Communication Skills

Communication Skills
"The 10 Commandments of Communication"
The 10 Commandments of Communication
by Dr. John C. Maxwell Can you hear it? If not, you must be able to see it... There's an explosion
currently taking place in American society, and its effects are all around us. Television. Radio.
Books. Telemarketing. Video conferencing. Magazines. Newspapers. Online services. Faxes.
Overnight delivery.
For the past 50 years, communication has been growing so explosively that it seems almost
impossible to keep up. In fact, Kaiser Aluminum News reports that since 1955, fifty percent of the
cost of running the American economy has been related to communication.
And there you are ­
a leader caught in the midst of this communication cyclone. No matter who
your followers are, you recognize that you must find a way to communicate with them. And not
just give information or talk "at" them; you need to find a way to get through to them over the din of
everything else that vies for their attention. But how do you do that?
The answer lies not so much in what you say, but in how you say it. You've got to connect if you
want to achieve true communication ­
the kind that reaches the heart and mind and elicits a
response.
I
n the years I've been speaking to people, whether preaching the Gospel or teaching leadership
principles, I've learned some truths about effective communication. And I've narrowed them down
to ten "commandments." Over the years, they've helped me improve my ability to connect, and I
believe they can do the same for you.
1. BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU SAY.
It's hard to get excited about someone else's brainstorm. Only when you "own" an idea can you
express a sense of urgency and passion about it. And while that's easy when an idea begins with
you, it's more of a challenge with pieces of information that get passed down for you to share with
your people. That's when you must find something in the message that is valuable to you and
them, and then express it with enthusiasm
2. BELIEVE IN THE PEOPLE TO WHOM YOU SPEAK.
All great communicators have one thing in common: They expect a lot of their audience. They
believe their message has value to their listeners, and they trust people to understand and apply it
to their lives or work. Because of this attitude, when they're done speaking, the people come away
saying, "This speaker really has my interests at heart and wants me to be all I can be."
If you're going to reach people you have to believe in them.
3. LIVE WHAT YOU SAY.
I
n school, many of us were taught that content was the key to effective communication. But it's
not. What is most important is credibility. When I began preaching in my first church, I often spoke
on evangelism because I believed it was important. But those messages failed to produce any
lasting results in the people's hearts. Why? Because at the time, I was not doing the work of an
evangelist. It was only after I made a personal commitment to winning souls that I could effectively
preach on evangelism. If you can't own it, don't quote it. If you don't live it, it won't fly.
4. KNOW WHEN TO SAY IT.
I
n many cases, timing really is everything. If you don't take it into account, even the most inspired
or important message can fail to reach your listeners. For example, during times when people feel
insecure (such as when layoffs have been taking place within the community), "surprise"
messages are rarely received well. And calls to deep commitment in times of low morale may not
work. With any message, ask yourself what response you're trying to elicit from your audience.
Then look at the environment, attitudes, and circumstances the people are currently facing to
determine whether you can expect to get that response right now. If you conclude that the timing
is bad, wait. As circumstances and feelings change, your people will be more receptive, and you'll
have a better chance of succeeding.
5. KNOW HOW TO SAY IT.
Creativity can often make the difference between functional and memorable communication. Use
all the tools you can to make your message interesting and memorable. Choices include plays on
words, acrostics, humor, stories, etc. And avoid being too predictable. If people always know what
you are about to say or how you will say it, they will stop listening.
6. KNOW WHY TO SAY IT.
One of my college professors used to tell us, "Preach for a verdict." In other words, don't speak if
you don't know what you want to have happen when you're done. Always base your
announcement or message on what you want your audience to do, rather than on what you want
them to know. Then make sure to tell them what you want them to do next. You'd be surprised by
how many leaders expect their people to apply what they've learned without ever being asked to
do it.
7. HAVE FUN SAYING IT.
Don't take yourself too seriously. We are all cracked pots ­
and the bigger the cracks, the more
God's light shines through. Make your communication fun and relaxed. And don't be afraid to use
humor.
8. SHOW IT AS YOU SAY IT.
People are very visual. Your listeners are more likely to respond when they can "see" what you're
trying to tell them. Use body language and hand gestures. Write on a board or overhead screen.
Paint word pictures and use descriptive language to bring what you say to life. Any time you can
conjure an image in people's minds, your ability to get through to them increases dramatically.
9. SAY IT SO PEOPLE CAN OWN IT.
There's no reason for people to respond to a message that doesn't seem to be directed at them.
To foster ownership in your listeners, you must include them in your communication. Speak
specifically, not hypothetically. Spell out how your message affects them personally. If people
know what's really at stake, they respond at a much higher level of commitment.
10. SAY IT SO PEOPLE WILL DO IT.
The bottom line for any communication is action. So make sure that a call for action is a part of
any message you share. As you make the call, communicate the benefits your audience will
receive from following through. Give them the steps they'll need to respond. And finally, make
sure that they are capable of doing what you're calling them to do. In today's world, competition
for the hearts and minds of people is intense. Without a strategy, you're facing a tough battle. But
by applying these "ten commandments" to your communication, I believe you can increase your
effectiveness and connect with them in a positive way.
Cliff Course
RE: Your Ecourse
Part 1 "Create clarity and find your power"
Hi Prasanna
Today I want to show you how you can get almost anything
you truly desire by using four simple keys...
­>
Key 1 "Clarity" <­
Have you ever asked yourself, 'What is my goal here?' .Until you know what you want in ANY
given situation you
are unlikely to achieve anything worthwhile.
If you were driving in your car and you had no idea of where you were going or why you'd end up
driving aimlessly until you ran out of gas.
Wouldn't you?
An ancient philosopher once said, 'The road to somewhere leads to a place called nowhere'
On the other hand if you know exactly what you want to happen in any given situation then you
have mental focus, and this gives you clarity.
Clarity = Power & Purpose
Clarity will only benefit you. You must get clear on what you want.
Be it:­Financial,
Emotional, Physical, Mental, Intellectual Social, Spiritual, Material, Careerwise,
Relationships...
What are YOUR goals in these areas? ­
(write them down)
­>
Key 2 "Action" <­It's
not what we can do in life which defines our success, it's what we ACTUALLY DO.
You can read all you want, talk to the cows come home or mull things over and yet until you
actually DO SOMETHING you are unlikely to achieve what you want.
Taking action is like building a muscle, you can begin slowly at first and as you learn to take action
you create more and more momentum.
Soon you are steaming towards your goal like a freight train.
All successful people took an initial action, however small, which started them on the path to
where they wanted to go.
You must make the initial decision to ACT.
­>
Key 3 "Calibration" <­Once
you have started to take action to achieve your goals you must then pay attention to the
results you are getting.
Are you moving towards what you want?
Calibrating what is going on around you and what impact your actions are having is vital to
maintaining the drive to what you want.
You look around when crossing a busy street, your life's desires deserve the same respect.
­>
Key 4 "Flexibility" <­If
you decide you are not getting the results you want then you must be willing to alter things.
This can mean a simple tweak all the way up to a complete change of approach.
This doesn't mean change your goals it just means be willing to alter your approach if necessary.
If it's broken or just needs a little tweaking, FIX IT.
­>
Conclusion <­It's
simple really, pick an area of your life.
Then do the following...
1. Get Clarity ­
Get clear on your goals ­>
power & purpose
2. Action ­
Take an initial action towards it RIGHT NOW
3. Calibrate ­
Is what you're doing working?
4. Be Flexible ­
Change or tweak your approach if necessary
Rinse, Wash, Repeat :)
You can do this.
Look out for the next part of your Ecourse,
it has the
subject line, "Why your purpose is so important"
=================================
RE: Your Ecourse
Part 2 "Why your purpose is so important"
Hi Prasanna
Have you ever wondered what the ultimate reason for success truly is?
It's not who your family is. (though it can help)
It's not what school you went to.
It's not getting that first 'big break'.
It's much simpler, in fact you don't need to be a mystic to predict someone's future success.
You can do so by asking them just one easy question, "What is YOUR ONE DEFINITE
PURPOSE in life ­
and what are your plans to attain it?"
The vast, vast majority of people will say something along the lines of,
"I'd like to make a good living and be successful."
Sounds good?
However if you dig deeper you will almost certainly find they've been drifting along in the shadows
of others.
To be successful, you must decide EXACTLY what your goal or vision is and then lay out the
steps by which you intend to attain it.
The person who ACTS WITH PURPOSE with a PLAN will almost always attract far more
opportunities.
** The story of the Ice Cream King **
One of America's most successful franchisers was Lee Maranz.
He knew what he wanted and had a plan on how to get it.
His vision was a chain of ice cream stores in every city, in every state. He designed an automatic
ice cream freezer
which made soft ice cream.He built his success on helping others achieve their success by giving
them store design plans
and selling them his machines at cost.
He made his profit from the sale of the ice cream mix.Of course he ended up with a chain of
stores across the USA,and his machines were sold worldwide.
You've probably eaten many ice creams from his machines!
Lee Maranz said, "If you have a strong belief in yourself, in what you are doing and what you
want to do, no adversity
is too difficult to overcome."
If YOU want to achieve success, then make TODAY the day you stop drifting. Sit down and
decide on a definite goal.
Write it down and repeat it over and over to yourself until it's permanently stored in your memory.
Then decide what plan you require to achieve it. Break it down into EASY STEPS and begin
putting them into action immediately. Just take the first easy step and the
others will follow. Remember YOUR FUTURE is what you make it.
Look out for the next part of your Ecourse
it's subject
line is "You're not chicken, are you?"
===============
Re: Your Ecourse
Part 6 ­
"Why you aren't living your dreams"
Hi Prasanna
Most people spend too much of their time "wishing" for things they would like..."I wish i had more
money"
"I wish i had more time" "I wish i had more freedom"
Wishing is great if you're happy realising it will never come to pass. Because it won't if all you do
is "wish".
Sorry but its true.Most people are not living their dreams because they live in "wish land".
You have to actively WANT and DESIRE these things and then set out a 'baby' step by step plan
so you can finally HAVE your dreams.
It's a simple concept and it becomes very powerful once you decide you truly want to live your
dreams.
To get you started heres a resource by the late great Napoleon Hill, its called, "How To Overcome
Failure & Achieve Success"
You can download it from here:­
http://www.successrichfamous.com/dt/t/NapoleonHill.
php
Read it thoroughly and write out some notes ­
you'll be glad you did.
Anybody can achieve their dreams once they leave "wish land"
Look out for your the next episode its subject line is, "The secret of letting things 'hit the fan'"
=============
Re: Your Ecourse
Part 7 ­
"The secret of letting things 'hit the fan'"
Hi Prasanna
Did you know this little known secret?You may have to let things really 'hit the fan' in order to
succeed...
Sounds crazy I know.
Most people only decide to make real change in their lives when things go very wrong for
them.Strange but true.
It's because people live in their comfort zones and rarely push themselves to explore what they
are truly capable of.
They literally need to be given an almighty jolt.
However once you know this, you can use it.That's why you may need to 'burn some bridges' to
force yourself OUT of YOUR comfort zone.If you cut your lines of retreat, you motivate yourself far
better than any book, video or course can do for you.
When I decided to go full time with my own business in information publishing, I quit my previous
job and made sure I could
NEVER EVER return to it!
I'm not ashamed to tell you, it was a little scary. BUT I sure wasn't in any position to do anything
else except succeed.
So if you decide to REALLY get out of your comfort zone, then you can relax for a second and
know that you have no choice but to succeed.It's exhilarating.
You'll feel alive.
And you'll find purpose.The key is taking action & then having no choice but to continue to take
action until your dreams are fulfilled.
You only have one life, so go for it!
Look out for the next part of your Ecourse
its
subject is, "The one path to your success"
=======
Re: Your Ecourse
Part 8 ­
"The one path to your success"
Hi Prasanna
The one path to your success is understanding this. "We reap what we sow" When a farmer sows
seeds in his field he
realizes its the work he does now which he'll benefit from later.
He will not reap a harvest unless he sows the seed.Success naturally follows the same principle.
Let me show you...
You sow a thought and it reaps you an idea.You sow an idea and it reaps you an action.You sow
an action and it reaps you a habit.
You sow a habit and it reaps you a character.You sow a character and it reaps you a destiny. Do
you see the natural progression?
The one path to your success depends on you following these principles.
What you do RIGHT NOW you benefit from later.
Remember you don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going!
Maybe its making a decision you've been putting off for too long.
Maybe its just tidying up a room so you can work in an uncluttered environment.
Maybe its writing down just one thing you will do tomorrow (as soon as you get up) which is a step
towards the future you want.
Success needs to be cultivated like a farmer does with his crops.
We reap what we sow.
=======
Re: Your Ecourse
Part 9 ­
"The magic of your mastermind"
Hi Prasanna
Have you ever heard of the saying "Two heads are better than one?"
It seems obvious doesn't it?When it comes to creating a life you truly want, having a 'mastermind'
to help you is a must.
No, I'm not talking about owning a super computer!
A mastermind is simply two or more people who share similar dreams, goals or aspirations.
Its purpose is to keep the group focused on what they really want.If you don't already belong to a
mastermind
then you're making things tough on yourself.
Its hard enough struggling with all those normal day to day commitments as it is.
With all of life's distractions pulling at you it takes discipline and support
to achieve your dreams.
Having people who understand what you want and are willing to share their experience
with you is invaluable.
Because what influences you is CRUCIAL to your success.
*** How To Form A Mastermind ***
First, you need to get clear on what you really want.Then go and find people with similar
aspirations.
That's actually quite easy.The Internet is packed with forums, discussion
groups and websites dedicated to what you're interested in.
And I'm willing to bet if you search locally offline you'll find a whole heap of other people too.
Look in magazines, newspapers and bookstores.Once you find people with similar goals to
yourself, arrange to talk to each other with the intention of forming a mastermind group.
Then you can meet regularly in a chatroom, use email, talk on the telephone or meet
in person.
The goal of the group is simply to help one another achieve their dreams with support, ideas and
advice.
Its about sharing.
Remember "two heads are better than one".
Look out for the next part of your Ecourse
its called, "A hidden fact stopping you from
succeeding"
============
Re: Your Ecourse
Part 10 ­
"A hidden fact stopping you from succeeding..."
Hi Prasanna
It's a fact that everyone has two natures.One wants us to advance forward and the other one
wants to pull us back to 'safety'
Both your natures are trying to gain control.And your own willpower decides which one gains the
upper hand when there is a conflict of interest.
You alone can decide the issue and make the change in direction if you want it badly enough.
The problem is many people don't know how to develop a burning desire so they start
regularly moving towards their goals. They know they want their dreams to come true
but they're too scared to 'get their feet wet'...
The only way to stoke up a burning desire is to add fuel to it.
And the only way to add fuel to it is taking steps towards fulfilling your dreams of success.This
builds momentum, like a runaway train, and your 'safety' nature cannot hold you back unfairly any
longer.
It's not your fault you have this 'safety nature'. It's instilled in us as children by our family,
friends and schooling.You have to decide at what moment you start putting
one foot in front of another towards what you want in life.
Nobody can make that decision for you. You must do it.
In fact say to yourself out loud, "I am taking the first step today."
Then do something ­
anything ­
towards fulfilling your goals and dreams right away.
Make a phone call, write out a to do list, arrange a meeting, start creating a product,
organise some time each day for your goals...Listen to the side of you which wants you
to succeed and act on it. Because your safety nature won't help you.
Although it's there for a good reason ­to
protect you ­
don't let it smother your
dreams as well!
Look out for the next part of your ecourse
it's
called, "5 quick tips for success today"
========================
Re: Your Ecourse
Part 11 ­
"5 quick tips for your success today"
Hi Prasanna
You may not be aware of it but almost all really successful people share a number of traits (or
most of them).
These traits make them happy first and successful second. This is a very important distinction.
And as you read about them I'd like you to stop and think about each of these traits in your life
and where you personally want to be. Because you need to get CLEAR aboutwhat you want.
** 5 Quick Tips For Success Today **
(1) Peace of Mind
What do I mean by this? Well you must have freedom from fear, guilt and anger about what's
happened to you in the past.
You must take responsibility for your future and that means not allowing mistakes in the past
whether you caused them or not
to continue messing your life up today. This might be very hard for you, but it's got to be done.
(2) Financial Security & Freedom
This can be a tough pill for some people to swallow. But... You have to save yourself before you
try and save the world!
It's very sad talking to people who have all these wonderful dreams about how they're going to
change the world...
...Or the lives of the people they love for the better and yet they can barely pay their own bills.You
must get into a position of wealth first before you have the ongoing freedom to act in the interests
of other people. It took me years to fully grasp this.
(3) High Levels Of Health & Energy
Let's be brutally honest, are you getting enough exercise? I know I'm not. (Note to self!) It's a
fact that the more active you are
the more healthy you are, the more energy you have and the more success you'll have. This is a
big one in my book.
(4) Loving Relationships
The better and closer your loving relationships with others are, the more stable and successful
you'll become.
However, If you are around people who are a bad influence on you then you're hurting yourself
far more by getting even
closer to them. Sometimes tough choices need to be made or boundaries have to be enforced.
It's never easy but you'll thank yourself in the long run.
(5) Worthy Goals & Dreams
This may be number 5 on the list but I think it's the most important. And not only having goals is
crucial to your personal fulfillment but KNOWING how to set them is the key to your success.
Because all the other traits we've talked about can be sorted out by discovering your dreams then
setting and reaching your goals.
Practically anything can be achieved by setting goals the right way.
=========
RE: Your ECourse
Part 12: "How To Get Anything You Want In Life"
Hi Prasanna
By now I'm sure you realise having confidence and a purpose are important traits of those
who've become
truly successful.
But confidence and purpose will get you nowhere without this other critical ingredient...
Commitment.
Others are quick to notice when you really invest in the things you're involved in doing or
promoting.
I'm sure you've confidence in your ability to tie your own shoelaces, haven't you? But that's no
great feat because it's easy once you know how. No, what sets successful people apart is how
difficult something is to do.
And how commited they are to achieving it. Visible commitment is a powerful trait
of the truly charismatic person. That's why people with charisma
are so successful.
They achieve their goals!
Their joy and enthusiasm for what they love doing shines out of them like a beacon of success
which others are drawn to.
Overcoming obstacles, continuing in the face of adversity, even failing a time or two and never
giving up, will only enhance your image, your essense and your charisma...
And not just saying you're committed. Anyone can say they're wholly committed to something.
Instead, the most powerful method of displaying commitment is actually displaying it!
Showing, by your actions, you're committed to achieving your goals. If you want others to believe
you're
invested in achieving your goals, be committed.
Face the difficulties squarely. Rebound from setbacks with an even stronger determination.
Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Get right back in the game. Do not accept that failure is an
option. EVER!
Decide your journey will not end until you've reached your goal. The world may love a winner,
but
it never forgets the ones who refused to give up.
So don't give in, put in!
That's the little known secret power of charisma. And if you'd like to discover how to become a
charismatic person who'll get
almost anything you want out of life then I've a special treat for you.
Because you can pick up a freetrial copy of "The Power of Charisma" right now...
It's the number one resource on how to have an unstoppable charisma, so you finally start
getting the
success you deserve today...
Just go here http://www.powerofcharisma.org
===============