Happier holidays include clear communications.

Holiday personal worth management week four: practicing clear communication skills.

How important are clear communication skills to you?

In how many different ways do clear communication skills play a role in your efforts to maintain or gain personal worth on many levels? Example, during the holiday season, it's very easy to make assumptions with people we know. It's easy to think, "well, last year we did such n' such" or "every holiday we do so n' so." Have you ever assumed someone would do something and they didn't. Did that assumption cost you money, time, a hit to your reputation or levels of respect?

Communication skills: skills worth paying attention to!

Think back over the past few weeks to explore how many times you've spent too much money, time, attention (or related resources) cleaning up a mess based on poor communication skills. Think broadly! It's easy to think communication only happens in spoken or written word. Well, that's about 25% of the message. The remaining parts include:

attentive the person is at the time of receiving whatever is being communicated
how they're feeling physically and emotionally
what types of communication styles are acceptable to them in relation to their gender, culture, socioeconomic status

and that's just the tip of the proverbial communication iceberg! Sounds complicated doesn't it! Well, frankly, the art of clear communication is complicated at first. The following two simple guidelines reduces complications in short order:

Specifics count.
Less is more.

Guideline one: specifics count.

Example: someone asks you, "Hey, what's on your gift list this year?" And you answer, "Oh, nothing special, anything will do." Well, get ready to receive just about anything then! If you're disappointed with what you get, guess what! You asked for this disappointment when you gave a generic answer. Generic answers seem to happen more often with folks we love the most. Why? Well, we assume those we love should know well enough what we want. Right? (While you may be highly intuitive, how's your mind-reading skills these days!)

In many chapters of Pay Me What I'm Worth, you'll discover the power behind being specific, focused and clear in words and deeds. (Click on any of the key terms listed at the end of this article for more details.) When you genuinely observe masters of wealth (in any form) you'll discover they're laser-focused and crystal clear in their communications. Being specific plays a key role in their communications and thus, their success.

Trying practicing the art of being specific in a way that draws a circle of understanding. For example,

You: "Hi, Mom? Good to catch you! Hey, I'm just checking to see if we're all set for new years eve? We'll pick you up at 6:30 on Thursday evening so we can make our dinner reservations at the club on time, even if the weather is bad. Do you need anything from us before then?

Mom: "No, I'm good to go."

You: "GREAT! Just to make sure I didn't mix things up, it's so busy this time of year isn't it?! What time did I say we'll be by to pick you up?"

Mom: "7:00 since we're so close to the club."

You: "Ah - right Mom, we are only a few minutes away, but the weather might be an issue. Is it okay for us to be there at 6:30? If the weather is nice, we'll visit before we go. Sound good?"

Mom: "I see your point. Sure 6:30 is fine."

You: "Love it! That's next Thursday evening - right?"

Mom: "No, isn't new years eve Wednesday this year?"

You: "Let me check! Thanks for asking. Do you have a calendar near by? Will you check for me?"

Mom: "You're right! It's Thursday! What was I thinking!!"

You: "No worries Mom! It's a busy time! We'll see you soon!"

While that above circle of understanding may seem a bit contrived, you get the point, right? Did you notice the attempt to be kind and graceful? Did you also notice how asking someone to fact-check something they didn't think was right quickly cleared up the issue?

Communication skill tip: when ever someone disputes something, ask the person disputing the information to check the facts. If you check the facts for them, they may still dispute the issue."

Once again, when you communicate something, imagine seeing a circle, sort of a round-trip ticket mentality.

Your message is the point of departure.
The person (people) receiving your message is a point of landing.
If what you communicated is clearly understood and the message is correctly conveyed back to you, you've reached your destination point.
If what you communicated is NOT understood, you may end up landing in the wrong place!

Guideline two: less is more.

When communicating anything, engage Occam's Razor Rule! Simply put, "KISS IT!" (Keep It Super Simple!)

During the holidays (or any other time when time takes a flight), the more you practice your skills at writing those one-page memo's the better life becomes. Have you ever written a one-page document that summarizes your life? (Most folks call such a page a resume.) Your resume is but a snowflake settling on the tip of your iceberg of experience. In no way, shape or form does your resume cover the vast experience you bring to each moment.

When we communicate, we often try to convey our experience, wisdom, etc. Often, we share more than we need to share. Share too much information, and folks shut down. Share too little, and folks ignore the message. What's the right balance? Easy!

Know your audience. What do they want to know? Answer those questions as briefly as possible with a constant reminder that you're available for more questions, any time.
Practice guideline one noted above. You'll quickly discover the art of creating powerful, clear communications as you hone your ability to be specific.

Need help with your communication skills? As with any art, practice makes perfect! Hire someone to help you. Apply the "ten to one" rule when it comes to hiring a communication professional to help you communicate better. What's that rule? For every dollar spent on that professional, over your lifetime, you should anticipate receiving ten-times that amount back!

As always, I'm here to support any desire to enhance your communication skills. Join one of my Pay Me What I'm Worth Master Mind groups to gain communication skills you'll savor for a lifetime.

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Pay Me What I’m Worth: Key Terms (tag cloud)
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