Tag: communication

Categories
motivation

Choose Wise Words

Choose Wise Words

Today, I will be teaching kids to choose wise words. The lesson will be based on this proverb:

“The words of thoughtless people cut like swords.
    But the tongue of wise people brings healing.”

Proverbs 12:18 (NIRV)

This sage advice could keep us out of so much trouble. How many times have we said something that we wished we could take back? There have been times when after an argument, I thought of a comeback that I wished I would have thought of at the moment. But a little later, I realized it would have only made things worse. A quick retort can feel good at the moment. But yes, it can cut like a knife.

In a world where we are bombarded with images, we can get caught up in message fatigue. Not only does the quality of our words matter, but the quantity too. Do our words bring destruction, healing, or just add to all the noise? Are we saying too many words, while not really saying anything? Can that flippant comment come back to haunt us years later?

Our words can bring destruction or healing. They can make things better or worse. And today, words can last on social media long after they have been uttered. Let’s all take a pause and think about what we say before we let them leave our lips or keyboards. Let’s all choose wise words.

Categories
Encouragement

A Language of Connection

Can our laguage make a difference when it comes to making a connection with others? Last year, it seemed every other phrase involved the term, “social distancing.” This article at Inc.com by Bill Murphy, Jr. had a good point about the term  and he proposed the following:

 

The less you can emphasize distance—and instead emphasize physical separation but social connection in your language—the better things might be for your employees.

Want to Be Happy? A Top Psychologist Says Stop ‘Social Distancing,’ and Do This Instead

We had to make a lot of adjustments last year. Is it possible we were affected so much by the challenging circumstances that we are unknowingly causing negative emotions to extend beyond a crisis?

Our language makes a difference when it comes to the results we want to see. Positive, encouraging language can influence outcomes. So let’s speak in a way that will do just that. We can influence the mood in a room, or even on a Zoom call by the words we speak.

Categories
accountability communication

Responsible Communication

It’s never been easier to communicate with the world. What we write can go anywhere with an Internet connection in seconds. Fifty years ago, it would have taken a heavy investment in satellites, negotiations with gatekeepers, and a good dose of determination to get anywhere close to that kind of reach.

Before digital communication, it took so much to get a message out worldwide, that it was carefully edited. Experts would examine each word and phrase to be sure the intention of the message was optimized. Such an expensive message resulted in more responsible communication.

Now, a teenager in Bangladesh can become a worldwide sensation with a quirky video. The communication doesn’t have to be responsible, just viral.

And video is just as cheap and quick to get out as the written word. It would have been the envy of major television stations just a few decades ago.

We can get information out with ease. We can also push disinformation out just as easily. Before we know it, a lie can make it all around the world. A flippant comment can influence far beyond its original intent. That puts a lot of responsibility on us… at least it should!

We live in a time full of communication. Let’s be sure we’re responsible with that power.

Categories
motivation

Are we all being recorded now?

Cartoon of a pastor saying, "I must remind you my sermons are recorded for quality assurance."

When I drew this cartoon, I worked at a call center in Arizona for a time. We had to remind anyone we called that the line could be recorded. It would make me think whenever I would make a call. I wanted to choose carefully the words I would use.

Today, I have noticed when I am on video calls, there is an option to record the conversation. Since we are using electronic communication so much now, I wonder how many times this feature is being used.

Does it matter? If you knew your conversation was being recorded and could be broadcast to the world, would you be kinder, more thoughtful? Perhaps you would think before you speak?

Perhaps it is good to assume we are being recorded. I’ve made an effort to consider this when I create a blog post. Let’s all consider the words we say and how we say them.

Cartoon of a pastor saying, "I must remind you my sermons are recorded for quality assurance."
Categories
motivation

Effective Communication in the Information Age

Cartoon of a dog and a treed cat. The dog says, "Come down! All I want to do is talk about taking a bite out of crime."

The more we automate information-handling, the more we will have to create opportunities for effective communication.

Pete Drucker in The Effective Executive

Communication doesn’t get more effective with today’s technology. It may get faster, but something gets lost in the process.

The other day, I discovered an email sent in my department was misunderstood. The message was correct, but the context and way it was said came off blunt, rude and made a customer feel like we were bossing him around.

Of course, that wasn’t the intention. But an email doesn’t show body language. The tone of voice can only be interpreted through the words. A please and thank you go a long way in showing politeness and a friendly tone in an email. It may sound overly polite in a conversation, but just right in an email.

The cat in my cartoon is wise to assess the dog’s tone and body language. Unfortunately, we don’t have those advantages in texts and emails. We have emoji’s and our words. And a smiley face in business correspondence may not be quite the professional feel you are going for!

Cartoon of a dog and a treed cat. The dog says, "Come down! All I want to do is talk about taking a bite out of crime."