Communication

We were created with a mouth to speak out our feelings and thoughts, body to express our thoughts and emotions. Good communication helps us achieve our purpose in life.  Famous communicators have a handful to say about good communication.

The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate - Joseph Priestley. People who beat around the bush would seldom get people to listen and understand them because people either tend to get lost in the bush or get impatient waiting for the real message to be delivered.

Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. When you speak, it must be in full clarity using every word wisely to ensure that people get the message.

Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it - Robert Frost.  This is funny but it is very true.  I don't know why most of us are like this.  Those who have so much to say are just to shy to speak up while those who really have nothing or no essence in their message, loves to talk.  As my grandmother used to say, "If a jar makes so much noise, it is empty; and a full jar makes no sound at all". It is just like saying "talk is cheap".  People who talk a lot and boast are senseless people.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak - Hans Hofmann. Simple and straight to the point communication will get your message across.  Never use elaborate, fancy or highfalutin [:)] words to impress.

Brevity is the soul of wit - William Shakespeare. You nailed it Shakespeare.

Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after - Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  Very true because you keep musing about the message.

If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour - Dianna Booher.  I've met people who find it hard to write their message in a sentence and when it is time for them to give the speech, they beat around the bush and couldn't connect with their audience.

There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave - Dale Carnegie.  Your message does not end after you've written it.  You need to practice, practice and practice so that you don't regret that you did not communicate your message properly.

One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears, by listening to them - Dean Rusk.  Good listening skills is essential to good communication.

Make sure you have stopped speaking before your audience has stopped listening - Dorothy Sarnoff.  A good communicator knows when to shut up.  What essence is it when you keep babbling and no one is listening?

And finally, the last but definitely not the least; a communication quote from my favorite communicator, “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.”  - Franklin D. Roosevelt

     

Status Symbol

Have you noticed the new status symbol?  It is no longer the alligator or the man on top of a horse playing polo.  Nor is it the latest German engineered car.  The new status symbol lives in the gadgets you use every second.  It is on your iphone and your tablet.  You even wear it on your ear (Bluetooth headset) with your earrings.

The new status symbol, one that is perceived as an indicator or economic or social standing, is no other than “busy-ness”.  Today, it seems that if you are not preoccupied, you are less worthy. It has been accepted and respected that we must be busy or at least look busy. Being busy has become a way of life in today's generation.

 

 

We are always on-line (at least during our awake hours). We've learned to do several things at the same time. The screens dominate out lives. Gone are the days of the good old television screen which preoccupied our entertainment time.  Today we are looking at multiple screens at the same time.  We turn on the television to listen to the news while we are working on our laptop, checking our mobile phone and comparing notes with our Ipad. So, today we look at not just one screen but four screens at any given time. I wonder how many it will be in the next generation.

 

 

We believe that technology should lighten our work load; unfortunately the reverse is true. Technology is designed to give us the tools to do more.  Technology challenges us to achieve more, to be more active, to be more busy. Because of technology we are the “Busy Generation.”

 

 

Because of technology, we think we are successful.  Unfortunately that is not how we feel. Because of technology, we achieve more but as we do more, more is expected from us. More power and more speed does not only require us to deliver more but to deliver faster. With this demand, whatever we achieve we will be too busy to enjoy. Technology brings easier and faster communication, resulting to us being digitally connected every moment. We are increasingly tied to a 24-hour global clock.

 

This brings me to note the huge difference of being busy and being productive. Our addiction to being constantly active and our busyness may in a way try to convince us that we are productive.  Caffeinated and energy drinks boost our zombie-like daze but weakens our leadership capabilities. The leader’s job is to bring clarity amidst the chaos of busyness. 

 

 

It is every leader's goal to stretch their people and bring out their creativity and greatness but this must be done in a way that will not stress their people and lead them to an unhealthy lifestyle of constant daze and bewilderment. Men are not machines; they are not computers. Your people (and you) have families they care for and you would not want them to go home in a zombie-like state of meaningless existence but to go home proud of working for a leader that values her people.

 

The status symbol of being busy disguises itself to focus and drive you to huge productivity but when you examine your activities it reflects only confusion, anxiety and distrust. Slow down, reflect and clarify issues. Never reward your people (or yourself) for speed and action; rather, reward them for value of performance rendered.

 

People with a good balance of life activities are more productive and fulfilled. I hope you will productively use your weekend to evaluate and decide to take on the status symbol of productivity rather than busyness.

 

 

 

 

Reminders

I have four reminders for you as we come close to the weekend.  I hope these reminders will make your weekend a blast and will bring you closer to your goals.

Put God above all else. Things we love we will lose one day. Things we fear we will face one day. Sometimes God puts us in the dark to prove He is the light. And He is more concerned with our character more than our "success."

In this journey called life, we must expect to lose something or someone – a business venture may not fly, a loved one will pass away. As we thread to these inevitable situations, we cower in fear.  The best way to conquer these fears is in the arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We can always run to Him for comfort and safety. Let our fears remind us that God is light, an all powerful light that can change our situation and our hearts, giving us strength to face the inevitable.

Helping people is not only through financial means. This is true around the world; many people are working in low paying and high stressful jobs. Leaders may not be able to increase their pay but they certainly can inspire their people and encourage them to become better, perform better and grow in their skills, attitude and character. Inspirational leadership will make your employees to be better people, able to overcome their financial challenges. Who knows, your encouragement and inspirational leadership may open the door for your employees to come out with other income generating endeavors or unique products for your company.

Do not mistake imagination for memory. Stick to the facts; do not try to create a livelier story by imagining more exciting facts. Stick to reality, no matter how boring it may be. A habit of exaggeration will make a person lose his or her credibility. In other words, do not lie.

I started with God, I will end with God. Every day is a new day full of blessings and opportunities. Are you caught in the cycle of re-living past mistakes over and over like a video player, stuck on endless replay? Never rewind your past mistakes; move on and turn your focus forward. The windshield is always larger than the rear view mirror. Learn from the past but move forward and explore the future. But do not let your most precious moment slip away from your hand.  Let the past remain in the past; the present, the here and now is your most precious moment.  Today, as the opportunity knocks, heed to it. Give your best today. Do your best for this is the best way to secure a brighter tomorrow. Chill! Relax and flow where the opportunity flows. Remember, God is still in control.

Here's to a blessed weekend.