Communicating

Please enjoy this TED Talk from Celeste Headlee, an award-winning journalist. She is former host and creator of the daily news show “On Second Thought” on Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta. Celeste has appeared on NPR, PBS World, PRI, CNN, BBC and other international networks. She’s a sub host at National Public Radio, anchoring shows […]

People often talk with a flair for vagueness. Often, folks don’t really say what they are thinking. There are many different reasons for this behavior. What we want to focus on today, is how we can better listen to what is NOT BEING SAID. Now hold on a minute. How can we listen to what […]

Blank face listeners are very frustrating to talk with. Having a conversation with someone who looks back at you with a unemotional face is difficult. You don’t know if they are listening. Are they agreeing or disagreeing? We have previously discussed the importance of providing feedback during a conversation. Not just verbal feedback, but non-verbal […]

As I pay attention to my behavior as well as the behavior of people I converse with, and observe others folks in conversation two things stand out as common obstacles to good communication. In no particular order, one is interrupting – not letting the other person finish what they are saying. The other is thinking […]

Most people, at some point, will experience feeling shy or self-conscious when facing a conversation situation. One of the most common weaknesses most folks have is meeting new people and engaging them in conversation. This is because we are focusing on ourselves and like Timid Terry, work ourselves into a worry about what the other […]

Some folks find it difficult to hold successful conversations not because of a lack of skill, but because of a lack of faith in themselves. They hold themselves back because they don’t believe they can be good in conversations. As you think… so you are. This is true in most of our behaviors and certainly […]

Did you know that great communicators work to develop their reaction skills? Have you noticed people reacting to you in different ways depending on your own feelings? When you are happy and smiling, people want to be around you. When you are angry, people don’t want to be around you. People can also sense when […]

This doesn’t make any sense! How can you become a better listener by talking? To be a good listener, don’t you have to keep you mouth closed and your ears open? For the most part… yes. God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason (besides how it looks or to hold our […]

Have you ever noticed yourself getting wound up during a confrontational conversation? This is a normal reaction for most people and takes diligent effort to learn the skills necessary to overcome these escalated emotions. Confrontational can run the spectrum from minor to major. It can be as simple as deciding where to go with your […]

Simple things can go a long way in helping us improve our communication skills. One such simple thing is letting people know you are grateful. It is not enough to feel grateful and appreciative. We certainly ought to feel this way, especially when we consider all that we are blessed with. If you don’t feel […]