Find out how effective your communications are

SPEAKING OF COMMUNICATIONSSusan Young

   June is Effective Communications Month. Our communications, both verbal and non-verbal, can be challenging. Whether you are speaking or responding to a situation at work or at home, messages can quickly be misunderstood, misconstrued and mistaken for something they are not. When communicating, we must always keep in mind that perception is reality.
   In every interview, article or book I have seen on leadership, there is always a common denominator that each successful leader possesses. They each have strong communication skills. Each has the ability to effectively communicate and connect with all different types and kinds of people and personalities.
   How do you rate?
   Do you often feel that people walk away from conversations with you and are confused or missed your point? Do you need to speak and write with more clarity? Can you utilize your tone of voice and body language to help deliver your message more effectively? Are you sometimes unfocused or intimidated when called upon to express your thoughts or opinions?
   We can learn some wonderful communications tips from successful business leaders and accomplished professionals. Here is some food for thought from some of the great ones:
   
"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others."
   — Anthony Robbins
   
"An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage."
   — Jack Welch
   
"Practice golden-rule one of management in everything you do. Manage others the way you would like to be managed."
   — Brian Tracy
   
"Written reports stifle creativity."
   — H. Ross Perot
   
"If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own."
   — Henry Ford
   
"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so."
   — Mahatma Gandhi
   
"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain…and most fools do."
   — Dale Carnegie
   By being more aware of our own unique communication styles and habits, we can slowly learn new ones and incorporate some of the advice from these great leaders into our own lives.
   
Susan Young is the president of Susan Young Media Relations, Inc. and Get in Front Communications. The companies provide public relations, mass media and interpersonal communications services to businesses, non-profits and professional associations. Ms. Young is a member of the National Speakers Association and is a certified practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming. She is a frequent presenter at professional meetings and conferences. Call (732) 613-4790 or visit www.sueyoungmedia.com. Send an email to [email protected].