Hi,
Thanks for joining me this week.
As a reminder:
I’ll send you a useful tip each week to help you improve your communication skills.
TIP OF THE WEEK
[Understanding Your Emotions]
You aren't simply reacting to the world around you - you're actively creating your emotional experience.
Your emotions come from a mix of your past life experiences, along with your thoughts, situations and other people in the present moment.
You're not at the mercy of a primitive brain; instead, you're in charge of how you interpret and respond to those experiences, thoughts, situations, and other people.
Think of yourself as a feeling creature that thinks, rather than a thinking creature that feels.
In every single moment, you get to choose what to focus on, what it means to you, and what you do as a result.
This is especially important when you're stressed or feeling overwhelmed.
While it's natural to feel stress, don't let it linger unchecked - this could lead to health problems.
When emotions hit, you have choices.
You can ride the wave of feeling for about ninety seconds, using breathing techniques to stay calm.
After that, you decide: keep feeding that emotion and its story, or choose a different approach.
Level Five Listening
Now that you understand how to manage your emotions, let's put them to work…
The key to mastering negotiations and relationships lies in deep listening - what we call Level Five listening.
This means truly understanding how others see the world, building genuine rapport, and setting aside your ego.
Ask yourself honest questions about your intentions: Are you trying to understand, or just waiting to make your point?
Remember, clear communication isn't about manipulating others. It's about creating genuine connections through empathy and understanding.
Use your communication tools flexibly, adapting them to each person and situation.
2 QUOTES THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THIS WEEK
"A lack of communication breeds assumptions of what the other person is thinking or feeling. Assumptions are, more often than not, incorrect."
- Misty Lynn Walker
"Listen with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply."
- Stephen Covey
1 QUESTION FOR YOU
What would change if you gave yourself those 90 seconds to feel the feeling (while dropping the story) before acting?
Until next week,
Scott
Sunday Times bestselling author of ‘Order Out of Chaos’
US Edition 🇺🇸
Let's Transform How you Handle Critical Conversations.
