Business
What you talkin' 'bout, Willis? This famed line is from the 80's sitcom, Different Strokes. We talk every single day (most of us), and when we do we are communicating. When we email we are of course doing the same thing. We all communicate differently. Do you have people tell you that you’re “easy” to talk to? Or, do people always ask you to clarify what you just said. In this week’s episode, we dive into learning our communication style and how to improve our communication. The world knows what we are the minute we speak. So, it's important to sharpen our communication skills. Communication can be a superpower. That’s good news! In Sally Hogshead’s “How to fascinate?” at www.howtofascinate.com she teaches that we all have a style of communicating (or advantage). Some may have the advantage of “Trust” while others come across with “Power.” Check out her website to take a brief and free survey to learn your advantage. Whatever you style is, we can all improve our speaking and writing. Have you ever reread your own email only to be puzzled by the very words that you yourself typed? Have you ever read a reply to your communication and it made no sense? We can all fall into this trap from time to time. But don’t be discouraged, there are ways to improve our communication right now. Here are some tips you can practice today: Be a listener Be aware of personal bias Ask questions first; ask for more data BEFORE you answer Know your audience Break down what you are trying to say…. Be BRIEF and SPECIFIC Be more explanatory Wait and think over your response (if possible) before you get back to the other person Word the same concept in two different ways to ensure that the OTHER person knows what you mean Be clear To avoid misunderstanding, and confusion, it is best to repeat and confirm that has been discussed. In high stakes communication, this is crucial to the final deal. How we come across, and what we say are so important as Divinepreneurs. People are constantly observing us and watching our acts, and speech. We have every opportunity to communicate effectively and for the Kingdom of God. Blessings, shiuyaright