Are You Tearing Down Or Are You Building Up?
Have you ever been communicated to by a guy looking like this?
Have you ever been the guy in this picture?
Poor communication skills can cripple your effectiveness as a leader. What are you doing to measure your effectiveness in the area of communication?
The words we use can be powerful tools to either build others up or tear others down. Bill Hybels states in his book, Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs, that “leaders rise and fall by the language they use.”
Do you have a system to help you evaluate how you are performing in this vital area?
This past week I listened to a training session from John Maxwell where he shared his Daily Communication Checklist. I love checklist for keeping me on track and moving me in the right direction. Take a look at this checklist and perhaps customize it to make your own communication checklist. If you put this to good use in the days ahead you will spend more time building up your family, team, organization and friends instead of tearing them down.
See how you did with these questions today in your communication with others!
• Did I use “soft” answers to de-escalate tension, anger, or arguments?
• Did I use cutting words to tear someone down?
• Did I use encouraging words to build someone up?
• Did I say the right thing at just the right time to help encourage or support someone?
• Did I find ways to make knowledge acceptable?
• Did I use persuasiveness rather authority or force to make my argument?
• Did I listen before I spoke, or did I answer before I listened?
• Did I communicate wisdom and fairness?
• Was I slow to speak, or hasty to express my thoughts?
• Was I truthful, without exaggeration, or misleading?
How did you measure up answering these questions? I found the list to be a good gut check to make sure I am communicating effectively with all those I come in contact with each day.
If you would like to learn more from John Maxwell and what he has to say about communicating effectively check out his book: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently
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