Today I have finished work with a reoccurring question on my mind – “how do I communicate better?”
I’m not sure whether it’s just me, or whether this is something that we all struggle with. I have some information that I need to move from my mind into someone else’s mind.
For thousands of years we have spoken; for thousands of years we’ve drawn pictures; for hundreds of years ordinary people have been able to read and write; businesses spend billions every year on technology in the hope that it is improving the way that its staff communicate – and yet we still can’t make the distance from one brain to another brain any shorter.
So I’ve decided that I need to do something.
I’ve decided to try and have a meaningful conversation with someone every day. I’m not talking about information sharing I’m talking about communicating. Hopefully this will lead to better communication all around.
“My method is to take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then to say it with the utmost levity.” – George Bernard Shaw
If I’m successful I’ll let you know, if I’m not I’ll simply forget that I ever write this post and so should you.
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Graham Chastney 
You’ve raised an excellent point.
We’re all taught to talk, but we’re not talk how to effective communicate. I had to take a class in communicating effectively, “The Psychology of Effective Communications,” a four unit college course. It was a bear. I had to spend about 20 hours a week in study for this one, and I still don’t always get it right.
The first thing I learned is – and this is powerful… To leave the person hearing the message with his or her integrity in tact. In other words, “How would you feel if YOU were hearing the message?”
Crafting the message takes time and thought… not just blurting it out.
Good luck with it all, because it’s a skill that needs a lot of practice put to use. Some times you won’t hear the target effectively, because we’re human, after all.
Love the dolls, B-T-W. I purchased these dolls for my grand daughter’s doll house that I made for her!
I fell upon your blog, because I help promote the communications for Oak Grove wines! Maybe after a glass of Oak Grove, you’ll be better at it! — jo
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Thanks for the encouragement Jo.
It’s funny how connections get made on the Internet sometimes.
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I’d love to have more regular conversations with you Graham. My grandfather always said “never play chess with someone who can beat you”. I need conversations in the same vain. I need conversations where I will be stimulated and challenged.
p.s. the new blog theme is much better for reading posts from my blackberry, the right hand columns mean the information is easily reading without scrolling. I find I read more on the blackberry now because I follow more links through tweets.
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B-T-W, I meant to say, “Some times you won’t HIT the target effectively” VERSUS “hear.”
Perhaps you figured it out; but just in case you didn’t, I needed to clarify… Again, effective communications.
I’m really pleased that I returned, because I, too, have a blog (mine’s about wine at http://www.wine-blog.org).
I would never have known about why Graham finds your new design to be better for his blackberry. I haven’t bought one, yet, so I’m Blackberry illiterate. This is a powerful piece of information, and now I have to have my Webmaster flip my layout. (Thanks, Graham! Who needs to scroll forever?) I’ve been at blogging since Dec. 2005, so my blog’s a bit heavy on content (and intent).
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That would be with Stu, with YOU being Graham. I’m just too excited about Obama. Hope I’m not offending anyone with that kind of excitement!
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