This month we have focused on avenues for self-improvement. I have saved one you may consider as basic for the last week of the month, because I consider it of prime importance. Wherever you go, whoever you meet, what you say speaks volumes.
Spend twenty-hours improving your speech, and then try for
forty-eight. It takes some consistent effort and more than a little mental
reprogramming, but the rewards of better habits will not disappoint you. Want
to change the world? Learn how to improve your words when you speak to
others.
Begin with basics like enunciating every syllable. We all
fall into bad habits, like saying “Probly,” upon occasion. Remember the word
has two “b’s.” Every deserves to have its er sounded, as in
ev-er-y. Crisp diction communicates you are educated, and you have enough
respect for the person opposite to know both of you know the difference. The
person in your conversation probably knows that your “libel” is actually
“liable,” with three syllables, but don’t leave anyone wondering if you know
the difference! Other commonly mispronounced words include library, February,
and often. Realize that your habit of poor diction comes out when it matters
most, so improve your habits.
Remove profanity from your vocabulary. A well-educated
person uses strong declarative words and adjectives to intensify meaning, as
opposed to a string of expletives. I know, some of you are thinking, I can clean
up my language in a job interview, so it doesn’t matter. Don’t forget that the
person conducting an interview may very well be sitting next to you on a bus,
or riding in an elevator to the seventh floor. Habits spill out at the most
inopportune moments, so develop gracious habits.
Control your rate of speech. Many of us don’t realize how
fast we are speaking, but with the current masking, it makes deciphering words
even trickier. When you speak slowly and in measured tones, you are conveying
more than just the thought on your mind. Your breeding and your ability to
carry on a conversation is also being evaluated.
Think of genuine compliments. Unique compliments. Specific compliments. It’s easy to casually throw in a “Lookin’ good there!” to a conversation, but think how much more it would be appreciated if you actually said, “I love the color of that jacket. It brings all the colors together!” With effort you’ll find that everyone you meet displays a quality worthy of mention. Affirming the other person’s worth in a real way brings joy to others, and it is recognized by the people who will be offering you your next opportunity.
Last but not least, learn how to listen. Whether the topic interests you or not, tune in enough to offer a word of appreciation or clarification. You don’t have to continue a conversation for a lengthy period of time, but honing in on your conversational skills makes you a better candidate in every human resource department. People Skills Decoded offers seven great tips for how to improve your conversation. It was Kahil Gibran who said, “A word fitly spoken is like an apple of silver in a frame of gold,” Speak those silvery words.
You may quote me on that!
