Darn! My message just isn't getting through!!!
17 April 2012
Read by 1977 persons
How many times have we heard or even said this frustrating phrase? As a boss, employee, parent, spouse, teenager, child, teacher, or student, we often feel like we're not being understood! Yet, more and more people own smartphones and cell phones, technological tools that should normally allow us to communicate more effectively.
Alas, this is not the case...
Several readers of this blog responded to our recent survey regarding training to communicate with more impact and influence. Your responses highlighted some interesting points:
1- Leaders want to know and master new tools to more effectively mobilize their employees.
2- Freelancers and salespeople want to optimize their approach and thus increase their "closing" rate in prospecting.
3- People in general want to build trusting relationships, both professionally and personally.
We tend to believe that some good communicators have benefited from natural speaking talents. But the majority of great leaders have rather invested time and energy in developing their skills to communicate "more effectively." Yes, once again the concept of "deliberate practice": working in a disciplined and targeted way to improve an element that prevents you from achieving your goals.
Basic elements are necessary to establish, from the outset, a trusting relationship with our interlocutor. Verbal and non-verbal language must be perfectly aligned in order to be credible in our approach. Active listening is often a challenge for many people. As if some of us had forgotten "that it is difficult for a person to understand your message if that person has not first been heard."
Everything is going very fast...too fast. Our time is precious. It is therefore normal that communication suffers the repercussions of this frantic race against the clock. I confess frankly that every person who addresses me, whether by email, phone, text or in person, must first demonstrate the "gain" that this contact will bring me. Otherwise, I lose interest and I will do everything to elegantly dodge it. You only have to think about some "time wasters" who make you lose precious time with useless conversations.
Consciously or unconsciously, we apply strategies to quickly understand what the other person wants to tell us in order to take action quickly...often even interrupting them more than once. Except that our professional and personal relationships suffer greatly from these "rushed" dialogues. I only have to think of the many clients who come to see me for coaching to solve problems whose root is linked to poor communication. The daily news demonstrates this to us every day: we talk a lot but "our message doesn't really get through... and conflicts erupt!!!
However, we must remain hopeful. Practical solutions exist and can create permanent structural changes in your relationships. Many of my clients have put in effort and discipline to transform this handicap, which is poor communication, into a real asset. And this regardless of your status: boss, employee, parent, spouse, teenager, child, teacher or student.
Your message will finally get through...if you give yourself the joy...and not the pain!!!
Normand.
Le-manager-urbain.com
Posted on April 17, 2012.
Alas, this is not the case...
Several readers of this blog responded to our recent survey regarding training to communicate with more impact and influence. Your responses highlighted some interesting points:
1- Leaders want to know and master new tools to more effectively mobilize their employees.
2- Freelancers and salespeople want to optimize their approach and thus increase their "closing" rate in prospecting.
3- People in general want to build trusting relationships, both professionally and personally.
We tend to believe that some good communicators have benefited from natural speaking talents. But the majority of great leaders have rather invested time and energy in developing their skills to communicate "more effectively." Yes, once again the concept of "deliberate practice": working in a disciplined and targeted way to improve an element that prevents you from achieving your goals.
Basic elements are necessary to establish, from the outset, a trusting relationship with our interlocutor. Verbal and non-verbal language must be perfectly aligned in order to be credible in our approach. Active listening is often a challenge for many people. As if some of us had forgotten "that it is difficult for a person to understand your message if that person has not first been heard."
Everything is going very fast...too fast. Our time is precious. It is therefore normal that communication suffers the repercussions of this frantic race against the clock. I confess frankly that every person who addresses me, whether by email, phone, text or in person, must first demonstrate the "gain" that this contact will bring me. Otherwise, I lose interest and I will do everything to elegantly dodge it. You only have to think about some "time wasters" who make you lose precious time with useless conversations.
Consciously or unconsciously, we apply strategies to quickly understand what the other person wants to tell us in order to take action quickly...often even interrupting them more than once. Except that our professional and personal relationships suffer greatly from these "rushed" dialogues. I only have to think of the many clients who come to see me for coaching to solve problems whose root is linked to poor communication. The daily news demonstrates this to us every day: we talk a lot but "our message doesn't really get through... and conflicts erupt!!!
However, we must remain hopeful. Practical solutions exist and can create permanent structural changes in your relationships. Many of my clients have put in effort and discipline to transform this handicap, which is poor communication, into a real asset. And this regardless of your status: boss, employee, parent, spouse, teenager, child, teacher or student.
Your message will finally get through...if you give yourself the joy...and not the pain!!!
Normand.
Le-manager-urbain.com
Posted on April 17, 2012.
