The human voice has remarkable power to incite change, from the smallest nuance in a relationship to global impact in politics. But whilst we joyfully celebrate our child’s first words, as soon as conversation begins to flow we start to take the skill of speaking for granted. Continue reading “Is your communication holding you back? The benefits of better speaking.”
Category: Speaking
Whilst vast amounts of research has demonstrated the damaging effects of open plan offices on productivity, open plan offices are often seen as the more collaborative and sociable option.
New research, however, suggests that this may not be the case. A pair of scientific studies published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society suggest that open plan offices actually drive down the frequency of face-to-face communication and cause a significant rise in use of email and instant messenger. Continue reading “Communication, collaboration, and open plan offices”
Thank you to the most brilliant mind.
“For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen.
Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind’s greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn’t have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.”
I’m often asked why I wrote How to be Heard. The answer is that, in my experience, most people don’t listen very well. And they don’t speak very well either. The problem often stems from many social causes.
Today I want to talk about the power of speaking. Five times as many people have watched my talk about speaking than the one about listening. That says a lot.
Speaking well is very important. And there’s a circular relationship between speaking and listening. Good speakers tend to be better listeners, and visa versa. Our speaking abilities have some very important outcomes.
Today’s the day! How to be Heard: Secrets for Powerful Speaking and Listening has officially been released internationally! Why should you take notice? Here’s a short video explaining why communication matters.
One common habit that springs from the desire to be right is interrupting. This may result from speechwriting, as described earlier, but it can, and often does, arise with no planning at all—simply an overbearing desire to disagree, demand an answer or make a point now, without waiting for the other person to finish.
Continue reading “Interrupting: The ultimate conversation killer”
Speaking and listening are critical skills for anyone who wants to make a difference, as a leader, a parent, a spouse, a friend or a colleague. So… how much thought, time and energy have you put into actively developing your speaking and listening? If the answer is not much, here are nine secrets of powerful speaking and conscious listening.
Continue reading “Does public speaking get you down? 9 tips and tricks”
I was so excited to get this in the post today! It’s looking beautiful, and I can’t wait for your copies to arrive too. For more information about the book, visit www.howtobeheardbook.com.
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We often “read between the lines” in communication… We analyse language in an attempt to decipher what is truly happening behind the words that are being spoken. Now this is becoming a science.
Continue reading “The power of language: How your words may predict your future mental health”