In Bert Deckers blog I found a list of great thoughts on communication he got from Nido Qubein – “one of the best communicators out there” as he calls him. Read each of the following points and you’ll notice that all can be applied to everyday and business communication.
- Competence leads to confidence.
- Don’t interrupt, but be interruptible.
- Leave every person feeling better for having talked to you — they’ll be happy to see you next time.
- Say what you mean, precisely what you mean, and only what you mean.
- When you’re thinking ahead, you can’t hear what’s being said.
- Forget your ability to think faster than another person talks — everybody has it, but only the foolish use it.
- Listen at least twice as much as you talk — others will hear twice as much of what you say.
- It’s our enemies from whom we learn the most.
- Talking when nobody is listening is as futile as trying to cut paper with half a pair of scissors.
- If you create tension, you get resistance. If you create trust, you get response.
- Objections are what symptoms are to the medical doctor. They point to a problem that must be dealt with.
- Personal communication is hindered by hasty assumptions.
- Self-centered people tend to monopolize the talking. Secure people tend to monopolize the listening.
- You’re wasting your time when you try to answer questions people are not asking.
- A “monologue in duet” happens when I think up what I’m going to say while you’re saying what you thought up while I was talking.
- With life-long education, learning becomes a renewable resource.
- Make it a habit to say nice things about yourself, to yourself. You’ll find that you like yourself better.
- The key to your success is to be sensitive enough to understand what other people want, and generous enough to help them get it.
- Pay attention to others and they will pay attention to you.
- Be interesting by being interested.
- The genius who can’t communicate is intellectually impotent.
- The leader who can’t communicate can’t create the conditions that motivate.
- The organization that can’t communicate can’t change, and the corporation that can’t change is dead.