It's safe to say that communication skills, among other issues, played a big role in the recent U.S. Presidential election. Opportunities are gained and lost due to speaking and listening skills. We can all be better at this. Here are 5 Cool Ideas for better communication.
1. No comment is a good thing.
Okay, pay attention people. It's okay to say, "I don't know," once in a while.
2. Keep non-verbal signals within the "normal" range.
Behavioral psychologists suggest that the average length of a smile should be about 1.5 seconds, but in the U.S. Presidential campaign, Mitt Romney had a habit of smiling for up to 10 seconds at a time.
3. It's okay not to say everything that comes to mind.
A recent Miss Teen USA contestant was asked to comment on Americans who can't locate their own country on a map. She said, "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and uh, I believe that our education like, such as, in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, such as . . ." and then I stopped listening.
4. Adjust your e-mail to communicate better 50 times a day.
The signature file is the chunk of text that is "automatically" added to the bottom of your e-mail. It's surprisingly common to see smart people not include their area code, physical address and other identifiers here.
5. Pause before speaking.
Wait about two seconds before responding to people in person and on the phone. The extra time will help others believe that you're really listening to them and help you formulate a more intelligent response.
Michael Angelo Caruso has delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches and presentations on the subject of communication. He is President of the Edison House, a Detroit-based consulting and publishing company. Mr. Caruso is author of the 5 Cool Ideas books and the FastLearnerAudio series, which can help you become an even better person.
To receive Michael's free, bi-monthly 5 Cool Ideas newsletter, simply send an e-mail to 5CoolIdeas@EdisonHouse.com.
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