effective communication Archives | Lane Business Consulting

Are You Feeling It? The “it” being the expression of GRATITUDE. 🙏

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” 🎁 according to William Arthur Ward

Do you ever feel that you’re sailing through the busyness of daily life like a boat ⛵without a captain? You’re setting goals and making every attempt to achieve them. You’re paying attention to your health because you know you need to, and with all the commercials and focus on being healthy, you don’t want to appear to be a slacker! You know you need to spend quality time with your family and friends. And your calendar is already overflowing. 📆 You’re jumping from one thing to another non stop.

And then … you realize that your alignment with your Higher Purpose might be suffering neglect. Wowzers! How do you fit it all in?

And then…. you are encouraged to be grateful. Because November is National Gratitude Month. Be grateful for all your blessings.

Yes, we’re in the depths of challenging times, and it’s easy to feel like life is an endurance test. Are the people in your life who matter most, as well as your body and business, conspiring against you? When thoughts about throwing in the towel haunt you, it’s a powerless place to be. And certainly not a happy place. 😔🥺

There is one powerful thing that can break the chains of feeling like a victim, and that is gratitude. It’s a life-changing shift of your focus from heartache, frustration, isolation, sadness, distress, and just plain blahness… to recognizing all you have to be grateful for. Take a 5 – 10 minute break and just breathe. Think of one – just one 1️⃣- thing that you are grateful for today. It could be that check that came in the mail (happy dance!) 💃 or that your kid actually said, “thank you” for making dinner! Or your orchid is going to blossom! It’s the little things. And, it takes noticing and taking the moment to feel into the gratitude.

The journey from victim to empowered is through gratitude – gratitude expressed. Take the first step. Then the second and third steps will follow. Give the gift. It’s so worth it.

Your business journey has ups and downs. As you navigate this business excursion, one power that you must have is Communication. It’s the secret sauce that makes or breaks a business.

Here are some common communication mistakes that business owners make. They are easily preventable.

The Jargon Jungle:

Image that you are in a meeting and the speaker is dropping acronyms left and right. As you look around, you see puzzled faces around the conference table. Oh no! The speaker is drowning the audience in a sea of industry jargon. The overuse of such jargon serves to alienate your audience rather than engage them.

Promise yourself to use simple language. If you must use an acronym, tell people what it stands for.

The Mic Monopolizer:

Loving the sound of your own voice, eh? Communication is a two-way street, and dominating the conversation will not endear you to your listeners. Listen actively. Encourage others to speak, share ideas, and voice concerns. Set the stage for lively dialogue and watch the magic of Effective Communication happen.

The Silent Star:

Do you ghost your customers and colleagues? Ghosting refers to the vanishing act that some business owners employ. They don’t respond to emails or text messages, skip meetings, are unreachable, and appear to vanish into thin air. This sends a dreadful message. Timely responses are key. Be responsive. It’s important.

The Word Salad:

Have you ever received an email or memo that was so convoluted and filled with excessive verbiage and ambiguous clauses that you were confused and frustrated? The answer here is: keep it simple, clear, and concise. Make the point. There’s no need to drown the reader in a linguistic shower.

The Non-Verbals:

Words are important, but non-verbal cues are even more critical for effective Communication. Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice speak volumes. It’s true that actions speak louder than words!

Communication is the heart ❤️and soul of your business. Avoid these common mistakes to develop your communication skills. Make every conversation count.

Join me for Coffee with the Coach ~ a series of free, virtual mini-seminars on the topic of Effective Communication. Can you think of anything in your business that doesn’t require Communication?