Archive for conversation
Communication
Posted by: | CommentsWondering how the holidays will end up? With effective communication and the art of asking questions, you can have a fun holiday season!
To ask questions and communicate effectively, you need self-esteem. You need to feel respect for yourself before you can give it to others. The more self-esteem you have, the more you are able to take your eyes off yourself and be totally present and focused on the person or people to whom you are speaking. “So where do I begin?” you may ask.
Since questions involve putting words together, what’s the best way to do that with self-esteem? What words do you use during your self-talk? What words to you use when you’re speaking to others? Words are so powerful that their emotional impact can stay with us throughout our lives. And since self-esteem is a feeling, words affect our own self-esteem, as well as that of others.
As you express yourself, know that you can give others only what you yourself possess. If your self-talk and what you say to others is negative and demeaning, you injure your own self-esteem as well as that of others. However, when your self-talk is positive and affirming, you boost your self-esteem as well as theirs. What a great incentive to monitor and upgrade any self-talk and conversation with others that may be hindering your or their progress! Stay focused on the positive!
Ask a question! Solve a problem!
Posted by: | CommentsThe art and power of asking questions is the subject of a new book, “Just Ask” by author Bill McGrane of McGrane Global Centers in Union, KY. In his presentation at a recent Florence Rotary Club luncheon meeting, McGrane suggested that problems can be solved simply by asking questions.
Whether the problem is an unsolved personal issue, a request for help from a friend or family member, or something as simple as a lull in a conversation, the right question will go a long way towards a potential solution.
If a nagging worry is bothering you, ask yourself, “What do you think the problem is?” When a friend brings you a problem, ask, “If you weren’t coming to me, if you had to resolve this on your own, what would you do?” If you are at a table or meeting with a group of people and you see someone is getting upset or angry, or if it all of a sudden talk stops completely, using the power of affirmation in the form of a question can redirect the conversation in a very powerful and positive way.
McGrane proposed the idea that questions can help us respond with grace and ease if we are in the habit of using them. Be prepared by writing down 10 scripted questions you can use at any time. To order the book, “Just Ask” or to learn about other personal development tools available from the McGrane Global Centers, visit their Web site, www.mcgrane.com or call 859-384-6333. For more information about the Florence Rotary Club and service projects, visit the Web site at www.florencerotary.org or contact John Salyers, president, at jsalyers7@insightbb.com or 859-653-9399.
Chuck Seal
