Written by: Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Did you know that it’s national self-improvement month? There are so many different areas we can focus on, from eating healthier to learning a new skill. Today I wanted to focus on one area that doesn’t get enough coverage and that’s communication. Whether you own your business or work for a company, there are simple adjustments we all can make to communicate more effectively.
When we were younger, we learned how to share our feelings and develop our listening skills because we interacted with people every day. As adults, we have fallen off the wagon due to distractions with technology and the reduction of in person interaction. Although you may have a remote team that doesn’t mean that it’s useless to improve your communication. In fact, it’s imperative that you create more opportunities for interaction. In this post-pandemic world, let’s be clear most employees and contractors don’t want virtual events after work; however, a quarterly check-in with your team and a communication masterclass could be great ways to bring everyone together.
Here are some ideas that you can implement into your meetings:
1. Break the ice
Simple shares or icebreaker questions are a great way to learn more about each employee:
a. What did you do this weekend?
b. Where do you want to travel to and what would you do?
c. Who is your favorite superhero or villain and why?
2. Emotional intelligence
Build your emotional intelligence:
a. Ask how you can support them.
b. Be patient, listening intently about the issues they are having with a project or teammates.
c. Only interrupt the employee if they are hopping from one subject to the next and need to refocus their thoughts on the task at hand.
d. Make sure everything is a group discussion to establish collaboration.
e. Read leadership books to become a better manager or business owner.
3. Set boundaries
Set boundaries with your team so that you can cultivate a low stress environment.
a. Decisions on what time everyone should shut down their computer and take breaks are wonderful ways to promote self-care and balance.
b. Make sure the delegation of tasks are clear and concise every week.
c. Set daily open office hours for your team so that you can still accomplish all your tasks.
Communication masterclass
If you decide to create a masterclass on communication for your staff, I recommend adding these essential components:
1. I-statements
Work on I – Statements:
a. I feel like I need more support on this project specifically with __________.
b. It’s been challenging for me to finish _________ because I am waiting to receive the following: _________.
2. Body language
Challenge your team to notice their nonverbal communication and teach open body language vs closed body language:
a. Closed body language looks like someone who has crossed arms, their eyes are looking down, has a frown on their face, and body hunched over in a chair.
b. Open body language would look like someone who is relaxed with their hands on the table or thighs, making eye contact, has a smile on their face, and has good posture to show they are listening and present.
3. "Yes, and"
Practice “Yes, and”. If you have ever been to an improvisation show, then you may have noticed that every member on stage will respond “yes, and” no matter how ridiculous the content of the skit.
In a corporate setting, you can create your own sketches/scenarios with topics that are relevant to your company.
Here’s an example of how you can use “yes, and” with 3 different approaches to 1 scenario:
a. The school just called; I must pick up my kid early he’s sick. Any chance you could finish working on _____?
Answer: Yes, and I hope your kid has a speedy recovery!
b. The school just called; I must pick up my kid early he’s sick. Any chance you could finish working on _____?
Answer: Yes, and I can work on it right after I wrap up this other project.
c. The school just called; I must pick up my kid early he’s sick. Any chance you could finish working on _____? Answer: Yes, and if I am unable to finish it, I will make sure to email ____ so that he knows we need to work on this tomorrow too.
What’s one area from the communication skills above you want to improve on today? Share with me at sarah@livewellenhanceyou.com.
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Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sarah Alysse is a corporate stress management coach that helps companies cultivate a low stress environment so that their employees can be happier and more productive. She’s the creator and CEO of Live Well Enhance You which formed out of a need for her Pilates clients to find balance in their lives. She branched into the corporate market to assist employees in creating out of the box wellness solutions. She utilizes her BFA Musical Theater Performance background to coach others how to be confident and understand the connection between the brain and body. Spanning over a decade, Sarah has collected an abundance of certifications from Integrative Institute of Nutrition, STOTT Pilates, to National Academy of Sports Medicine. She’s been featured on WGN's Living Healthy and WGN Around Town’s segment as a Stress Management Expert. Also, she has been promoted on Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Authority, Kivo Daily, LA Wire, The Chicago Journal, NY Wire, NY Weekly, IdeaMensch, and US Reporter. In addition, she’s the host of the Stress Free SOULutions podcast.
