6 Common Communication Mistakes You May Be Making

Miscommunication can make or break our world.  Bad communication leads to broken relationships:  with the people you work with, your clients or customers, your family, your at-large community.




6 Common Communication Mistakes that you might be making:

1.  Not using "we" language.
Newsflash.  Relationships are not a competition.  Or at least they shouldn't be.  When you start to think in terms of "me" and "you", it's time to reframe the conversation and think of yourselves as a team.  Work to solve a problem, not to be victorious.

2. Not giving eye contact.
When people are not looking at us when we talk, how does that make you feel?  Not good, right?  So try living by the golden rule and give other people the same courtesy that you want to be given.

3. Interrupting.
What does it say to someone when you interrupt them?  It says, "What I have to say is more important than what you have to say."  This can be a result of excitement or a desire for power.  Either way, it still says.  "I'm more important than you."

4. Making assumptions before you hear the whole message.
You have probably had the thought, "Oh I don't even have to hear the rest of this - I already know what they're going to say!" Well, maybe you do .... maybe you don't.  Don't do that.  We don't like when people make assumptions about what we are saying, do don't do that to other people either.

5. Not asking probing questions of other people.
Saying things like, "Tell me more about that" or "So how did that make you feel?" lets the other person know that you care about them enough to ask for more information.  That's called a probing question. Ask people to elaborate.  It makes them feel good and shows that you're interested.

6. Needing to "win" an argument.
I repeat.....Relationships are not a competition.  Admitting that you're wrong is not a sign of weakness.  It is a sign of maturity.  No one is right all of the time.  Don't think you have to "win."  Acknowledging your mistakes will not give away your power.  It shows that you are the better person because you can be honest.

Being a good communicator takes effort.  It's like being a good athlete - you have to practice if you want to be good at your craft!

Are the communicator you need to be?

Ann Meacham is president of Leadership Dynamics.  She works with business leaders to help them see issues that need to be addressed and ensure that the focus is on the big picture.

Sign up for a Free Leadership Strategy Session on her website.  Email a comment to ann@leadyourteams.com  

7 Simple Questions for a Healthy Business

Have you asked yourself this question lately?

What do I really want out of my business? 

Most of us forged out a business plan when we started our entrepreneurial venture, but what have we done lately? Our plan seemed to work years ago, but things change and today is moving faster than yesterday. Every December, I make it a habit to review my current year BEFORE January comes around. This gives me an opportunity to jump start my new goals for the new year. It also allows me time to reflect and review the things that worked and the things that didn’t work. Let’s walk through the process of asking the right questions, so we can make room for clarity in 2015.

Here are 7 simple questions I ask myself every December:

1. What worked?

2. How can I build on what worked?

3. What didn’t work?

4. What did I learn?

5. Where did I spend the most time?

6. How should I spend my time going forward?

7. What are my BIG ideas for next year and when will I implement them?

Doing this exercise gives you a clear snapshot of your business right now. It gives you a launching pad for your goals moving forward. It also allows you the opportunity to get rid of the clutter that gets in your way. The end result is a relevant business plan that makes you feel better, because you know what you need to do to get positive results. No one is going to tell you what to do or hold your hand along the way, so you need to step up and adjust your game plan.

How long will this exercise take? One option is to spend 20 minutes and get a quick snapshot. A more valuable way is to enjoy the process and think for a good 2-3 hours and really explore the possibilities of what’s possible over the next year. This is called working “on” your business and it is essential to your business growth. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and ask “What do I really want for my business?

As a Professional Organizer, Speaker, Author, Podcast Producer & Host, Rick Woods helps residents and businesses make room for clarity, by getting rid of the clutter that gets in their way.

Rick’s newly released book “Make Room for Clarity” is a step by step guide to getting rid of the clutter that gets in your way. Available on Amazon. Listen to Rick's free weekly podcast "Make Room For Clarity", which focuses on interviewing business & health experts by visiting www.makeroomforclarity.com.

Inquire about Rick's professional organizing business, "The Functional Organizer, LLC.", which focuses on decluttering, organizing, paper filing and time management by visiting www.tforganizer.com.