Where Is Your Focus? Communicating with Impact

I will never forget my first day at my performing arts high school when the teacher asked us to hang upside down from the waist with our eyes closed while imagining a bucket of colored paint (a color of our choosing) being poured over our body for relaxation purposes--naturally, you say! This was one of the many bizarre warm-up exercises we did in acting class. I had some fantastic voice teachers. I remember one man by the name of Michael. He swept out of the school too fast, but left me with an incredible learning opportunity. He taught us about vocal resonance and color. He had such a rich voice. I remember him having outstanding breath support which gave his voice all these overtones from the various vocal registers. Sometimes I think about him when I am explaining the mechanics of the voice to my clients. There are so many elements to focus on when speaking. Think of James Earl Jones in the Bell Atlantic Yellow Page advertisements from years past. That kind of voice may come with natural talent, but you can be sure the added training goes a long way. One of the easiest ways of using your voice well is to focus on intonation, volume, and word length to emphasize key words. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Speak Up Young Man

Teenagers have it rough. They feel obligated to please their parents, their teachers, their friends, and they get caught up in the trends of the moment. It is easy for them to squeeze themselves into corners without realizing they are acting completely against their will. Here is the funny thing: I have to admit that there are still times when I feel like one of those teenagers. I think I'm communicating my needs. I suppose I'm clear about my opposing point of view. But like teenagers, I think there are clearly moments when I prefer to let things slide or put off my communication "for another time." Is easy always the way to go? Is feeling safe the way to fulfilling interpersonal relationships? I know that speaking my mind in a way that takes others into account remains important to me. But, I also recognize how important it is to gather up courage speak up. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Changing Leaves

Sometimes when I go through change I forget how long it can take. While sitting in the Awards Breakfast witnessing the accomplishments of my stellar female entrepreneurial peers at The Mandarin Hotel for The WPEO this morning, I realize how much I have been through in my business over the last twelve months. Change is a cycle. It has a beginning, when you recognize that something must be done. It has a middle, filled with emotions, decisions, confusion and action. And it eventually has an end that enables you to acknowledge what you've accomplished. I made it through a transition from having an office and full administrative staff to becoming the sole manager, bookkeeper, coordinator, coach and business owner of my company over recent months. There were things I wasn't prepared to take on; there were tasks I thought were below me; and there were aspects of the business I wasn't passionate about running. Often we have feelings of loss associated with change. I sure did. If only we could transition like the sycamore and maple trees. Green and full one day followed by the colorful and eventual fall of the leaves. Of course this allows for new growth and new beginnings in the spring. But as humans, do we really think about those things when we are in the midst of our lives? Personal development is all about change. It requires a certain level of communication and honesty, both with ourselves and those around us. But, change is good and eye opening and creative and freeing all at once and it leads us to unexpected opportunities and faces us with challenges we didn't know we could live up to. I recognize my nostalgia this morning as an important part of my development. And I feel fortunate that I dug in to the responsibilities my business presented. I am proud that I stayed focused on the old motto, "one day at a time," because I feel greatly fulfilled at this moment. And like the trees, I'm sporting some new leaves. Spring, at last, is here and don't it feel fine?! To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Gender Communication

While standing in Grand Central Station, I saw a young man run up behind a friend to surprise him in their greeting. Some people might shake hands, others might hug, and some, like this young male, may give a little shove from behind in a gesture of hello. Just minutes later, I saw a woman looking past me with a large smile for her approaching female friend who embraced her in their welcome. It got me thinking about how men and women can communicate very differently at times. If you watch girls and boys play this becomes very evident. We don't all have excess time, however, to research the nuances of male/female disparate communication styles, but we do have the intelligence to be observant and to adapt our behavior to meet others part way. I think this is beneficial for a couple of reasons: First, it makes people feel welcome which is important for successful interactions. And second, it lets us walk in others' shoes as a way to expand our way of thinking. For me, it was enough to simply witness the varying approach of the men and women in Grand Central to make me smile and think, "what a wonderful world!" To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

The Little Gestures: Communicating With Your Voice

Have you seen the United Way poster ads lately? "Live United." Or how about the Liberty Mutual television ads running? "Responsibility...what's your policy?" I don't know if I am just delighted that spring is around the corner, but the sentiment of these ads are hitting a chord with me. We know we can all try harder to connect. We know we have the capacity to give more, listen more, lend a helping hand. These are the small things that have always attracted me to working with people. Maybe I could make a difference and in turn help others make a difference. You remember that Faberge shampoo ad, "and so on and so on and so on." What is your passion? How can you help build a bridge between two people where maybe there was little hope. I know that the way we speak to one another has a large influence on how connected we can feel. Let your tone of voice communicate the attitude you believe will help move things forward. It's the little gestures we make that make a world of difference. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Communication as a Craft

I saw Julie and Julia over the weekend--you know the movie with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Amy Adams plays Julie Powell and author of both the book Julie and Julia and the blog The Julie/Julia Project. Julie Powell takes to Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking one day at a time for 354 days, 524 recipes and a sense of purpose. It got me thinking about how, in a movie, blogging seems so simple. The reality is that it is a commitment. But both commitment and purpose are two very important aspects of the work we set out to do in our lives. My work, being a communication skills coach, seems so precarious at times--at the will of those who may or may not fancy training and development, but also something that can be put off as long as possible because other, more important, projects arise. I've always put communication first. Certainly there are times that I may not say precisely what I want or I may speak in a tone that I later wish I hadn't used. But, I do believe that understanding the importance of articulating what we want, need and feel is at the heart of all good communication coaching. I've been thinking lately about communication as an art. As I was pursuing acting and singing growing up, there was some skepticism at times from my family about when I would take my life more seriously. It's funny, but I could not have been any more earnest than the years I was living in Los Angeles pursuing my acting. I was always attracted to the arts because they gave me an outlet to express myself. So, when I finally got more serious about my life, and started to pursue a career as a trainer, I realized that it is the communication aspect of the arts that I was always drawn to. As I move forward in my career, I'd like to continue to deepen my understanding of communication as a craft. By inspecting our failed communications, we can learn how we can better formulate our opinions, suggestions and ideas. I know that this takes commitment and a sense of purpose. I hope to hear your input on the subject. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Black Gold: The Art of Communication

I have been writing poetry since the fifth grade when Karen Klein and I became blood sisters. (We each poked our finger with a sterilized needle to exchange blood to then blot a red stain onto a cigarette butt to swear our sisterhood.) They were corny poems with light rhyming with right and seem rhyming with dream. But in high school, I took writing classes seriously and particularly enjoyed creative and poetry writing. I studied writing in college and although I am not a disciplined writer now, I do like to fancy myself a writer of sorts. In times of trouble, I have always seemed to turn to my poetry to help express myself. At times, it was the only way I knew how to communicate. Above and beyond my speaking skills, it is my creative writing that gets to the heart of how I see the world. This week, I'd like to share a closer piece of myself with you through a recently written poem:

Black Gold by Jill Diamond

The little dusting of the trees on the mountaintop makes me feel a fool for wanting life to move so fast.

When the clouds touch my soul my spirit like the breeze does fly to perch upon the highest branch to watch this wondrous world.

Without the words to sing a song, my voice is mute in reverence.

For what I thought was mine, is not.
And the stars I follow hold secrets they can never tell.

If I hold on too tight I may never feel free
and if I wander too far, I may miss this mystery.

To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Culture Clash: A Communication Tip

One barrier to building rapport is clearly culture. Recently, I have been working between Rio de Janeiro and New York City and I had an interesting experience that spoke just to this point. In looking for an apartment to rent, I was lucky enough to meet a friend of a friend who was looking to sublet her place. We had spent the day together socializing prior to us making the connection that I could be the one she rent her apartment to. Everything was groovy. We were talking about the furniture she'd leave behind, the rules of the building and naturally the price per month. Everything was perfect until the next day when I received an email from her explaining that there would be a $400 per month increase to the originally stated fee. "Hmmm...What was this for," I wondered. And being American (see suggested communication tips), I asked. And from there, a cultural misunderstanding began to split our rapport in two leaving us little room for mending. I came to learn that in Brazil and more specifically in Rio, it is better not to ask direct questions. Even if I didn't understand why there was an increase in price from our original conversation, I was to either take it with a smile or find a way to quietly walk away. What is in question for me today is when there is a culture clash such as the one in this story, does the culture you are in get the steering wheel? Or, is it important for both parties to feel understood and respected? From my perspective, I aim for the latter. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Emotional Appeal: A Communication Tip

In one way or another, we all want to feel good. We strive for that high-on-life feeling and when we hit it, nothing gets in our way. Have you ever felt immediate chemistry with a friend, teacher, lover or random stranger? There's an emotional connection. There's actual familiarity and rapport. When we don't have that instant connection, however, we have to look for ways to create it. Perhaps we both come from a family of eight; we both speak more than four languages; or we are both working mothers. These kinds of emotional appeals help us build empathy for one another. Our conversations and overall communication become rich. The meaning is much deeper than the message itself because we are relating on more than one level. Look for the underlying feelings that the people around you may have by asking good open-ended questions. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Trust Me: A Communication Skills Tip

Recently someone I love brought to my attention that you can actually look at trust as a burden. If someone trusts you, they rely on you. If they rely on you, they need you. If they need you, you become responsible for them. In my opinion, this is an extremist view of what all of us long for at least once in our life--to trust and feel trusted by someone deeply. As a communication coach, it is part of my job to develop rapport with my clients. And much of that has to do with how much trust I can instill in each individual. How do I do it? I start by listening. I listen without interrupting. Then when I speak, I repeat back what I've heard while weaving in my response. I always make sure I read their body language too. Is it open or closed? Are they leaning in or away from me? Is their face relaxed or tense? All of these things are physical cues as to whether or not trust is beginning to form. With trust being at a low between employees and senior leaders, it is more important to look closely at this little thing called rapport. And while beginning to examine how trust is formed and how to maintain trust, remember that people can smell insincerity from miles away. Aim for genuine communication that uses language, gives examples and tells stories that reveal something about yourself as well. This will surely start the flow of trust and keep others engaged. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Our Interpersonal Needs: A Communication Tip

There are a lot of ways in which we can fulfill our potential in this life. We can create a profession that taps into our deepest desires. We can build a family that requires us to live up to our dreams. We can volunteer our time to help humanity. We can also interact with with others in an authentic and meaningful way through our communication. I have found that the self reflection I have done over the years through various art forms has increased my awareness and capacity to deepen my interpersonal interactions. By knowing myself, it makes it much easier for me to see others. I remember when I was in my early twenties I was living in Northern California where I studied massage, nutrition, Native American Indian ways and art therapy. I attended a mandala workshop and really enjoyed the expressive process. In art form, the mandala is circular. Our task was to draw how we saw ourselves in the past, how we see ourselves now and how we'd like to see ourselves in the future. The idea behind the mandala is that it is a microcosm of the macrocosm. I interpret them as having no beginning or end. Rather, they are representative of the universe and the integration of all that exists both in the mind of the artist and in the celestial world. The colors, shapes and textures put on the page are representative of the psyche and there is no right or wrong. After drawing, we had to talk about what the mandala signified to us. This simple exercise followed by a communication of our experience was one way that I learned to respect my expression and those around me. We all have needs. And our interpersonal communication teaches us a lot about our personality: Do we like to lead or follow? Are we disciplined or more carefree? Do we identify with others and do we recognize our patterns of identification? And finally, are we compassionate and able to build meaningful relationships. According to Tom Borchers four functions of interpersonal communication, all these questions help us meet our interpersonal needs resulting in greater satisfaction in our daily lives. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Identifying Ourselves Through Our Relationships: A Communication Skills Tip

As a journal writer, I have learned a lot about myself over the years. I've explored everything from romance, to nature, career, culture, family and friends. One thing that all these things have in common is they are about relationships and how I identify myself within these many environments. I've often wondered if personality is something that belongs to our spirit more than our physical body and mind (see Michael Newton's Journey of Souls.) I am sure, however, that our identity is formed through our family, schooling, friends and all of our experiences. It turns out that we use our interpersonal comunication to not only further identify who we are but also to help us understand who others are. When I look in the mirror and see myself, it can be easy to define myself precisely as I desire. But, when I look into another person's eyes, the hiding is much harder to do. I do like to face life head on. I do prefer to say-it-like-it-is, and I find that my expectations of others are simple: live up to your full and true potential and communicate in honest and fair ways with those around you. It's not always easy to do, but we get so caught up in our ego that we can create feelings of emptiness and lonliness that are not necessary. That is why I strive to communicate well with the people I love. I may not be a saint, but sometimes I sure do feel heaven sent. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

International Communication: A Communication Skills Tip

I am in an international relationship and I know first-hand how culture influences communication. Being that I only have survival Portuguese skills and my fiancé’s fluent English has limited vocabulary, we communicate on a multitude of levels. First, there are gestures. Add to that, the sound effects. Add to that, half sentences with dynamic pitch. And finally, add fine-tuned listening skills. Sometimes, it even takes trusting the sense of what is being said. Because, one thing is for sure, I don't always understand his English. But I do understand him and I do find we have a very rich communication. Revisiting Tim Borchers functions of interpersonal communication from last week and remembering that "building a context of understanding" is one reason we look to integrate our ideas with others, you can understand how challenging it is to exchange ideas in another language. In the beginning of my training and development career, I was teaching ESL. I have seen thousands of international speakers of English go through a variety of emotions and challenges to get their ideas out. I found that the theatre techniques I brought to the classroom were most helpful in reducing fear and bringing people's true personalities out. Ph.D. Terrence A. Doyle says that "by understanding some of the systemic differences in the communication processes, structures and interaction patterns of a culture, we can acquire greater competency to deal with differences." As an ESL teacher, I witnessed the merging of cultures and the slow development of intercultural relationships. It made me much more respectful of the differences we have as people of varying nations. My desire to travel grew and my exploration of the world is one of my strongest passions. My experiences have shown me that in order to be successful in today's multi-cultural workforce (and to be successful in your communication in general), there are key elements we can keep in mind. I offer three tips for your intercultural communication. First there is enthusiasm. Keep your delivery lively and energetic when you are involved in a communiqué to build rapport and get the other parties engaged. Second, we have creativity. Talk about things that interest you and that you know interest others. And spice up your communication by looking for alternative ways to say the same-old-thing. And finally, repetition. Repeat what others are saying to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Not only will you be better off down the road, but it will show others that you are paying attention. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Interpersonal Communication: A Communication Skills Tip

I think it is easy to take our peers, friends, family and loved ones for granted. It takes so much conscious effort to stay respectful of each others' perspectives. And yet I have found that when I make the time to take people's opinions into consideration, it pays off. We believe that our thoughts are personal, but they are founded on the ideas of others that are spread over time through education, business, art and culture (not to mention religion, family, friends and so on.) What we think is personal is really "inter" personal. When we take our individual outlooks and acknowledge that they belong to a bigger web, it becomes easier to listen to and integrate with others. Interpersonal communication takes into account our environment, our non-verbal messages, sounds as well as words, and the moods, minds and intentions of those involved in the communication. We interact with people daily. Let's look at why we communicate. Isn't it to fulfill our desire to be known? And isn't it also because we want to feel a part of something bigger than 0urselves? It's easy to forget that the groups of people we spend our time with are actually our communities. And, funnily enough the words communicate and community come from the same latin root communus or common. What we share, we have in common. What we have in common, creates our community. Tim Borchers, a professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead, says there are four functions of interpersonal communication: 1. To gain information; 2. To build a context of understanding; 3. To establish identity; and 4. To meet interpersonal needs. Gaining information has a great purpose. By learning about the people we interact with, we develop trust which leads to deeper communication. In the workplace, we all know that working as a team is essential to getting the job done well. Our success is fundamentally based on how well we communicate with each other. This takes me back to the beginning of this week's blog entry: "I think it is easy to take our peers, friends, family and loved ones for granted. It takes so much conscious effort to stay respectful of each others' perspectives." With the beginning of 2010 upon us, let's add to our list of resolutions to gain as much information about the people we communicate with in order to develop respect; let's disclose more about ourselves so that the people we interact with begin to trust us more; and let's look at our interpersonal communication as an opportunity to build communities we look forward to living in. Stay tuned for more on building a context of understanding and insights into international communication in next week's blog post. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Generosity: Communication Skills Tip

When actors share the stage, it is essential for them to be empathetic to their fellow performers. Learning to listen is an act of generosity. A good actor fine-tunes his perceptors and his energy field literally expands in order to include others. A good actress brings her expression to another level when she openly looks to give herself to the moment, to her fellow actors and to the script. It is impossible to work successfully with others on a stage without being generous. Consider this for yourself as you walk the stage of life. Listen with your eyes and physical body as well as your ears. Open your minds as well as your arms. These small acts will add to your communication and enhance your interpersonal relationships.To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

How far can you see? A Communication Skills Tip

I am an optimist. I know how to turn a negative situation into one where everyone benefits by simply believing that there is an alternate solution that is positive. I find myself naturally prompting friends, family and clients towards my way of thinking. When the beginning of 2009 began to show its true colors economically, I made some radical changes to my business. But, I made sure to begin the transition process with something called a vision board--A collage, or, in some ways, a treasure map, of your goals and aspirations. Some of you have probably heard of the book The Secret. Long before this book was released I was off in Northern California and Southern Oregon and along with nutrition and therapeutic healing, I was exploring the power of positive intention and visioning. While living at a school called Heartwood Institute, I worked closely with an Indian Chief named Rutherford Loneman. Many Native American Indian tribes have a special ritual call The Vision Quest. I developed an appreciation and respect for the soul's journey and its ability to guide us closer to our passions and purpose. I also studied something called lucid dreaming. This powerful tool can help us form and create what we want in our lives. All of this education informed me that when we go through change, it is important to respect the place of unknowing (see William Bridges book, Transitions) and tap into the creative sides of our brain in order to see and create our objectives. Now that 2009 is drawing to a close, I look at the vision board I created in the beginning of the year and see how what I want for my business has already begun to transpire. It brings me satisfaction knowing that I am playing an active role in reaching my dreams. I hope those of you reading today will think about how you can position yourself for an optimistic view in 2010. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Cream n Sugar: Communication Skills Tip

I have been teaching accent reduction since 1991. In every learning environment, there is always concern when it comes to the module about word reductions. "Isn't that slang?" the students will ask. Other questions include: "Won't it make it more difficult for people to understand me?" or "Do I really have to speak this way to improve?" And the answer to the last question is, "No." You don't have to speak with reductions to improve your speech. It doesn't guarantee that native English speakers will understand the second language speaker better. But, one thing is for sure, and that is that native English speakers reduce words like, "to, of, for, going to, want to, etc." We do this because it helps us link our words together in order to place extra emphasis on our key words, focus words. English is not the only language that reduces word groups. Every language uses reductions. It is different from slang which is the informal use of words and expressions that are not typical to a language. When it comes to speaking a second language, it seems that when one is able to link between words and use the native language reduction patterns, they then can be considered fluent. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Culturally Speaking: A Communication Skills Tip

I began my communication career as a teacher of ESL. I taught English through music and drama at a Japanese College outside of Cambridge, Massachusetts. I remember being drawn to the extreme variance between how Americans and Japanese expressed themselves through their facial expressions. Americans tend to be overly dramatic while the Japanese tend to be overly reserved. Over the first six years of my profession, I met people from all over the world: Russia, France, India, Germany, Brasil, Turkey, The Philippines, Taiwan, and Poland to name a few. I began to be able to identify the student's cultures almost by their facial expressions alone. Their pursed lips suggested how little they might use their mouth during speech. Their smooth foreheads were signs that they may not express surprise or confusion outwardly. Or the lack of lines around their eyes could reveal how little the culture might smile (or they may avoid smiling to reduce wrinkling...smart!) The point is that there are cultural norms in every society around moving the muscles in the face. The theatre and music techniques I introduced to my international students gave them communication alternatives. It was fascinating to see how the non-verbal exercises allowed all groups to explore their use of the language. We all decided that it is easy to take on another personality when speaking another language and that there is a freedom that takes place when you really allow yourself to integrate another culture into your expression. Now, after 20 years as a communication specialist, I am finally becoming adept at another language. It certainly isn't easy, but I find that when I embody the physicality of the culture, the language is more familiar. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

The Steady Development of Rapport: Communication Skills Tip

When I was preparing to be an actor throughout high school and college years, I was drawn to very serious roles: Anton Chekov, Eugene O'Neill and Shakespeare's tragedies to name a few. For me, it was all about the drama. Somehow I believed that real expression had to be serious. And with that, it meant that comedies and light theatre had no place on my resume. Naturally, it would follow that in life I had little tolerance for small talk and everything trite. One thing I've learned from being an entrepreneur for nearly 14 years is that we have to build rapport with those we work with, present to, and interact with daily. And we can't very well do that by diving deep into dialogue from the get-go. We have to begin with small talk and include some light personal dialogue to jump start our rapport with others. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Individually Speaking: Communication Skills Tip

I'm sitting at In Good Company (the collaborative workspace for women in NYC) thumbing through a book of photographs put together by The Gap (Red) Campaign called Individuals. The inside cover defines "individual" as a singular person distinguished from others by a special quality. Dizzy Gillespie, Isabella Rosselini, Annie Leibovitz, Salma Hayek, Denis Leary, Ali McGraw, and B.B. King are just some of the individuals photographed in the book. It got me thinking about the unique qualities that differentiate us from each other and how we are encouraged or not encouraged to be the original selves we are. What value do we add to the workplace, to our families/friends or to the community at large? Are our lives extraordinary? Do we conform to society's rules? Do we interact within a set of values and mores that belong to our place of work? How can we best communicate the essence of our individuality? I ask you to answer these questions not just for the sake of expression, but for the purpose of stumbling upon a passion that this world cannot do without. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Transparent Communication: A Communication Skills Tip

Who taught human beings to conceal information? Is it part of our genetic make up or is it a survival mechanism? Because we've all hidden truth or parts of truth at one point or another in our lives. And there is a good chance we'll be presented with a reason to hide it in the future. "When people bemoan the lack of honesty in corporate America and elsewhere, images of Enron, WorldCom and Martha Stewart come to mind. But honesty issues have a significant impact on virtually every workplace,” says author and consultant Steven Gaffney (See his book Just Be Honest.) As an actor, we are taught the opposite of hiding. We are taught to reveal ourselves in the deepest ways. We learn to expose our vulnerability, our uncertainty, and our weaknesses all to help us build a stronger connection to our audience. What I learned as an actor more than 20 years ago continues to inform my actions in life. In the business world, I have noticed there are ways in which withholding information is important. But in communication, I know that honesty is still the best policy. Transparency is something we are all craving. Because we spend a large percentage of our time at work, speaking with truth is especially important for our success. Ask yourself if what you choose to conceal is simply out of habit or really something necessary in order for you to take next steps. Maybe we can create greater trust amongst each other and secure better deals. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

The Rewards of Discipline: Communication Skills Tip

When I was 16 years old and attending The Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, Connecticut, I felt on top of my discipline. 16 years old and determined to meet my acting career head on with practice and dedication. I used to skip the social gatherings and Saturday night parties and opt for a night of character development at a local restaurant where I'd meet one of my acting peers to improvise roles in public. I read acting book after acting book; took multiple voice, dance and drama lessons every week; and found refuge in my regimen. I felt extremely passionate about my work during those years when I whole-heartedly attended to my craft. My energy level was unsurpassed. My ability to turn a negative situation into something positive was plausible and my happiness was apparent to all. And I am fortunate to have found a way to integrate my love of the arts into my current career as a communication trainer and coach. I've learned that the deeper we delve, the more concentration it takes to be sure that we stay on a path with heart. It is easy to look at discipline as painful--think about that last 10 minutes you have on the treadmill or pushing the team in the evening hours to stay excited about tomorrow's big day. These moments help define our character. Our earnestness leads to our rewards. Our willpower is self-inspiring. What are you doing today to focus on something that deeply matters? To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Memorization Skill: Communication Skills Tip

Memorization is a skill we learn as actors. First, we are taught to read a script with our fellow actors without any emotion. This is called a cold reading. Then, we begin to read our parts with feeling. Later we stand and stage the scenes while reading through the script. This repetition sets a tone in our memory bank that the information needs to be stored for later use. Once we begin to study our lines to enable us to act without reading, we're already very familiar with our lines. During rehearsals, it is very common to have a stage manager prompting us when we are off script and forget our lines. These cues trigger our memory and allow us to improvise while staying with the story line. How does this relate to your business presentations? By preparing your speech through memorization, you are more able to act on your feet when it's show time. Because you don't want to sound staged, try memorizing the order of your bullet points and watch your confidence soar. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Transforming Insecurity: Communication Skills Tip

I know that when I feel insecure, I don't always project the image I desire. Or, even worse, I may not speak up to make a point. My voice gets restricted, I feel tense in my shoulders and I hold my breath. I am aware of the change in my behavior because I have a heightened sense of myself due to my training as a performer. The good news is, we can all remedy our insecurity. First by noticing how it shows up. Then, by making small adjustments in our physicality or our voice. In acting class, I remember one way of building a character was through acquiring a different physical state. From the frame of the body, one could make assumptions about how the character might use his voice or choose her words. Another way of forming a character was through a vocal pitch or quality. Soon after, the non-verbal aspects would fall into place based on the vocal choices. Now, whenever I notice myself communicating in a way that isn't representative of my confidence and know-how, I look to adjust my body and voice to reflect the image I know will make an impact. Because we can't always tackle our development head on, trying an imposed physical state or vocal shift may be a good solution to adjusting the image you want in your interpersonal communications. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.

Presence: Communication Skills Tip

Channeling your energy for successful communication means having strong concentration, presence and improvisational skills. Today I'd like to tie these subjects together through the subject of presence. This subject is broad and much spoken about in the corporate world. In fact, one of my industry peers, Belle Halpern, has written a book on the very subject (Leadership Presence). Halpern and co-auther Kathy Lubar define presence as, "The ability to command the attention of others." It takes me back to my acting days. As an actor, it takes more than being good at memorization and even character development to have presence. Being present, in the moment, is the most important aspect of performance because it means that you can improvise when things go awry. Improvisation takes strong listening skills and trusting your instincts. Imagine you are giving a presentation and you are interrupted with a question from your audience. Perhaps you weren't expecting to answer questions at that moment or perhaps you had planned to speak on the subject of the question on a later slide. Your ability to engage with your listeners and either answer the question earlier or let them know that you will address it momentarily is precisely connected to your ability to think on your feet (which is all good improvisational skills are.) Improvisation is part of your presence. It's part of your alert state. It's part of your enthusiasm and communication effectiveness. Presence is not just charisma although many of us may think this is so. Presence is also about concentration. So, you need to channel your nervousness into energy that will work in your favor. You can do this by paying attention to the unnecessary movements you make or the fillers you use in your speech. Put both of those into you the delivery of your thoughts and the gestures and vocal inflections you use. Once you practice improvisation and concentration, you can bring your presence to the next level. Check out Upright Citizens Brigade if you are interested in improvisation. To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.