25 Jan A Lifetime Pursuit of Powerful Communication
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Watching interviews of athletes, both amateur and professional, has reinforced the notion that we can always get better. No matter the outcome of the game or match, athletes seem to always recognize they can do better. Even when they win, the interviewer can count on hearing something that speaks to the athlete’s desire to improve. Athletes have a hunger and desire to do something different and become better. It’s an interesting mindset that anyone who wants to communicate in a powerful way should consider. It’s a message we deliver very clearly here at Speakeasy. Pursuing powerful communication skills is just that…a journey of a lifetime of possibilities.
A core competency of leadership is being able to communicate in a powerful way. Powerful does not mean loud or over the top. Powerful communication is when an undeniable connection is made with your listeners. It’s about having a clear, concise and compelling message that your listeners take when they walk out of the room. This skill is counter to what many times is mistaken for communication. Words are said, randomly dumped into the room, and hailed as effective communication. Rarely does anyone walk out of the room with an actionable message when information is delivered in this way.
“Just because words have been spoken does not mean communication has happened.” William H. Whyte
We can take the steps to become a powerful communicator today. Practicing or just plain being intentional about getting better will get us closer to the goal. We must know ourselves and prevent complacency or the attitude of “we have arrived”. My father took me to his job when I was a young boy. On his desk, there was an interesting sign that served as a reminder to him and those around. It read, “If you think you are green you will continue to grow, but once you think you are ripe you begin to rot.”
With all this said, we realize powerful communication is a journey – a worthwhile lifetime pursuit. No matter how good we become, we can always do better. Think about how many times a week you are misunderstood, misquoted or people didn’t understand what you said. We are always communicating and therefore must continue to put in the effort.
In short, we have to become acutely aware of how we are being perceived versus how we think we are perceived. This will determine whether we can convince, persuade or move our listeners to take the actions we want them to take. Remember someone is always listening – and most of that communication is how you say something.