“The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard.” “When people talk, listen completely. Most never listen.” Those two timely bits of sage advice could have been made within the last year, month, week, or even day. Any guesses?
The first quote, from William Hazlet, is attributed to his selected essays written between 1778 – 1830…
In 1956 when Dr. Carl R. Rogers and a fellow psychiatrist coined the phrase “active listening,” were they prescient? Did they know that 65 years later the skill would be needed more than ever? Did they have a crystal ball, enabling them to see how communication – the basis of all human interaction – would…
Last month, we posted “Three Tips to Implement Now to Improve Communication On The Job.” Today, we’re adding three more to the list, recognizing that many of us are transitioning back to the workplace, or at least transitioning to a hybrid-working environment. Intentional, clear, and effective communication can always be challenging. However, never more so…
In this era of communication at our fingertips, social media with limited characters, and 50,000-word business books (or 126 pages, and some say that’s too long), it’s imperative to make a point quickly, succinctly, and with maximum impact. Our “lizard” brains are impatient: if we don’t capture another’s attention within a short period of time,…
Communication is something we do 24/7. Whether we know it or not, and whether we like it or not, that hackneyed phrase from a bygone era “first impressions are easy to make and hard to break” rings true today. During initial encounters, numerous forms of communication occur. Did we meet the challenge? When we meet…
Parents are wont to have expressions that are oft-repeated to their offspring and sound quaint, thus unbelievable. In thinking of some of those expressions from my dear old ma, two directed at communication come to mind: First, “if you don’t have something nice to say…
In an age of great volatility — fake news, diverse audiences, technology at our fingertips, and change at the speed of light, clear, concise and intentional communication is vital to successful human interaction. Add to that, the stresses and strains of a pandemic, the financial insecurity it wrought, a contentious political season…
As a child, I remember hearing the words “because I said so,” in response to questions asked of my parents. Of course, the questions were often why I had to do something I didn’t want to do. Rather than explain, the fallback was “because I said so.” I found that irksome and made a pledge that my children would never hear that phrase . . . and, they rarely did!
In an age of volatility — fake news, diverse audiences, technology at our fingertips, and change at the speed of light — clear, concise and intentional communication is vital to successful human interaction. Yet, the September 2017 survey by Fierce Conversations and Quantum Workplace found significant gaps across all organizations. Some key findings: 1) only…