Dear Friends, More and more frequently I wake up in the morning and my body immediately starts talking to me. This hurts, that aches, and my mind immediately starts to grumble right along with it. And then, just when I’m about to let my head (and body) take over who I choose to be, I’m reminded of who I am committed to Being. Who I am is… I make a difference for anyone I’m standing next to anywhere I’m standing on the planet… including myself! Nowhere in my purpose statement does it give me room to be anything other than a teacher, a leader, a friend, a loving husband, and an attentive father. I am committed to being a difference-maker, and as long as I’m present to my commitment, I can CHOOSE to get over whatever grips me. I can CHOOSE to be bigger than my circumstances. I can CHOOSE to dance in the face of anything life throws my way. And do you want to know something? Some days I choose to be those things and other days I don’t. I’m not perfect, but more and more on a daily basis I am present to the choice I have to be a difference-maker no matter what circumstances are in the way. Now, this power of choice is nothing new. I’ve been teaching it for years. So this just goes to show that there is power in not only what is being taught, but in teaching it too! Teaching what we know is how we sharpen our own edge… it is how we stay present to what we know and are able to use it in our own behalves. So my friends I ask you: Who are you committed to Being? What are you committed to achieving? Are you choosing to be powerful in your own behalf? What are you teaching? Best Regards,
Think about it. All of us teach something to another every day, either by showing others how to do something, through our words, or our actions! And teaching what you know is really a culmination of:
These everyday activities are all experiences that you can teach from! What does it mean to teach what you know?You give to another your knowledge of something – either through words or actions. It’s that simple. There are all sorts of teaching methods, but the point I want you to be clear about is that when you take the time to teach what you know, you gain so much yourself! When you teach:
So I ask you, what are you teaching and better yet, who
are you teaching it to? Communication in the Workplace – Part 1 We are all human beings. We have lives outside of the work we do, and separating our lives, our feelings and the people we are from the work we do simply isn’t doable. Meaning, that in the workplace not only are we dealing with the job we do, the people we work with, and those things we are accountable for, but we are also carrying around circumstances and issues from our lives outside of the work we do. Think about all of the things that each individual in the workplace potentially has going on in and around their lives: Family, bills to pay, kids to get to school, groceries to buy, dinner to make, health issues, homes to maintain, relationships to nurture, and on and on and on!! We all have our own personal “stuff” that we bring to the workplace, wants and needs that are far greater than the job we do, and our communications have to filter through all of the “non-work” things in order for communication to really get through! So if we are so gripped by the stuff going on in our heads, how do we break through and become clear, concise, and honorable in our communications, in what we speak and in what we hear? Step 1: Stop and think about who you are being.Instead of being all about your own agenda – in a rush, giving short answers, and resorting to “Because I told you so”: slow down, think about how you are communicating, what you want to communicate and then communicate fully and completely why something is being done the way it is. Stay present to the question of: “Am I communicating so that what I’m saying can actually be heard or are the words I’m using, the tone of my voice or my body language in the way of the message getting through?” Remember: The speaker in any communication is responsible for what the recipient (listener) actually gets from the communication. Step 2: Don’t assume anybody or anything!Assumptions are a part of how all of us communicate. However, as Henry Winkler is quoted as having said, “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” Assumptions get in the way of what is, and is not, real and create roadblocks to clear and complete communication! Assumptions turn a possibility into an “is” and in a split second an incorrect assumption can lead us down the wrong path! We assume those we work with can read our minds and then get angry and blame them when they fail to do so! We wrongly assume that everyone in the workplace knows how to do everything they need to know. So guess what? That means not only do you have to give up your assumptions and be clear about what your team does and doesn’t know how to do, but you are going to have to teach them what they don’t know!! Step 3: Teach instead of TellThe definition of Teach is: to cause to know something. The definition of Tell is: to order, or direct. When considering these two definitions, which one Teach vs. Tell do you think communicates most fully and completely? Obviously, when we take the time to teach and explain to our co-workers why we do something the way we do, the results will be much better than if we simply tell them what to do! Yet, in most instances we still default to TELLING those on our team what to do, and “Telling” doesn’t translate well into an action or way of being that is easily duplicated! Yes, teaching does require us to slow down and take the time to actually be the question instead of the answer. We have to take the time to really listen and find out what our team members would do if we weren’t there, and being the question – asking: “What would you do if I weren’t here” – instead of being the answer is how we learn what they don’t know and what we need to teach. Step 4: Make sure you are not just heard, but understood too!Make sure those around you understand what is being asked of them in terms of the job they are to do and by-when they are supposed to do it! Make sure what you intend to teach your team is what they are learning! As a leader, supervisor, or general team member in the workplace you have to not only know that what you are saying is being heard, but you have to make sure it is being understood too! Communication is a two way street and it does not have to be difficult. It does, however, require a conscious effort and commitment on the part of each team member to full and complete communication! Next month in Part 2
of Communication in the Workplace we’ll
address the final steps for putting full and complete communication
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My purpose statement says:
If you are over 10 years old and have discovered hair gel,
you are a teacher! You have something to contribute to the
world! So how do you want to do that? What do you want to
contribute? Are you even present to what you are teaching… the
things you teach simply through your actions?
We all know that communication in the workplace
can be a challenge, but why? 
The
Balanced Life
