The information age has inundated us with…you’ve got it. Information Overload. Some is awesome. Some is irritating. Some is just plain stupid. And sometimes that’s how it us with us. We talk. And talk. And some of it is awesome, some irritating and some downright stupid.
In light of the overload most of us constantly feel, I thought it would be helpful and refreshing for us to consider how we can be effective in telling people our thoughts and ideas in a way that’s “right the first time.” So, here for your consideration are three suggestions to help you do just that.
- Be respectful of the person. The next time your employee suggests an idea you think is ridiculous – remember to focus your response on the idea, not the person. As you are respectful of the person, get specific with your responses to the idea so they know you are skeptical of the idea, not them as an employee.
- Get to the point. Head right to the comment without padding it with extra words or fillers like um, and , ahh, so, like, etc. The more you add needless words to what you are saying, the more likely you are to lose your listener and undermine your credibility.
- Make suggestions for improvement instead of criticizing. Many years ago I had a speaking coach who would intentionally sit in on my program and then make suggestions on how I could improve. Her way of suggesting improvements was fabulous. She used the “Like best” and “Next time” technique. First, she would tell me what she liked best about the program. Then she would say, “Christy, next time, instead of telling that joke at the beginning of the program, tell it at the end.” By using the like best and next time method, I could hear what was working and what wasn’t working. The bonus was that I did not get defensive at the criticism because I heard ways to improve…and that is what I really wanted all along anyway.
As we head into the holiday season, I know we’ll all have lots of opportunities to practice communicating with people who are really important to us. I hope you can stick these 3 additional ideas into your communication toolbox and whip them out the next time you need to say it right the first time.
Question: Which of these are most difficult for you to do? Do you ever get stuck when you don’t know what to say so you say nothing? Have you experienced someone else doing these things for you? How did it feel? Please leave your comments below!