If You Can't Communicate, You Can't Thrive

When was the last time you took an effective communications course? Seminar? Read a 3.5 paragraph article on how to get your message through? Let me guess... That basic Public Speaking class you slept through in high school? 5? 10? 20 years ago?


Would you like to do better at what you do? In my experience the vast majority of problems people face - at home, at work, with that traffic cop who stopped you for speeding last week - hinge on your ability to send and receive a clear message.


Options? Keep in mind that, in today's seriously bazaar job market, this single facet of your capabilities could easily make or break your career. Invest some time, even a tiny amount, learning how to communicate more effectively. Then, (you KNEW I'd throw in a difficult caveat, didn't you?) actually practice USING what you learned.


I guarantee your life will change!

Is truth important, or are we tied down by "politically correct"?

"Do you want the unvarnished truth, or do you want to hear the sweet-talk?"

When it comes to business processes and project status, I've heard it both ways. Some executives want you to sweet-talk them and some want to be made clearly aware of the precise facts. How about you?

Granted, there are always conditions and dependencies. Every situation is different... Let's assume that we'll all be polite, but not play diplomatic double-speak games. That being the case, in general, how do you feel, as an employee, about "telling it like it is"? Or, if you're in management, how do you want your personnel to deliver communications?