Communication Tips from Jean Shannon

Jean Shannon spoke at the Regional Symposium of the Queensland Law Society.* At the Symposium, she shared the following insights for communication:

• The higher the level of anxiety in a person, the less ability they have to take on information. Therefore, the higher the anxiety, the more structure needed in communication.
• It is important to cater for all learning styles - auditory/visual/kinesthetic

1. You may pick an auditory learner because they may respond "I hear what you're saying"
2. You may pick a visual learner because they may respond "I see what you mean"
3. You may pick a kinesthetic because they may respond "I understand what you're getting at"

To cater for all learning styles, have a good structure in your message, use visual aids and prompts, and back it up with facts!

How a person communicates has more weight in personal decision making than what is communicated. Something to ponder when giving altar calls etc

• In a study conducted from US and Canada on how communication was received, they found it comprised:

1. 7% words
2. 38% tone and voice
3. 55% facial expressions (from Nancy Adler, Professor of International Management McGill Uni)

*(Jean is a communications and change management specialist with 20 years experience in strategic design, project evaluation and problem solving. She has used applied communications theory in corporate strategic planning to assist in restructuring and repositioning a variety of government and non government organisations. She is a specialist in providing executive communications training including trainer-training, presentation and structured persuasion and is a published journalist and editor. Jean has demonstrated experience in designing corporate communication strategies that make successful change management possible. see http://www.jeanshannon.com/)

One of the greatest lies of the enemy

No doubt most have heard about Mike Guglielmucci. It is such a sad situation.

This reminds me of a podcast by Greg Laurie on Sampson.

The core of the message was that one of the greatest tricks of the enemy is to suspend consequences.

Suspending consequences happens when you do something wrong - and get away with it. No one finds out. No one is ever going to find out. At this point, there is a greater temptation to do it again.. because you believe you can get away with it.

Perhaps that's how it started with Mike. I read in a blog by someone in his church (not sure how true) that he had a history of 'illnesss' that he was healed of. He had a smaller illness, received lots of attention and then was 'healed'. Maybe he got away with it. My personal view is I don't think this dilemma would have started with 'cancer'. I think there would have been smaller deceptions previously.

The problem with suspended consequences is that the consequence will ultimately come... and usually with much pain, and with greater severity. We see this time and time again - indescretions uncovered at local and global levels.

If you are currently sinning and have gotten away with it - STOP IT NOW. Don't fall for the lie that you can get away with it. Repent and confess. Satan is setting you up for great pain and your destruction.

His aim is to steal, kill and destroy. Don't let him become your undoing.

Attitudes about possessions

I recently heard 2 excellent podcasts by John Maxwell (go Christ Fellowship) and Chuck Swindoll (insight for living) regarding possessions.

 

Chuck Swindoll states that true surrender to God includes surrender of your possessions.  John Maxwell draws 3 attitudes about possessions from the parable of the Good Samaritan.  These 3 attitudes are:

1.  What's yours is mine and I'm going to take it  (the thieves)

2.  What's mine is mine and I'm going to keep it (those that walked by)

3.  What's mine is yours and I'm going to give it (the good samaritan)

 

Both of these podcasts were a great reminder for me to keep my possessions in perspective, but also my generosity when I'm tempted to say they're 'MINE'.

Welcome to Snapshots

Have you ever had a moment that you wished you could capture in a 'snapshot' to remember for later?

I find myself regularly in that situation - where I have heard something profound, listened to an inspiring podcast, or had some perspective given to a situation.

This blog is a collection of those snapshots... snapshots that will probably find their way into a great speech one day.