How you talk is a reflection of how you think. By transforming the act of communicating, you create space for all necessary emotions that help get the message across fully and effectively, while building strong relationships. In his book, The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact, leadership advisor, Chuck Wisner shares five key takeaways.
1. You are the common denominator in every conversation as only you have the power to completely understand your emotions and thoughts. Reflect on where you’re coming from in a conversation
instead of keeping the other person centre-stage. This will help |you comprehend your belief systems better, bringing positive change in conversations.
2. All stories told to you may not be true. For instance, a success story is encouraging to listen to but may not serve you well if it forces you to be competitive or anxious to achieve that success. Reassess what’s been told to you so that you don’t have your guard up while conversing.
3. Hold your opinion with an open hand, not a tight fist. Be flexible in conversations. There could be many ways of doing things and all could be equally meritorious. Be curious and open your heart to different possibilities in a conversation to get the most out of it. Our left brain has dominated our actions for a long; it’s now time to give the right brain, responsible for creativity and spontaneity a chance.
4. Make commitments you can keep. While saying yes to everything seems simple and easy, it creates disappointment later. Change that auto-pilot and say what you mean.