Tagged: communication techniques
Confidence Through Mastermind Groups
fabulous | March 3, 2010 | 10:28 pm | Organization Communication, Personal Changes | 2 Comments

Confidence in business is a necessary characteristic for success.  But staying focused and ready for success is not always easy.  Working with a mastermind group can be one of the most important business decisions a professional can make in a business career. These ideas give ways working a mastermind group can build confidence for business success.

1. Mastermind groups consist of a group of people with the same goals that come together to support each other to reach their individual goals. Finding a mastermind that works for you provides an effective ways for you to stay focused on your goals. If you have a problem setting goals the mastermind group can help.  

2. Mastermind groups help you to maintain the self-discipline to get moving towards your purpose each day. Being in business often means feeling tired and burned out. If you feel like stopping in your business pursuits, your mastermind members are there to keep you on track and help you develop business routines for success.  

3. Mastermind groups provide a place where you can be accountable to reach your goals. Because you check in on a regular basis with your group, you will soon begin to feel accountable to report on your goals to the group. You will enjoy having the other members recognize the efforts you made to reach your stated goals. This helps to build your self-esteem because you will be sharing your successes on a regular basis. They can also help you through the tough spots without being judgmental.    

4. Mastermind groups hold you to the expectation of doing what you set out to do in business. They are supportive when you want to implement new ideas or try creative concepts. You have a sounding board of people who can let you know whether or not they feel your idea needs some tweaking or is fine as is. This lets you have more confidence to try something innovative before introducing it the world without this type of feedback.  

5. Mastermind groups often share insider information that you wouldn’t be able to find in other settings. That is because the focus is usually very tight and the members are professionals in the same area. You can expect a level of confidentiality that is respected by each group member so you can speak freely bout your issues. Of course, be sure this idea of being confidential is a stated policy in your mastermind group before sharing too much.  

6. Mastermind groups provide a mentoring atmosphere which means you are supported to understand the nuances of your profession that only come through a close mentoring relationship. Everything can’t be taught or passed along through books or even public training sessions. Some have to come through a mentoring situation and the mastermind can provide that setting in your industry.  

 7. Mastermind groups could help you to establish life long friendships and business partners that you wouldn’t find in other situations. Mastermind mind members get to know each other in a way the general population doesn’t. Members want to see each other succeed and often provide support and resources only with other mastermind members that could make the difference in building a business quickly an defectively.  

Mastermind groups are one of the most important concepts for helping a professional grow a business and build personal self-esteem and confidence to succeed. When you know you are working with a select group of people who care about your success, hold you accountable and support you no matter what, you naturally grow in the confidence to reach you stated business goals.

Savvy Tips for Better Workplace Communication
fabulous | January 23, 2010 | 9:47 pm | Organization Communication | No comments

Do you think communication is mostly done through words? What if you found out that communication is actually 70% non-verbal?  That means it’s your body language including your movements, eyes and even hands that say things more often and louder than your mouth. The ability to communicate with clarity and effectiveness is an imperative skill for organizational leaders.  Here are important ways to make your communication more productive and effective.

 1. Provide clear information

Passing information from one person to the next is the purpose of workplace communication.  If your communication isn’t complete and accurate, it can cause confusion instead of clarity. Carefully plan your communication to be sure you are passing along the correct information and the right amount so those you are communicating with understand what you want to say.  

2. Communicate honestly

People know when something isn’t adding up. If you try to communicate something that isn’t totally true and honest it will eventually be revealed.  It’s difficult to maintain dishonest communication in the workplace (or anywhere else) because it gets too complicated to hold all of the stories together. Instead of saying things that aren’t totally true, just say less.  Speak the truth and leave the rest for later or don’t say it at all if it’s not true and honest.

3.  Match non-verbal and verbal communication styles

Remember, communication is both non-verbal and verbal.  Sometimes, a person says one thing but acts in a different way.  For instance, it’s not uncommon to hear someone say “Yes” but shake his head in a horizontally which indicates “No” in a non-verbal way (in the US culture that is).  This sends mixed messages.  Bring your communication together by being conscious that your non-verbal and verbal messages are in agreement.  

4. Learn to Listen

Listening is an important communication skill that is seldom done well.  In order to actually share information with another person, you have to hear what is being communicated. This way you can respond to the actual message.  Most conflict stems from poor listening.  To help learn how to listen well, take time to repeat what you here from the other person. Simply paraphrase what you heard to verify accuracy. This will cut down on conflict and vastly increase the effectiveness of your communications.

5.  Ask questions

Asking questions is a good way to verify what you hear so you respond appropriately.  Questions let the other person have the chance to clarify what they said. It also allows you to hear a response in a different way or just hear it again in order to be sure of what you heard.  Make sure your questions relate specifically to what is being said. Don’t change the conversation by bringing in a question on a totally different matter.  Also use questions to gather quick additional points that help you understand the conversation.  

6. Let other’s talk

Have you ever been stuck in a meeting when only one person did all of the talking?  Some people even go so far as to ask a question and provide the answer?  Few things are as irritating as having a person dominate a conversation. A conversation is a two way event at a minimum. Remember to let the others speak.  Even if you have a lot to say, dominating a conversation becomes a monologue, not a conversation.  Solicit opinions, ask for response, and bring others into the conversation.  Sometimes, all it takes is to be quiet for a moment.

7. Talk about the hard stuff when necessary

Do you ever avoid saying what needs to be said or avoid a difficult conversation altogether?  Not saying something doesn’t make a situation go away.  Instead, things usually just get worse.  Not communicating can also cause more stress and trauma in a situation.  Instead of avoiding difficult communications, sit down and plan out what you’re going to say.  Actually write down the important points in order to feel comfortable about what you have to say.  Make sure the tone you use is open and non-confrontational in order to encourage feedback from the other person.  Conversations aren’t always fun but getting the words out will relieve the tension and let the matter move forward.

Obviously there’s a lot more that can be said about communications in the workplace.  Starting with these top seven tips provides a good beginning to making you a better workplace communicator. Remember, practice makes perfect.  Use daily opportunities to practice your communication skills until you feel comfortable in any situation that arises in the organization.