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11 Rules Of Good Communication
November 13, 2010 | 
Author Here are the basic rules of good communication:
1. The speaker can say what he or she thinks needs to be said, except for derogatory statements, shaming words, blaming words and globalizing words. Nothing to inflame the conversation. Just facts, feelings and true and honest thoughts.
2. The listener fully listens to what is being said — even when having a reaction. Breathing through the reactions, giving the speaker the respect of being listened to.
3. When the speaker is done, the listener will reflect back to the speaker a summarized version of what the speaker said, to make sure the speaker is fully understood.
4. The speaker will take this opportunity to further clarify what he or she said and will restate the goals of the conversation.
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Lest We Forget
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the
mansion’s guestroom. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a
hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied…”Things aren’t always what they seem”.
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the
couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the
farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.
The Optimist
There was once two children: one born to wealth, one born to poverty. The wealthy child had all of his needs met, and had all of the toys and entertainment money could provide. The poor child worked every day at hard labor from dawn to dusk from the time he could walk, and rarely had more than food, water, and clothing, if even that. But the poor boy always had lots of love and support from his parents and family.
One Christmas morning, the wealthy child awoke to a huge Christmas tree with neatly wrapped presents stacked wall to wall, floor to ceiling. In the center of the floor was a large box which said, “Open me first!” The boy rushed over and ripped open the box to find the cutest puppy in the world. The boy was thrilled and grabbed up the puppy with both hands. In response, the puppy urinated all over him. The boy threw down the puppy, exclaiming, “Yuck! I hate it! Take it away; take them all away!” And then he stomped out of the room.
Our Greatest Weakness
Sometimes your greatest weakness can become your greatest strength I’m reminded of the story of a 10-year-old boy named Mark who decided to study judo even though he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. Mark began lessons with an old Japanese judo master and was doing well. But after three months, he couldn’t understand why the master had taught him only one move.
The master told him, “This is the only move you’ll ever need to know.” Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, Mark kept training. Several months later, the master took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, he easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged. Mark deftly used his one move to win the match. He was now in the finals.
Food For Thought
You are driving alone on a wild stormy night. You pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for the bus: 1. An old lady who is about to die. 2. An old friend who once saved your life. 3. The perfect man (or) woman you have been dreaming about. Which one would you choose, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first; or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect dream lover again. Think before you continue reading …………………………………………………
Six Things
Six Things For A Great Life
Most of us were raised to be good boys and girls, instructed to “ask politely” for the things we want. But life is tougher than that and sometimes requires that we take the things we need. So, here you go, the six things you need to take for a great life…
1. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY Your life is all up to you! The sooner you believe and accept that, the better. Stop leaving important decisions up to others. Stop trying to blame others for what goes wrong (or what doesn’t go at all). Take responsibility for your life and you take the first steps to really enjoying the rest of it!
2. TAKE A LEAP No one can predict the future, but almost everyone spends too much time thinking about the past and how things they did “way back when” may affect things they want to do today. The past is past, the future is out there. But right now, stop worrying about every little thing and take a leap of faith! Do the things you really want to do. Take a chance that your dreams aren’t just dreams. Take a chance on yourself. Life rewards those who act, so act!
Choices And Attitudes
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.” What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
Commitment To Excellence
Let’s talk about one minute excellence. I can sense the curling of your lips. While such a phrase makes me shudder, too, it contains a gem waiting to be discovered.How do you go on an effective diet? How do you stop smoking? How do you stop drinking?
In short, you do it and it’s done! Then you work like heck the rest of your life to stay on the fat free, smoke free, or booze free wagon.
IBM founder Thomas Watson once said, “If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second quit doing less than excellent work. The idea is profound!
Suppose you are your average Karate Ka and, for your own futures sake (not because of peer pressure from others in your dojo) you decide to set a matchless standard for Karate. How? You do it. Now.
Rules For Being Human
| The Rules For Being Human |
When you were born, you didn't come with an owner's manual; these guidelines make life work better. 1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life. 2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "Life on Planet Earth". Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher. 3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation. "Failures" are as much a part of the process as "success." 4. A lesson is repeated until learned. It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it -- then you can go on to the next lesson. Read the rest of this entry » |
Remember Your ABC’s
To Achieve Your Dreams, Remember Your ABCs
by Wanda Carter C. 1990
Avoid negative sources, people, places, things, and habits
Believe in yourself
Consider things from every angle
Dedication, discipline, desire and don’t give up and don’t give in.
Enjoy life today; yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come.
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