Do you use filler words like “um,” “so,” and “like” when you speak? Check out this infographic from
What leadership lesson can we learn from swimming with a school of baby manta rays?
Here are a few leadership lessons learned while in Sumter, SC this week to speak at my first
Advice form John C. Maxwell: Good Leaders Ask Great Questions
He mentioned there are seven questions that can unlock big doors for you. The next time you are getting together with someone ask them one or all of these questions:
1) What is the greatest lesson you have ever learned?
2) How has failure shaped your life?
3) Who do you know that I should know?
4) What have you done that I should do?
5) What have you read that I should read?
6) What are you learning now?
7) How can I add value to you?
The one that I would add that I always ask those I meet with is, “What would you do differently if you were starting out again at my age?” This one always gets me great answers.
Advice from Linda Kaplan Thaler: It’s all about GRIT
“Every time you do something nice for someone, you create a positive imprint, and positive impressions are like seeds. It may take 1, 5 or 10 years, but those seeds will blossom and flower in some wonderfully unexpected way!” – Linda Kaplan Thaler
1) Every leader needs GRIT to succeed: GUTS. RESILIENCE. INITIATIVE. TENACITY.
2) Be brave enough to try!
3) Dont prepare! Over OVER prepare!
There was SO much I learned while speaking and listening to the other speakers, like Craig Valentine and Tim Sanders, and I am very thankful Lefford Fate put this event on in Sumter, SC. Hope you are having a great day and as always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan
I had the opportunity to have lunch with one of my new favorite authors,
He is a military man with a good heart and has dedicated his life to study the art of communication. His new book gives, “…counterintuitive strategies for learning how to interact productively and meaningfully in today’s digital world.” Something we all can improve on!
His book is filled with dozens of tips and insightful strategies and here are three ways you should stop talking and start communicating.
Lose your friends!
Tumlin explains that, “Important relationship are being trumped by people you barely know!” Just because you hit the “like” button does not mean you are connecting. Humans are social animals. We need to feel connected. Tumlin writes, “Today it is possible to accumulate scores of friends and still feel lonely, be connected to hundreds of people and feel like no one is listening and spend hours at work, sending and responding to countless messages, but still feeling unproductive.” It is because we are focused on technology and not people. “The problem with a more tech-centered view of communication is that it encourages us to expect too much from our device and too little from each other.” You should start communicating more on a human bases so you can build real relationships, feel connected to others and feel like your voice is actually being heard! If you are feeling disconnected from others, lose your “friends” online who don’t add meaning or value to your life and focus on those around you. Tumlin says, “The main reason to prioritize isn’t to squeeze people out of your life; it’s to make sure that the most important people stay in it.”
Stop talking
In my opinion, communication is the foundation to all of your success. To many people are talking rather than effectively communicating! Talking is you getting your voice heard. Communicating is having all parties who are part of the conversation understand what it is you are saying! The better you are at being able to effectively communicate what it is you want, the quicker you will be at receiving and reaching the goals you have for yourself, your company and your family. Think about a relationship you have built over time, that you lost one time due to one or two sentences? If you stop talking and start planning on ways to react to certain situations, you might be able to build better relationships and create lasting ones. Stop talking and don’t focus on what you want to say, focus on what you want to accomplish. The better communicator you are the better relationship you build and the better life you have.
Ignore your (telltale) heart
When communication problems arise, many of us just want to start talking instead of preparing what we want to say. According to ProFound, last year, productivity losses resulting from miscommunication costs companies $37 billion, or about $26,000 per employee per year, in the US and UK alone. We need to learn strategies and techniques that can help us improve our listening skills, ask the right questions to produce the right answers and minimize miscommunication across multiple communication channels like email, texting, face-to-face and social media. When we are able to effectively communicate to others, we improve productivity, we create clarity and we save money. All strategic communications (including the unexpected ones) benefit from preparation. Take time to think about what you want to say and how you want to say it to minimize conflict, confusion and miscommunication between those you are speaking to.
If you are looking or a book to read, pick up a copy of Stop Talking, Start Communicating and learn how to improve all areas of your life. Connect with Geoffrey and as always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan
