Non-verbal communication: Use it to your advantage

Talk, talk, talk; all we do is talk, talk.

It is a treasure these days to engage with a true listener. Someone who is really listening and absorbing what you are saying. Not only are you able to truly connect with the person with whom you are speaking, but you’ll retain and remember more of what was actually said.

There’s another hidden bonus. If you listen well, you are also able to spot key non-verbal clues.

Here’s the first of 3 helpful hints to improve your non-verbal communication skills:

Eye contact:

Despite today’s hectic pace, it is essential that you keep eye contact with all of those with whom you are communicating. Nothing communicates trust, warmth, honesty, and interest more than eye contact.

Don’t go overboard. Eye contact should be consistent, yet you should not burn holes in the other person’s eye sockets. Make it natural. You will find that you are able to retain more of what is being communicating when you actually look at the person.

Conversely, if you find the other person not looking at you while you are speaking, consider a change in venue to remove the obvious distractions. Should you have this conversation in a conference room vs. a crowded hallway?

Maybe the person has many other topics on his or her mind. Politely ask the person if there is a better time to have a short conversation. The person will respect you for thinking of them and they’ll probably give you extra attention when the time comes for that special conversation.

Stay tuned for two more important non-verbal communication tips. Tell a friend about Naden’s Corner. When you do talk with them, please look them in the eye.

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Use Metaphors to Make it Stick

We all know that we live in a constantly-changing workplace.
Your job description may vary from week-to-week and from quarter-to-quarter.
You may have one boss today and another boss next month.
Your market’s ‘sweet-spot’ may morph and change within a moment’s notice.

It is expected that you deal and adapt with the changing environment, or you will flounder.

I wanted to direct everyone to a great article on dealing with job survival in today’s changing times.

The stellar part of this article is not just the content, but the approach that the author takes in using the ‘whitewater’ image in describing today’s chaotic times. I believe this metaphor is on target for today’s professional. Dealing with change and uncertainty will truly separate achievement from mediocrity. You can’t constantly fight the current (company reorganization, new boss, new assignments); you must look for the opportunity within all of the tumult.

Tell your story using metaphors to really make an impression and cause your message to stick with your audience. And don’t sweat change; there’s more of it coming.

Job Survival Advice: Don’t Fear the Whitewater
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2085

Until next time,

Dan Naden
Naden's Corner

Becoming a better person (or leader) is a process not an event.

Final step: Becoming a better person (or leader) is a process not an event.

We’ve all been there. It is your company’s annual training event. Everyone parades into a room and talks about how our company can become more innovative or better team players. The ideas fly around like wildfire; team members are energized, engaged, and motivated, but then something happens – they leave the ‘training room’ and return to their normal, day-to-day responsibilities. The company’s excitement over innovation or team-building fades like a meteor passing through the night sky.

Don’t fall into this trap on a personal level. You won’t lose 20 pounds overnight. You may not quit smoking on the first try. You can’t become a better public speaker by watching a video. Learning to change behavior is a marathon not a sprint. Develop a long-term, sustainable, on-going plan to change a certain behavior; check in with others on your progress; celebrate the small successes along the way. Before you know it, you’ll be onto your next improvement area.

Don’t forget the book to read: Marshall Goldsmith’s: “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There.”

Until next time,

Dan Naden

Follow up with People to Get Better

Let’s say you are a project manager at work. You missed a few key technical components for a project mid-stream. You’ve heard it from your boss, your colleagues, even your dog. So what do you do?

1. Apologize to the team for your oversight. They’ll like you for it.

2. Tell each team member that you want to improve your understanding of the project’s technical components.

3. Map out a ‘touch point’ plan to ask each team member the following: “How am I doing with improving my technical understanding?”

4. Thank each team member for their generosity in helping you grow in your role. Ask them if there’s anything you can do for them. Try it; it works.

Next time: The Final step. The Process of Becoming a Leader

What Michael Dell and Lance Armstrong can teach us about change

We marvel at the accomplishments of the finest ‘doers’ of our time. How about Lance Armstrong’s miraculous recovery from cancer to win perhaps the world’s most grueling event – the Tour De France (7 times)? Remember the start of Michael Dell’s brilliant, revolutionary direct to consumer business model for selling computers?

For both of these examples, there certainly was a level of comprehension or understanding that Lance and Michael endured on the way towards their unparallel success. Did Lance settle on just understanding what it would take to be a Tour De France champion – the timing, the nutrition, and the perseverance? Did Michael Dell just ‘relax’ when he drew out the plan to remove the middleman from the computer sales process? No and No.

Both individuals understood, comprehended, and then ACTED. Action is of paramount importance here. If Lance and Michael just thought about their dreams and goals and never acted, think of the dissatisfaction that they would feel.

Think about what you want. Map out a plan to get there and ACT on it.

Next time: Step 3: People Need Follow-up to Get Better

Dan Naden

Naden's Corner