Communication Skills Quotes - Page 11

One of the most compelling things about you is the energy you put forth—whether it is positive, negative, or neutral. And that is only the beginning.

Companies that do not have a succession plan in place in which their seasoned professionals are teaching the younger, less experienced generations risk losing far more than talent. The depth of their experience is a valuable commodity and resource.

Strive to see the best in others, situations, and experiences.

The first step in getting unstuck and moving forward is to examine what is holding you back from taking action. The power is yours to set your intention and take the action needed to create the life you desire. You are in control of your initiative—be proactive.

Without proper readiness, we’re subject to a 'flub,' or a costly mistake which might have been easily prevented with some simple homework beforehand. Failing to do so deteriorates credibility and reputation, leaving us vulnerable to an unfavorable impression.

I am a very lucky lady that my life partner, Daniel, is a true-blue Southern gentleman. Watching him in action not only earns my love and respect, but it also strengthens his countenance and bolsters his reputation as a man. As a health care provider, he treats numerous patients who are elderly or in pain. Daniel has made it a customary ritual while people are in his care to help them with their coats, provide a stabilizing arm, carry the ladies’ purses, and even walk patients out to their cars. While this kindness provides extraordinary customer service, it also demonstrates that small acts of chivalry can make a significant impact on one’s reputation, first impression, and overall human-beingness.

Sometimes it is better to refrain from engaging in conversation because making no impression is better than making a bad impression.

The Art of Communication shares insights to help you communicate with a higher awareness and focused intention and meet people on their level to increase clarity and understanding.

Look at the single words below; wear these emotions on your face for just a moment. Try them on for size and note how they make you feel:Happiness. Fear. Anger. Sadness. Contempt. Surprise. Disgust.These are the basic human emotions which communicate with clear understanding across cultures, languages, and countries. In other words, a smile naturally conveys happiness and a frown naturally conveys sadness, no matter where you may be using your passport.

As Americans, we typically move full steam ahead without much regard to mindfulness or thoughtful reflection, often to one’s own detriment. Yet it is that same propensity for bold action which makes fulfilling the "American Dream" possible—where an immigrant can come to our country with nothing and achieve extraordinary things.

Graciously Accepting a Compliment. How many times have you offered someone a sincere compliment only to have it thrown back in your face as if your assessment were wrong? How did you feel? Women are notorious for this social misstep and poor maneuver. Why do they do it? Rejecting a compliment makes the compliment-giver feel as though they should have said nothing.

Hostess with the Mostest“Think of a time when you have had a party in your home or had friends over for dinner. Didn’t you want to make sure they were nurtured, cared for, and well-taken care of? Didn’t you want your guests to interact with each other and enjoy the experience so they would remember it fondly?

Your life is happening in the NOW, yet the present moment is often squandered by your thinking about what has happened in the past or may happen in the future.

Move beyond yourself to serve a greater purpose and vision. Learn to mix, mingle, and glow, thus helping others feel more comfortable, at ease, important, and connected.

Approaching others with a loving heart enables you to be more caring, compassionate, and empathetic. What’s not to love about that?

What makes one person approachable and another one not? That simple difference alone can make or break your success in your life, in your relationships, and in your career.

Every time you speak, you are using your voice to connect with others, whether it is in-person, on the phone, or in a recorded message.

Any time you put yourself on the line, you risk (and maybe fear) failing, falling, being embarrassed, or looking stupid—none of which are comfortable.

When you are sitting behind a desk with a person on the other side, there is a barrier between you that becomes a psychological and subliminal message. Some of the best leaders I know have a round table or a circle of chairs in their offices so that when people come in to speak with them, the arrangement lends itself to more engaging interaction. Using a roundtable in which there is no head fosters collaboration, cooperation, mutual respect, and equal positioning.

The next time you have a high-stakes meeting, a presentation, or an important social engagement, practice power posing beforehand to potently and powerfully impact your confidence.

If we are with someone out of choice, we should act accordingly, and choose to communicate rather than deteriorate.

Self-confident people tend to be optimistic thinkers and focus on the positives.

Rather than being green with envy, realize that a dramatic difference between the “haves” and “have-nots” is the “do” and “do-nots.” If you are seeking positive change and transformation, what can you begin to do?

Poised Positioning•tBe mindful of how you use your body to communicate.•tBe fully present in the moment.•tBe thoughtful and gracious in your actions.•tBe fluid and elegant in your movements.•tExpress flow—walk in freedom and spontaneity.•tDevelop an unshakeable sense of authentic inner confidence and certainty.•tDevelop a deep respect for others.•tMove slower and more deliberately.•tWalk in integrity, class, and modesty.•tSmile kindly and laugh softly.•tBecome a student of manners and etiquette.

Exaggerating Your Gestures“Have you ever walked through a door and been jumped on by an over-enthusiastic dog with big paws who practically knocked you down? Some people have that effect. Being too flamboyant and over-boisterous can be overkill and push people away. Drama queens and kings have mastered these exaggerations, much to the chagrin of their observers. Remaining intentional in your gestures is a mark of poise, elegance, and maturity.

There will never be another you. The planet desperately needs your unique purpose, passion and presence.

Throughout your life you will meet thousands of people, but every once in a while, you feel instant chemistry with a person and connect immediately. It is like meeting an old friend or returning home again. Your relationship enjoys easy compatibility and commonality. Not only can you sometimes finish each other’s sentences, but regardless of how much time may pass, you can reunite and start up wherever you left off.

Remember that your attitude towards life determines life’s attitude toward you. At any moment, you can choose to change everything for the better.

Action is the key to creating the changes needed to propel you toward your chosen outcomes and help you achieve your relationship goals. How are you allocating your time, energy, and activities to ‘activate your awesome’ and contribute to making a positive first impression?

Think and act positively by focusing on the positives in yourself, other people, and situations.

How can you stand apart from the herd? How can you start to be noticed so people will remember you? How can you be heard above the noise? “What is your personal branding that makes you special, unique, individual, and memorable?

Celebrate the success of others and they will be happy to see you succeed.

Considerations & Exceptions for Impressive Handshakes•tBe mindful of a person’s age; be tender with arthritic hands. In that case, a loose and gentler handshake is a gesture of sensitivity and compassion.•tShow interest; even if your right hand is full, offer your left hand. •tDemonstrate respect when you are caught in an introduction while seated; try to stand. •t Be instinctive about when to allow the length of your handshake to linger to express unity, connection, or sympathy.

Upbeat people make us feel appreciated, important, and fantastic. These are the folks who expand and warm us with their positive energy.

Your smile is a magnet for goodwill and positivity. In unison with your attitude, people gravitate to happy people!

Your thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations filter how you see everything in your world—and here is the clincher—you get to choose!

My friend John is an urgent care physician who has several patients who come to see him for various ailments on a regular basis. In addition to being brilliant and taking wonderful care of his patients, he has a unique ability to empathetically listen to his patient’s needs. One of his patients is a repeat visitor, even when she's not exhibiting symptoms. He takes the time to listen to how she's feeling and responds with kindness, empathy, and caring. He has come to realize that her visits are filling her deep need to feel validated, cared for, and understood in ways which she does not receive at home. His empathetic listening delivers incredible customer service for patient care and makes him a better health care provider. Wouldn’t it be incredible if this was the manner for not only doctors, but all professionals?

Employee Engagement“Employee Engagement” has become a very hot topic in recent years. The escalating statistics for disengagement are alarming. In 2015, the Gallup Polls’ “The State of the American Workforce” survey found that only 32.5 percent of the U.S. Workforce is engaged and committed where they work, and 54 percent say they would consider leaving their companies if they could receive a 20 percent raise elsewhere. Disengagement not only lowers performance, morale, and productivity, but it’s costing employers billions of dollars a year. It's a growing problem, which has many companies baffled.

You can certainly take the easy road and use the predictable and boring defaults like:•tHow are you doing?•tHow about this weather?•tWhat do you do for a living?•tHi. My name is _________. What’s yours?•tBlah, blah, blah, blah . . .Break out of the defaults you have been using for years. Shake it up. Make it fun. Make it memorable. Dive in with more engagement and interaction. Taking the initiative to be more creative will help you build a bridge to close the gap.

Introduce Yourself. Being confident and outgoing will empower you to approach new people who might be reluctant to take the first step. It is amazing how many people we come in contact with yet pass like ships in the night without any engagement or connection.

It's not how well you communicate, but how intensely you have blended emotions with words that provides hints and triggers audiences mind to decipher and respond without your influence is what matters!

Notice when negativity spins in your head and disrupt it immediately before it has a chance to take hold and stick.

A “brand” identifies how you are unique and different. It is an attention-getter to help you stack up against your competitors. It also shares with us what we can expect by doing business with you.

By establishing a strategic online presence through your website, social media, keywords, meta tags, and Google AdWords, the world may discover your expertise and "beat a path to your door.

Strive to be a proactive participant rather than a passive procrastinator.

If the skill of participatory listening came effortlessly and easy for everyone, there would not be so many misunderstandings, communication breakdowns, irritations, and frustrations.

When having lunch or dinner at a long rectangular table, I prefer to take a middle chair so that I can turn to my left or to my right to make meaningful conversation with the people in attendance. When I have been seated at the very end, it can prove to be difficult to speak, hear, and connect with everyone there. Think ahead, and whenever possible, put yourself in the middle of the action!

To Polish the Gold & Help Others Shine . . . Say something nice!My wise mother raised us with the philosophy that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. That is a Southern custom if there ever was one! It is easy to find fault, criticize, condemn, and complain—but none of these behaviors will help you enjoy positive relationship results.

Absolutely everything associated with your success is relationship based and emotionally connected. Developing your emotional intelligence is one of the wisest action you can take for personal and professional transformation.

When you have a healthy self-esteem, qualities such as likeability, confidence, trustworthiness, compassion, sense of humor, empathy, and optimism all serve to make you more interesting and successful. But unfortunately, we sometimes get in our own way . . .

Your body language continuously communicates for you, whether you are aware of it or not. Are your intended messages being well conveyed?

At a Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast, two of my friends and I were standing in a circle talking. A stranger approached, interrupted our little reunion, and gave each of us her card. She then began talking about herself and her business without a hint of social awareness, or care about her interruption. She even had the tactless gall to ask us for referrals. When she left our small circle, we looked at each other and laughed, “What was that?

To cultivate bravery and courage, ground yourself in your character values:Building a solid foundation of integrity and character will fortify your confidence to face down fears and take bold action.

The actor, writer, and director Woody Allen once said, “80% of success is just showing up!” You Can Show Up By . . . •tParticipating.•tSharing ideas.•tBeing dependable.•tKeeping your word.•tTaking the initiative. •tVolunteering to be of assistance.•tBeing there when a friend needs you.•tRaising your hand and asking questions.•tAttending your children’s sporting events.•tTaking your place and claiming your space.•tDemonstrating that you have something to offer.

Proper posture conveys that you are ready to take command and master new situations. When you project this level of confidence, you will instill confidence in others.

You Need To Gauge, To Engage.

Ask yourself and become more aware—are you . . . •tSpeaking poorly of others in judgment, gossip, and intolerance?•tLooking for, dwelling on, and obsessing over the negative?•tBeing grumpy, negative, and infecting others with your bad attitude or victim mentality?

Your thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations initiate and largely determine how you experience your reality.

Why Polish the Gold?•tIt builds your confidence when you realize that your words have power and can positively influence. •tAs you seek to find the good in others, you will enjoy the ripple effect reminder for finding the good in yourself.•tIt makes a great ice-breaker to begin a conversation.•tIt helps you meet new people and make new friends.•tIt strengthens your relationships and builds mutual admiration.•tIt brings more happiness and joy into your life.•tA little praise goes a long way to make others happy.

What does a solid, comfortable, impressive handshake look and feel like? To deliver a great handshake . . . •tExtend your right hand out vertically at a comfortable waist level toward the person you are meeting.•tConnect hands with web to web contact made between the thumb and index finger. •tBe intentional and appropriate by showing mutual respect and teamwork.•tGently squeeze firmly enough to be confident, yet lightly enough to be gracious. Shake a few times for good measure.•tDiscreetly rotate your wrist so that your hand is slightly on top of theirs when you want to subconsciously convey self-assurance.•tMake eye contact and smile to show sincerity. Throw in an acknowledging head nod for good measure. Avoiding eye contact may be interpreted that you are not attentive or have something to hide.•tIntroduce yourself and when they share their name, repeat it back to them to help you remember it. “It is nice to meet you John.”•tWhen in doubt, mirror their handshake to adapt to what makes them feel comfortable. Customize accordingly to the gender, age, position, personality, and culture of the person you are meeting.