Marion's Communication Tips

Think about the last time you were crazy busy. How did you cope? Did you feel pressured, outa control, beside yourself? When you're stressed, different sides of your personality come bubbling to the top. Another thing that happens is mistakes.

For example, you may have noticed that I just sent out a newsletter with the wrong title! Not only that ... it had a repeat article from last month. Albeit useful as a reminder, it was an oversight on my part. I admit it -- I'm human.

Apologies for any confusion. The good news is that it gives me another reason for reaching out to you.  It also presents a learning point: haste makes waste.

When you show your human side, it makes you appear a little more fallible. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Why?

Because people relate to people, not perfection.

When you show glimpses of your vulnerable side, most people can relate. It helps you connect with others because they can see glimpses of themselves in you. No one is perfect.

When I realized what had happened this morning with the mix-up in my article, my first instinct was to dash to my computer, where I sit now, and seize the opportunity to get the message out of the mess. In the middle of retyping my email to you, the dang system sent out a second missive. OK, so maybe it wasn't the system. Maybe it was me who programmed it to send it out at 8:30am. Who knew that I'd still be wordsmithing at that time and it would deliver, yet again, the wrong article. (NOTE: Call out to all you wonderful IT pros out there -- techno neophytes like me are what you call "job security" ;o)

There was a time, not too long ago, when I would have spent energy scolding myself, berating my efforts, rolling my eyes and getting all worked up about something I couldn't change. Thankfully, the gift from this recent faux pas is that I just realized I don't do that any more. Do you?

What's your self-talk when you make a mistake?

Realizing that you have limited energy, when things go off the rails, do you spend time chastising yourself or do you, instead, channel all your energy into correcting the problem? Mistakes happen. When they do, remind yourself that you're human. As long as you have done your best under the circumstances and pulled the lesson from the experience, it's time to move on.

There are enough people in this world who will gladly berate you and bring you down -- don't be one of them. Communicate with yourself as gently and professionally as you would another colleague. Cut yourself some slack. Strive for excellence, not perfection. Allow yourself, with all your warts and foibles, to shine.

When you have a "not perfect" moment, remind yourself that you'll get through it. Making mistakes is what makes you real. Welcome to the human race. See you at the finish line.

Until next time, here's to ...
Better communication, Better business, Better life,
Marion Grobb Finkelstein
COMMUNICATION CATALYST
Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author
www.MarionSpeaks.com
Marion@MarionSpeaks.com

www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks 

© 2012 Marion Grobb Finkelstein

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete tagline with it: Communication catalyst, author, and professional speaker Marion Grobb Finkelstein motivates and teaches individuals and organizations across Canada and beyond, how to improve morale, confidence and productivity by changing how they communicate. Get weekly hands-on tips by signing up for "Marion's Communication Tips" at www.MarionSpeaks.com

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you waved a magic wand and were immediately happy? Poof! Easy as that. Well, it might not be a wand, but ...

You already hold the key to happiness -- do you know how to unlock it?

The key is not something you own or anything you could buy. The key is not in your hand -- it's right between your ears. It's your brain and how you think, and that can unlock amazing rewards for you.

How you think affects the words you use; your words become your actions; then actions that are repeated become your habits. Your habits are what form your reputation. It all begins with your mindset.

Change how you think, change your life.

Here's the great thing about your thinking - YOU control it. You decide what to focus on, what to believe in and what to value. Only you determine your self-talk and what you tell yourself. When you do, are you kind and gentle with yourself or judgmental and impatient? Are you positive or negative?

When my clients hear me present on the subject of how to program your thinking to be more positive, they routinely come up after the presentation and tell me how much they appreciate this message. They regale me with tales of their negative workplaces, and they often say they wish that their whole team could hear this message.

Ironically, those who are most negative are often not in a frame of mind to consider change. So what to do about that? You're not going to change someone else's behavior; you just don't have that control over them, only over yourself. Here's what you can do ... 

Create a work culture where negativity isn't tolerated.

Make it so uncomfortable for someone to be negative that  being so isn't viable. It begins with you and your attitude and how you communicate with others. Foster communication with positive people and  curb it with the negaholics.

How you communicate begins with how you think. So tell me, what do you think about that?

Until next time, here's to ...
Better communication, Better business, Better life,
Marion Grobb Finkelstein
COMMUNICATION CATALYST
Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author
www.MarionSpeaks.com
Marion@MarionSpeaks.com

www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks  

© 2012 Marion Grobb Finkelstein

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete tagline with it: Communication catalyst, author, and professional speaker Marion Grobb Finkelstein motivates and teaches individuals and organizations across Canada and beyond, how to improve morale, confidence and productivity by changing how they communicate. Get weekly hands-on tips by signing up for "Marion's Communication Tips" at www.MarionSpeaks.com

Sometimes communications can be scary. Maybe a certain person intimidates you. Or perhaps you've been asked to talk on a subject you know little about. Or you have zero time to prepare. Whatever the reason, there are moments we all experience hesitation before we speak. If there’s a call you need to make, or someone you want to connect with but feel frightened to do so, here’s a tip gleaned from a chapter, “Facing the Chicken Within” penned by me and my sister, Joan Grobb Augustino, fellow author, trainer and professional speaker (www.coreperformancegroup.com)

• Push to peak performance: When we’re frightened, we get that little jolt of adrenaline. Channel that energy to your performance -- don't waste it on nerves. Let F-E-A-R stand for “face, embrace and replace” fear with action. Pick up that phone and call who you need to call. Use that adrenalin to add energy to your voice and move yourself to action.

Fear doesn’t need to hold you back. In fact, if you listen to your chicken within, it can push you ahead and point you to areas of great growth. So get out there, and start communicating with pluck!

Begin small. Think of one tiny communication challenge you are afraid of doing and what a difference it would make in your life. Imagine if you spoke with authority, communicated assertively, developed instant rapport with others. Whatever communication goal you have, take a small step in that direction. Make it tiny and not time-consuming so you will be sure to do it. Return that phone call you've been ignoring. Go for coffee and nuture informal communications. Try saying a couple words in a new language ... in front of people. Make it bite-size, make it real, make it yours. Face, embrace and replace fear, with action. Even if that action begins as a small one.