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Posts in category Communication

An Important Aspect of Connecting with Others

Mar16
2012 27 Comments Written by danonleadership

Leadership and the ability to connect with your people are essential. One way a leader connects with their people is by taking the time to listen to them, which requires one to stop talking. I have observed many leaders and managers fail at connecting with others because they have not learned or applied this critical aspect of communication. This is a communication mistake every leader needs to avoid. The challenge comes because leaders often are required to spend a lot of time talking.  So taking the time to stop talking to pay attention to the other person is often overlooked. Abraham Lincoln said these practical words: 

“When I’m getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say – and two-thirds thinking about him and what he is going to say.”

Being intentional about a balance between talking and listening is important. The best balance would be to spend more time listening than talking. I have been around leaders who know the importance of listening and other who fail to realize the importance of this communication skill.

When a leader applies the skill of listening, the person or people start feeling listen to and understood. This causes them to begin to share their ideas and thoughts, and feel cared for as well as valued. When this begins to happen the followers begin to be more creative, united, motivated, and committed to the leader and organization. To help become better leaders who talk less and listen more here are four steps to improve our listening skills:

1.” Listen to clarify.”
2. “Listen to check the meaning and interpretation of others.”
3. “Listen to show understanding.”
4. “Listen to get feedback.” ~

Questions: How important do you think it is for a leader to talk less and listen more? Can you add to the list of ways to improve your listening skills?

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Benefits Of Pausing

Sep22
2011 4 Comments Written by danonleadership

I recently read Presentations In Action which offered some insightful points on communicating to an audience. One of the chapters shares these benefits of pausing,

  • Eliminates unwords, such as “um” and “ah”.
  • Enables you to take a breath.
  • Gives you time to think.
  • Gives your audience time to absorb.

I personally have seen the benefits of pausing while speaking to an audience. Have you?

 

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Communication Principles From Abraham Lincoln

Jul26
2011 Leave a Comment Written by danonleadership

Communication Principles From Lincoln

I’m currently reading Lincoln On Leadership by Donald T. Phillips. One of the chapters discuses how Abraham Lincoln was a skilled and powerful communicator. In fact his public speaking ability was one of the reasons he was elected as president. I thought it would be beneficial to share some of Lincolns communication principles. Here are a few of them,

“Use a variety of body language when you speak.”

“Prepare yourself thoroughly for your public speaking engagements.”

“Never consider anything you write to be finished until published or, if a speech, until you deliver it.”

“Try not to make mistakes when you speak publicly.”

“You should often couple written documents with verbal discussions.”

“Extemporaneous speaking is your avenue to the public.”

What are some communication principles you have?

Effectively Communicating To An Audience, Part 3

Jun21
2011 2 Comments Written by danonleadership

The first two parts of this series were Becoming a Better Communicator and The 3P’s Of Preparing to Communicate. In this post I want to finish this series by talking about ways to effectively communicate to an audience. I believe the best way to conquer the fear of public speaking and become an effective presenter, is through experience. It is true that the more you do it the better you will become.

Speaking to an audience gives you the opportunity to learn from yourself. What you did well and what needs to be worked on or changed. I also have found the more you speak in front of a audience the more comfortable you will become. This does not mean fear or nervousness will be gone, but it does mean you will be able to handle it better. Each time I speak in front of an audience I feel more comfortable and walk away learning what I can do next time to be more effective. Below are some things I have learned.

Keys to effectively speaking to an audience:

Be yourself.

Engage the audience from the very beginning.

Focus on the audience not your notes.

Use body language and visual demonstrations.

Connect on an emotional level.

Talk about things people can easily apply into their life.

The shorter the talk is the more it will be retained. (Stay in the time frame)

Leave the audience with an action step or challenge.

These are things I have learned while on the journey to becoming a better communicator. I hope this series has helped you become a better leader and communicator.

What have you learned while communicating to an audience?

The 3P’s Of Preparing To Communicate, Part 2

Jun14
2011 2 Comments Written by danonleadership

In Become a Better Communicator post I mentioned we can become better public speakers if we spend time preparing, practicing, and perfecting our speeches. In this post I want to further discuss those areas. We need to know that these areas deal with what we do before the speech. It’s wise to remember,

It’s what you do before you give a speech that will determine it’s effectiveness.

I have given and heard many speeches. One thing I know is that the one’s that stuck were because the person applied theses 3 areas,

Preparing- I believe preparing a speech is one of the most important parts of the entire process. Taking time to study and put together your speech is key. One of my mentors and an excellent communicator told me once that, “ for every minute of the presentation took him one hour of preparation.” So for a 30 minute speech he spent 30 hours in preparing for it. He would update and recycle his speeches but he took the time to prepare.

Practicing- Even before giving my first speech, I had such a desire to speak to audiences that I would put together a talk and then deliver it to myself. I knew practicing would prepare me for when I would give speeches to audiences. I believe that before anyone gives a speech to an audience they should practice between 8-10 times. Here are some benefits to practicing your speech,

You will be able to practice voice, volume, and tone. Also your non-verbal body language.

You will be able to practice the beginning, ending, and key points. (Which are very important to do)

You will show the audience that you have prepared.

You will have an idea of how long the speech will be.

You become confident in the material you have prepared.

You have the ability to memorize and not use your notes.

Perfecting- This is the last step before you deliver your speech. This is done after you have prepared and practiced (Or while you practice). It’s about putting the final touches on, doing last minute changes, and making sure the format is easy to read. Make sure you don’t over perfect but make sure everything is in order then relax.

The next time you are asked to give a speech or presentation, remember to spend time preparing, practicing, and perfecting your speech. If you do you will deliver an effective speech that sticks.

Whats your preparation process when you are preparing a speech?

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