When a conversation is difficult and full of emotion, wise people don’t react, they respond. They are thoughtful and intentional. They are discerning and disciplined. They seek to bring clarity and perspective to the conversation. Unwise people get caught up in their emotions and react with heat rather than light. The result is escalated anger,…
You’ve heard it said many times: Building a healthy relationship takes work. You don’t get the relationships you want; you get the relationships you build. You also know that communication is the heart of a healthy relationship. However, even though we know this to be true, we sometimes fail to communicate the way we should,…
Our lives are full of talking and communicating. We talk to family, friends, colleagues, customers, and our teams and organizations. We communicate to express our thoughts and feelings. We communicate to express our observations and define our experiences. We communicate to connect with people and convey important messages. The way we communicate has a profound…
Have you noticed? Listening skills in our society are deteriorating, and it comes at a high cost. More than ever, people are slow to reflect and quick to react. Rather than doing the hard work of listening and seeking to understand, many rush to judgment and are quick to accuse and denounce. The result is…
Effective communication is a priority for every organization and team. It is also a great challenge. Communicating with intention, purpose, and skill requires a great deal of diligence. The ancients describe the tongue as, “a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Our tongues can be unpredictable and impulsive. If we do not discipline the way…
The ability to communicate is an essential skill. All relationships — personal and professional — depend on effective communication. This is true for marriage, parenting, friendship, leadership, teamwork, and coaching. We spend a great deal of time sending and receiving messages, and we need to get good at it. Communication is one of the most…
There are 10 communication problems that often impede performance in organizations that are common in many aspects of life. It is no secret that communication is essential to a healthy relationship. Nevertheless, we engage in behavior that creates communication barriers. We often act in ways that undermine our relationships and disconnect us from the people…
I hate the phrase because soft skills, there is absolutely nothing soft about the skills of mindset, discipline, trust, courage, or communication. No, they don’t show up on a spreadsheet, but they are the intangible and tangible difference between discipline and default and average and elite performance.