Relationships Matter 

III. Before beginning an interaction, think about the outcomes you want to achieve.  Imagine your goals in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic terms.  By doing so, you use the natural processes of the brain to more effectively to focus on and achieve your outcomes. 

IV. The fourth skill evolves from understanding that each of us has a different map of the way the world is. Our "map" is the result of our experiences and the way we have coded these experiences in the electrical-chemical memory bank. Our different maps cause the misunderstandings and conflicts that beset a business day.  Understanding your own map, and asking questions to understand other's mental maps are key to effective communications.

V.  Our own perception preferences create a filter for how we perceive the world and other people.  By improving your ability to perceive all types of sensory input, you can begin to notice information that until now you've deleting from our awareness.

VI. When two people are in rapport, they are more receptive to each other and better able to reach agreement.  Developing an awareness of rapport and non-rapport is critical to effective negotiation and communication.  Gaining rapport early in an interaction helps make the rest of the conversation more productive.  Noticing when rapport is lost allows you to re-establish it before proceeding with the core topic.

By practicing these skills, you'll be able to better notice non-verbal signs to  understand how someone is responding to what you're communicating.  Understanding how people absorb information helps you earn you the attention, acceptance, and trust of another person.  That trust and acceptance can make the difference between success and failure in an individual project, and in your longer-term career accomplishments.

To get more information about these and more advanced communication skills, check out the books and training materials in our Business Resources section.

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