“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Mastering communication is one of the most important building blocks for reaching your full potential. We are fortunate to have many brilliant communicators in our community and we asked some of them to share their lessons and advice below.
Rachael N. Blackwell
I can vividly remember a few different moments in my life where I internally decided at that moment I wanted to become a more efficient communicator.
The first time was at a young age- eleven years old, just graduating from fifth grade and heading to middle school in the fall. I was fine as a student from K-5, did well in my classes and tried hard. That being said, a recurring note from my teachers on my report cards was always something along the lines of “Rachael is a great student, but likes to talk a lot.” I don’t know where my chattiness came from- my mother is quite reserved, but I would talk to anybody and everybody at school. My teachers would move me to other desks and I would just make new friends. We had a “silent lunch table” where students who had gotten three strikes for whatever during the day had to sit as a form of discipline. I earned a few silent lunches during my elementary years, but they were never silent when I was there. LOL Read more>>
Erin Marion
I found this to be such a beautiful question. I am 35 years old and I feel like I am still learning how to communicate, however over the course of my life I have taken steps to make sure I am striving to work on this skill. My journey in life has been a consistent push to be a better communicator. Being a small business owner I want to make sure my clients feel heard and respected. In my personal life I went through a large break up six years ago that pushed me to learn what it took to effectively communicate while simultaneously being a good listener. I have been in an out of therapy all of my life for different chapters that I have gone through and it wasn’t until our couples therapist that I had a chance to really look in the mirror and ask who I wanted to be in a relationship. Even though that relationship ended I have taken everything I have learned and have applied it to my now spouse, family and friends. Read more>>
Jim Williams`
Engagement. Engagement is not always the first thing you think about when defining effective communication, but in reality, engagement captures the aspects of effective communication. Over the past 30 years in my professional career, I have developed an understanding about myself and my personal growth areas as it relates to effective communication. The key is to know yourself and your areas of opportunity to develop. As such, I have learned to focus on clarity of message, working to use direct language and avoiding jargon. I have learned to focus on active listening, listening to understand, not just reply. I have learned to master the emotions that come with responding to or receiving feedback to my communication so that I can improve. Further, I have learned to acknowledge the perspectives and feelings of others, enhancing my sense of empathy while at the same time being mindful of my non-verbal communication and body language. Read more>>
Lesley Marroquin
With a TON of practice. Believe it or not, I was a very quiet kid. Growing up I hated giving presentations because it made me incredibly nervous. My voice and hands would start shaking every time I spoke. I also never really shared my ideas because I didn’t want to speak up. It was not until high school when I joined the Marching Band and Mock Trial Club that I started to come out of my shell. Read more>>
David Forteau
Growing up I I used to stutter which started in school, I quickly began to realize what the root cause was and I had stage fright even just answering a normal question after getting picked from my teacher.
This was something that bothered me because I felt like I wanted to social and outgoing but sometimes id freeze up and not be able to get the words out leaving me to be teased or alienated from groups. Read more>>
Salawna Jones
My ability to communicate effectively developed from both of my parents. My mother is the parent that corrected my speech. I would say things like, ” I don’t got no juice,” and she would yell from another room, ” I DO NOT HAVE ANY JUICE!” She also made sure I apologized for whatever I may have done, and the apology had to be correct. I could not say “my bad” or “sorry,” my mother would say, “No! that is not how we apologize. You need to say you’re sorry and what you’re sorry for and that you won’t do it again.” Then there is my father, who is very big on maintaining eye contact and being very straightforward with what you have to say. He would tell me to make sure I look whomever I am speaking with in the eye while I am talking to them. He’d also say, be bold and direct. Don’t leave them any room to wonder what you are trying to say, make sure they know exactly what you are trying to say. I appreciate my parents for instilling such a great attribute in me. Read more>>
