“The idea is that leadership at its most fundamental is about moving people in a certain direction—usually through changing the direction of their thinking and their actions. And the way to do that is not necessarily by charging out front and saying, “Follow me,” but by empowering or pushing others to move forward ahead of…
Read MoreCategory: Soft Skills
The ‘Y’ in HAPPYNESS
In the movie ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ one of the characters wrote the word ‘Happiness’ on the wall but spelt it as ‘Happyness’. When questioned about using Y instead of I, he said that there should be no ‘I’ in Happyness there only should a ‘Y’. It took me a while to get the deeper meaning…
Read MoreRoger Federer Does It Again
On 5th July, 2009 Roger Federer recreated magic by the epic win of his sixth Wimbledon Crown and a record 15th Grand Slam Trophy. The 27 year old Swiss is now honoured with the title of being the most successful man in tennis. Federer had been in the news earlier because of the fact that…
Read MoreThe Art Of Listening
Here is a witty story on an important aspect of communication – effective listening. In a small town, a police officer curbed a speeding motorist. After pulling over to the side, the man began, “Officer, I can explain…” “Quiet!” replied the police officer hastily, “I’m taking you in for speeding within residential limits”. The man protested, “But officer,…
Read MoreBusiness Communication: The Reader’s Perspective
Here is a story that will highlight the importance of clarity in written communication: A blind boy once sat at the side of a busy pavement with a hat placed in front of him. He had a hand-written sign that said: “I am blind. Please help.” Passers-by hardly took notice of the boy and there were…
Read MoreBusiness Communication: Effective Questioning
Here is a well-known anecdote that reinstates the importance of effective questioning in verbal communication: Two young men were walking home after having attended a religious service by a renowned priest. One man said to the other, “I wonder whether it would be alright to smoke while praying.” The other replied, “Why don’t you ask the priest?” The…
Read MoreBusiness Communication – Understanding Boundaries
We learn many valuable morals from the famous Aesop’s fables. I shall share my thoughts with respect to business communication with regards to the following fable today: A crab and her child were walking down the beach one day. While doing so, the crab irately watched while the child strolled in a one-sided manner. She said, “Why…
Read MoreBusiness Writing From Abe Lincoln’s Perspective
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most loved Presidents of the USA. He is an admired leader of the world for he always thought before he spoke. The incident given below highlights his thoughts on writing and the learning can be extended to helping you to improve business writing skills. One day Lincoln’s Secretary of the…
Read MoreAvoiding Gaps In Communication – An Anecdote
Here is a humorous story that throws light on effective communication skills: A man feared his wife could not hear as well as she used to and thought that she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he visited a doctor to discuss the problem. The doctor thought for a while…
Read MoreCommunication Starts With The Wonder Called Mother
As the world celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May every year, it is time we looked into what goes into the making of this symbol of pure love. As a resort to understanding what makes mothers special, I realized that an important aspect of motherhood is communication. Mothers teach children how to deal…
Read More