Influence in Action

In this episode, Craig Weber explains how strong communication skills can build healthy work environments and increase leadership effectiveness.

“The first step is awareness. People need to be aware of how they react to others during conversations,” explains Weber. Once people have this awareness, they can be more thoughtful about their responses and help conversations move along in a positive way.

The second step is to embrace a new way of thinking. Many people let their ego get in the way during conversations when they want to prove they are right. That isn’t helpful. The purpose of a conversation is to get a clear understanding of an issue with the goal of working together to make good decisions and move forward. To do that, you must develop a mindset of learning.

The third step is learning the skills of candor and curiosity. Candor involves being able to state your opinion clearly and explain the thinking behind it. Curiosity is about testing your opinions or theories with others to learn about blind spots or inaccuracies in your thought process. It also involves the ability to inquire and gain clarity about comments or opinions from others.

Weber suggests creating a personal plan to work on specific areas of your communication skills. Be aware of your behaviors, approach every conversation with a learning mindset, and then practice the skills of candor and curiosity. Weber wants everyone to realize they have the power to make a difference both at work and at home by simply improving their communication skills. 

For more information about Craig Weber, go to https://www.weberconsultinggroup.net/conversational-capacity.