Good Afternoon
,
Relationships are fundamental to life. In fact, they
define your life.
Solid relationships depend on
real conversations. Two (or more) people, preferably face to face. Or at least in a live exchange by telephone, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, or whatever real-time tool you prefer.
Text or email messages are
data exchanges,
not conversations.
A conversation means
real persons exchanging ideas in
real time. One person speaks, the other responds within a few seconds.
Glassdoor recently named Celeste Headlee as having the #1 must-watch TED talk for every recruiter and hiring manager. Here's that talk. It
offers ten excellent tips for engaging in meaningful and enjoyable (for everyone!) conversations. The video runs just over 11 minutes.
Some of Celeste's suggestions debunk some common advice you've probably heard. She discusses ways to show you're paying attention. She says: If you
are
paying attention, you don't need to do anything else to
show
you're paying attention!
Celeste says other hallmarks of good conversation include:
Honesty - If you don't know for sure, skip it, or admit you're not sure.
Brevity - Skip unimportant details. Nothing is more boring to your audience than dates, names, etc. that add nothing to your message.
Clarity - Think about what you'll say, and how you'll say it, so you make it crystal-clear.
Listening - Paying close attention to what others say - to learn, not to formulate a reply.
Prepare to be amazed!
You can learn more about Celeste here.
Enjoy Celeste's lively presentation, and think about what you can do to improve your conversations.
Better conversations will improve your relationships, and that will improve your life!
Have a wonderful New Year's Day holiday. Make 2020 the best year yet for you!
Note: Archived issues of
The Unity Community are available
here.
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