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It’s Time To Be Clear And Concise

Happy New Year!

A New Calendar, A New Way of Thinking, and most certainly, A New Way of DOING!

Too many people, I mean way too many people for one reason of another refuse to be clear and concise in any communication they use. However, it all begins with the face-to-face conversation. For whatever reason, people have trouble communicating face to face. This then carries over to other forms of communication with voice-to-voice a very close second place.

This indirect activity creates a feeling that the speaker believes everyone within the sound of his voice can also read his mind and is 100% in tune with what he (or she) is trying to say. However, with this mindset, the speaker will fail 100% of the time.

When a speaker starts to hint at things and sends mixed messages the listeners become lost and unfocused. At that point, the speaker has lost his place and getting it back is a trick not even the greatest magicians could accomplish.

When the speaker hints at things or sends the mixed messages, they also fail to get to the point as quickly as possible. Again, failing to get to the point will result in not getting what you want or are asking for.

When the time comes and it is your turn to speak be careful to avoid being so vague that nobody will ever understand what you want or asking for. Failing to be clear and concise will lead you to fall short of your desired goal. So step up your game and start clearly and concisely vocalizing what you want or where you stand.

A word of warning is careful that you do not come across as abrupt, unfriendly, arrogant or rude. Just say what you feel and while it may be difficult at first you will find that right balance. That is why you must work every day, every single day, on conveying that clear and concise message. Do that vocally. Remember, the number one culprit is face-to-face communication. Practice. Practice because that is the only way to become clear and concise. You have to work on it. If you are not constantly practicing and working on being clear and concise and just doing it every once in a while you are going to get stuck at hinting at things and sending mix mixed messages and avoid getting to the point as quickly as possible.

That my friends is not a good thing. Get to work!

 

 

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blog Change Leadership Podcast Walking Leader

Podcast #84 is now online

Happy New Year

In this latest episode, host DAVID GUERRA talks about the seventh rule found in his first book, “The Walking Leader“: SHARE WELL WITH OTHERS.

Share well with others is one of those golden rules that many of us learned growing up. It unfortunately has become a sign of weakness as we grew up, older, and not so wise. As an adult, it is perceived that if you share with others you are “tipping your hand” or giving others the tools and the means by which they can surpass you. Who wants to be done in by their own words?

However, all great leaders share one common skill: THEY SHARE WELL WITH OTHERS.

They recognize that to be the leader and remain the leader they have to ensure that they are giving and sharing all that they can. They do so with the intention of making the organization and its members better.

Making things better is one of the tenets of being a great leader.

Listen to the 10 minute podcast right here:

 

or Subscribe to the Walking Leader Podcast on iTunes and get it delivered to your desktop or smartphone:

 

 

 

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blog Change Inspiration Motivation Tips Walking Leader

Do You Keep A Journal? – Day 1

Day 1 of 100 Days of 100 Ways To Rule Your World

DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL?

If you know me, then you know that I am a History buff. Having played a role in Cold War History, I know the importance of the keeping a journal (a diary). There are numerous reasons people have for keeping a journal maybe just as many reasons that people have for reading other people’s journals/diaries. One reason, I firmly believe is to experience the past the way others lived it. Personally, I cherish the notes, letters, and writings that I created when I was living in Berlin during the mid-1980s. While the notes themselves are NOT great literary works of art they are priceless nonetheless. Priceless to me, at least.

I bet that most people that know me do not know that I have kept some form of a journal since 1985. I have never been 100% faithful to the entry part of keeping a journal but I have been faithful to having a place to write down names, events, exchanges, notes, and what not. For the most part, when I did write I wrote about what struck me as noteworthy on that day. I know some people would be surprised at the level of detail that some of those entries contain. Then again, there are some entries that are quick and to the point such as “September 18, 1986: walked to Andrews with Farrell and picked up two doner kebabs” (it was a Thursday by the way).

So why keep a journal?

There is an old quote from Spanish Philosopher, Essayist, Poet and Novelist: George Santayana in his book “Vol. I, Reason in Common Sense” answers this question: “Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Besides in a hundred days from now you can reflect on what you have learned about me or better still what you learned about yourself over the course of these 100 Days, 100 Ways series of blog posts.

Is it difficult to keep a journal?

At first, it appears to be a daunting task but once you get into it you can you can have a good time capturing moments. 2012 compared to 1985 there are more tools available to you than I had then. Now all of us have almost instant (24/7) access to blogs, video, audio recording options on our smart phones and of course, we still have pen and paper (my journal weapons of choice).

The only difficult part is getting started. Thus the challenge has been made, find your weapons of choice and get started journal-ling! Start recording your place in history. Start now!

Thank you,
David Guerra
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