Monday Morning Blues

Monday morning we get to the office just to be bombarded with emails, meeting notices and the to do list from last week that keeps growing.  In an age of communication where speed is in the front lines of business and effective communication is usually the first casualty.  "We've got no time, We've got to get this done" and then we hear the inevitable "We have a communication problem".  Translation: Someone did something wrong but it wasn't me. 

We multitask to get things done while group sharing our information or sitting in an online meeting.  Everything must get done and information is flying at us with the speed of light.  We are confusing, insulting and offending people across the globe faster then ever.  To little attention to getting the message communicated and knee jerk reactions to hit the send button.

 So the question is how do we create individuals and teams that are more effective communicators?  How do we open up communication throughout our organizations to make it more effective?

Honing the soft skills of individuals is many times overlooked and put aside as we run down the corridors with our hair on fire.  Communication skills are an essential part of a success career and creating a cohesive team. 

In a society of high speed everything it is important to take the time to focus on the present.  Being present is essential to understanding what the directive is, where we go from here.  Take the time to read through the email and think about your response.  Actively listen in meetings so that the directive of the meeting is meet.  Listen to the person on the phone to make sure you understand and solve any issues.  In this present age it is so easy to multi task.  When we take the time to be in the present we can slow the pace by working on the solution to what is in front of us at that moment creating less rework and more productive time.

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