It is important to remain healthy if we want to have a good quality of life – both physically and mentally. We create routines to improve or maintain our health. We eat right, exercise, meditate and pray and try to get decent amounts of sleep. These are important to the prescription for good health. But what do we do to maintain healthy communication? What professional development exercises can we perform on a regular basis to be “fit” in our communication?
Here are some key calisthenics to Communication Fitness
Build your listening skills
If effective communication is successfully transferring information from one point to another you must be more than the initiator of the transfer. You have to know how to be the receiver. You can build your listening skills by being fully in the moment. Put your phone on silent and away from view. If you are in your office, make sure you are looking at the other human in the room and not at your computer screen. Create trust with the person communicating to you by letting them know you are removing all other distractions.
Endure to be a learner
Part of being a good communicator is being aware of the world around you. Don’t try to be interesting. Be interested. Ask those around you what they like to do for fun. What did they do over the weekend? Have they read any good books? Who do they follow on Twitter that makes them laugh? Elevate your conversations. Quit talking about yourself so much and learn what’s going on with others. Be a student of life.
Strengthen your story telling abilities
When it is your turn to speak, speak well. The manner in the way that you talk is as important as what you have to say. Your spirit, your sincerity speaks volumes. If you speak passionately about something your audience will feel it. Develop your own style and practice, practice, practice. Have a good working vocabulary and always know your audience.
What professional development exercises can we perform on a regular basis to be “fit” in our communication?
Exercise keeps our body fit. Prayer and meditation keep are mind fit. And professional development skills such as being good communicators keep our careers fit. Continually invest in yourself in all these important areas. When you get better, everything gets better.
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