30 Sep Communication Style
What impression do other people have of you? Have you ever focused on what and how you communicate with others? If asked to use two words to describe you, what would they say? For that matter, what would you say? Centuries ago, Sir Walter Raleigh wrote that communication needs to be “chameleon-like.” He was not talking about being something different with each person you meet. He was urging leaders of the time to be aware of their communication style. (more…)
18 May THE BASIS OF BIAS AND ATTITUDES
Until the community of police and the communities of color are willing and able to get to the bottom of the biases and attitudes that control behavior, any change will be prolonged and painful. Each person in these communities and others must understand that their behaviors, whether verbal or physical, come from a place in each of us, filled with the attitudes and beliefs that we carry everywhere we go. There are no human exceptions to this fact. It’s as simple as A B C. Attitudes Become Communication. We all have them. We all talk and act the way we do because of them. Sometimes we are readily aware that what we are doing or saying comes from something we believe in. Sometimes we are not overtly aware of why we say or do the things we do. Until each of us can understand what attitudes we carry with us and where they come from, there will be no peace or understanding. A detente will exist and will only erupt again and again. (more…)
4 May The Real Reason Remote Workers Are More Productive
I read an interesting and informative blog post that’s generated a lot of discussions at The Speech Improvement Company.
“Asynchronous Communication: The Real Reason Remote Workers Are More Productive,” appears on the website of Doist, an up-and-coming maker of software-based productivity tools.
The article delves into the productivity of remote workers and how different modes of communication affect it. It includes the following definitions: (more…)
22 Mar Why Listening is Difficult
It’s often been said that humans have two ears and one mouth in order to listen twice as much as we speak. Interestingly, almost all research points to the veracity of this statement.
Related: Listening: Our Most Used Communications Skill | MU Extension
We do listen much more than we speak. Yet, it is rare to find an institution of learning from K – 12 and beyond that provides any programs or even classes in listening. This truism is a national shame for those who design curriculum. (more…)
24 Mar How Can Disaster Psychology Help Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis?
In recent years, the world has seen a number of significant large-scale disasters; some caused by nature and some caused by humans. For many, the words “disaster” or “crisis” evoke images of buildings in shambles, decimated communities, and families who are homeless and uncertain where their next meal will come from. Until recently, these disasters included only such events as tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and terrorist attacks. These days it is the coronavirus that is bringing us pictures of people wearing masks, being quarantined, schools closing, and so on. This current crisis has wreaked havoc with the stock market and the investments of millions of people. That alone is creating an economic crisis.
Indeed, the current financial crisis has been referred to as an “economic tsunami”. Undeniably, the current conditions have caused communities to come to a complete standstill. The trauma has been severe for many companies, and leaders worldwide have spoken in terms usually reserved for those occasions when a hurricane or earthquake has occurred. Rallying cries of hope and promises for “a full recovery” can be heard from leaders across the globe.
In the United States, since the disaster of 9/11, there has been significant research in the areas of Disaster Psychology and Human Communication which offer important insights into how people operate and what motivates them during times of crisis. For political leaders and business professionals, understanding some important disaster principles and practices can mean the difference between success and failure as the crisis and subsequent economic troubles unfold. (more…)
17 Dec The Skills You Need to be AGILE
There is a difference between being an agile HR department and being an AGILE HR department. The ideal, of course, is being an agile AGILE HR department. This is especially true as AGILE becomes a way of doing business in more and more companies. The emphasis in AGILE is on speed and accuracy. At the Bank of Montreal, where AGILE has become popular, the Chief Transformation Officer, Lynne Rogers, says that “speed is the new business currency.”