When I started the Practical Communication Blog, my second post was entitled, “What You Don’t Know About Nonverbal Communication Can Hurt You.” In it, I discussed the importance of understanding the powerful role nonverbal communication plays in our interactions. Today, I want to share five nonverbal communication tips taken from my book “Practical Communication: 25 Tips, […]
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 […]
If you’ve ever seen one of those “When Animals Go Bad,” reality T.V. shows, you know they’re based on stories and sometimes graphic video footage of animals attacking people. Sometimes the result is humorous, with the human simply being embarrassed by the encounter. Other stories end in tragedy. Many who watch these shows walk away concluding that the animals […]
I have a lot of respect for teachers. Dealing with overcrowded classrooms, budget cuts, and having to pay for many of your classroom supplies yourself just doesn’t seem worth the salary most teachers get paid. Now top that off with having to deal with demanding parents, disrespectful children (not all of them of course, but […]
This week, guest blogger Bryan Grossman shares some thoughts on communication and customer service. Bryan is a freelance writer/editor at BMG Communications. He is also an experienced newspaper reporter and editor who has written and published many articles and editorials related to communication in the workplace. To learn more about Bryan or to contact him, check […]
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 […]
Nonverbal communication plays a significant role in either reinforcing or contradicting our words. An oft-quoted statistic states that 93 percent of our communication is nonverbal. However, to state such is to oversimplify the role of nonverbal communication. It’s fair to say though, that our nonverbal messages are critical to the believability of our words. Our […]