Right now the interwebs are littered with everyone’s goals and resolutions for 2013.
As we wrap up 2012, there is no better way to get the year started than to talk a little bit about what we are going to seek to do better in the year ahead.
So cheers to the resolutions and may all of you accomplish everything you set out to do!
I tend not to do resolutions. I have more of a continuous improvement mentality than a race to failure mentality and it seems that every time I set a resolution it really was more of a race to failure because my goals weren’t sustainable.
I blame that on having big goals, but throughout my life I have shifted from big goals to big and realistic goals. (A small yet very important caveat)
However this year I do have a goal for myself and for everyone I work with. To be a better communicator.
In 2013 I am going to set out to do exactly 2 things that will allow me accomplish more meaningful interactions with everyone I engage with.
First, I am going to focus on being a better listener. You may recall I have discussed “Waiting to Talk” in the past. Listening and moreover empathy are the pitfalls of many conversations. You start with two parties (or more) desperate to share and be heard, yet the same two parties are much less interested in listening.
This year, in fact starting right now I am going to focus on listening and see how much more I can get out of every conversation.
Second, I am going to improve my delivery. Making sure that I provide my audience or whomever I’m conversing with the opportunity to understand where I am coming from. I think too often we assume the person we speak to is not only hearing us, but understanding what we are trying to say.
Why not take a little more time and make a little more effort to be sure that this is the case?
This is particularly important in managing people. Many times your employees want you to believe they understand but they aren’t entirely clear. Deep down they want to ask more questions, however they are nervous on the surface because they don’t want for you to look down upon them.
Better delivery coupled with better listening can drive better results.
Are you ready for better results? Focus on improving your communication in 2013 and you just may see them!
In this short video we discuss the importance of better communication and the two keys to improving communication.
