When you experience a conflict, confront the problem the same day. “Confront” means that you come face-to-face with the issue or person involved in the conflict. Delays can cause prolonged stress, lack of sleep, and transfer of your negative thoughts to innocent people.
6. Get into the habit of asking open questions that begin with “what” or “how.” This will give you more information and you will be credited with being a better listener.
7. Purposely relax your body language when you are feeling stressed. Lean back in your chair, keep your arms apart, tilt your head and place a pleasant expression on your face. When you relax your body, a strong message is sent to your brain that the situation is under control.
8. Spend approximately twenty minutes each day giving yourself positive thoughts. Ideal times are first thing in the morning or the last thing at night. During these times, the left hemisphere of your brain is likely turned off and you won’t get an argument going inside your head.
If you have any questions about how to execute the above exercises, please consult with a TLC Communication Coach. Best results occur with on-going effort. Communication fitness is a journey rather than a destination, so invest in these skills daily.
