At the end of the day, the bottom line with communication is to create a win-win situation between you and your audience. In a nutshell, you want to communicate your message clearly. Okay, how many clichés have you counted so far? According to Dictionary.com, a cliché is, “A trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, […]
Whether you’re in a job interview, meeting new people, or catching up with an old friend, a great conversation is more than just, “I talk, you listen. You talk, I listen.” The art of good conversation takes skill and practice. Here are three steps you can take toward becoming a great conversationalist. 1. Get to know […]
I’ve been on the road training for the past two weeks and will basically be gone for the next four weeks as well. Although I have e-mail access on my cell phone, I’m not always able to check it during the day and e-mails tend to pile up. Part of my sorting process is looking at who […]
When writing this blog, I often get long-winded in my attempt to explain, define, provide examples, etc., so that people, “get it.” However, there is some communication advice that is so simple, so succinct, that it doesn’t require explanation. Here are 10 tips I’ve received over the years that can stand on their own. 1. […]
When my college interpersonal communication class last met, we discussed the role of self-perception, in the communication process. Part of self-perception is self-esteem, which according to our class text is a person’s evaluation of his or her competence and personal worthiness. Although you’ve probably never thought about how your self-esteem affects your communication, it plays a role in every relationship […]
Most people don’t like to make New Year’s Resolutions because they don’t last much past January 10th. However, this year, I’m making this one– to eliminate these words from my vocabulary. Any other offenders out there who would like to join me, come on! 1. Like– I’m not saying we should never use the word like, but […]
I could blame it on tough financial times, but money has probably always been difficult for people to discuss. For most of us, how much we have, how we choose to spend it, and whether we’re having financial difficulties, are all very personal. Revealing this information can make us feel vulnerable to other people’s judgment […]
In the 20 plus years I’ve been in the adult working world, I’ve found that people vary greatly in their ability to “leave it at the door.” There are some people who have all types of personal problems or issues going on in their lives and no one at work ever hears about it. Others […]
Please—a simple word that shouldn’t require a reminder. Our mothers demanded it when we were children. “What’s the magic word?” “What do we say when we want someone to pass the broccoli?” “No thanks,” perhaps. As we get older, move out on our own, and no longer rely on our mothers to keep us in […]