We're only a few days away from Connect2013, a professional development conference for communications specialists in South Carolina. Presented jointly by the International Association of Business Communicators and the South Carolina Public Relations Society of America, this conference will tackle the tough topic of communications--in my session, specifically communications styles. Poor communications has long been the culprit in most soured relationships, personal and professional. Intent, perception, tone, word choice--they all contribute to whether a message is effectively conveyed. The greatest challenge I've found in my years as a trainer in communications is that people are more readily able to identify where others fall short rather than themselves. Ask them how an interaction between them and another individual collapsed, and they can run down the list for you.
"He keeps too much to himself so how am I to know what's going on?"
"She is too lengthy in her emails so I end up skimming and missing important information."
"She thinks everything in her mind is coming out of her mouth, but I really can't follow most of her conversations. She's confusing."
Now, ask them how they may have contributed to the failure in that interaction, and they would likely deny that they had much responsibility in it. It was the other person's fault and here's how, complete with examples.
In my personal mission to help people get along better, I make a stronger effort at getting individuals to hold themselves accountable for their lane on this two-way street of personal connections. We're often only a word or a careless tone away from causing some type of conflict in our communications. Recognizing how we come across to others is the first big step in making sure we hit the mark in what we're trying to accomplish. For me, making a presentation to a roomful of communicators is especially exciting because I know what I convey will be scrutinized, judged, and contemplated. That's okay with me as long as something I present is actually useful and used. Regardless of the fact that their jobs require that they be expert communicators, experts are developed through continuous learning, practice, and challenging the status quo. There are no new ways to communicate in person. Just better ways. I can't wait to share them with the participants at the conference.
If you want to check it out, I'm sure they'd love to have you. Click here to learn more.
"He keeps too much to himself so how am I to know what's going on?"
"She is too lengthy in her emails so I end up skimming and missing important information."
"She thinks everything in her mind is coming out of her mouth, but I really can't follow most of her conversations. She's confusing."
Now, ask them how they may have contributed to the failure in that interaction, and they would likely deny that they had much responsibility in it. It was the other person's fault and here's how, complete with examples.
In my personal mission to help people get along better, I make a stronger effort at getting individuals to hold themselves accountable for their lane on this two-way street of personal connections. We're often only a word or a careless tone away from causing some type of conflict in our communications. Recognizing how we come across to others is the first big step in making sure we hit the mark in what we're trying to accomplish. For me, making a presentation to a roomful of communicators is especially exciting because I know what I convey will be scrutinized, judged, and contemplated. That's okay with me as long as something I present is actually useful and used. Regardless of the fact that their jobs require that they be expert communicators, experts are developed through continuous learning, practice, and challenging the status quo. There are no new ways to communicate in person. Just better ways. I can't wait to share them with the participants at the conference.
If you want to check it out, I'm sure they'd love to have you. Click here to learn more.
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