5 Reasons to Integrate Conversational Intelligence in Your Development

5 Reasons to Integrate Conversational Intelligence in Your Development

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So why integrate Conversational Intelligence ® (C-IQ) as a part of your personal and professional leadership development?  So often we know WHAT we want to communicate.  However, there is an art & science to be developed and practiced as to HOW we communicate… because everything happens through conversation.

Here are 5 reasons to invest in your Conversational Intelligence ® (C-IQ) as part of your personal and professional leadership development:

    1. Having healthy, influential and impactful conversations is a skill to be developed like any other skill.
      Everyone moves their bodies.  Some of us simply do it more easily. They are called athletes.  Athletes have however, invested hour of practice to move their bodies with ease and agility, even amateur athletes. We all talk and some of us are naturally better conversationalists than others.  Regardless, how many of us have invested in developing our Conversational Intelligence ® in order to have healthy, impactful and influential conversations that connect and build trust as part of our personal and professional leadership development?… especially since everything happens through conversation.
    2. Our education system doesn’t necessarily directly teach us how to have healthy, influential and impactful conversations.

      In literature class, we learn how to write and argue in an essay.  Debate class taught us to argue and “crush our opponent”.  Public speaking taught us how to influence by presenting information, in a one-way exchange of information. If we are directly taught math and geography, why do we not learn explicitly the skills to have health, innovative, and influential conversations that connect and build trust?… especially since everything happens through conversation.
    3. Your language and conversational skills are an asset to be developed and leveraged.

      Regardless of what leadership model you use, you communicate your leadership every day.  You do it through having conversations with your current conversational abilities.  Are they “good enough” or could your conversational skills be more impactful & influential?  This is your opportunity to develop and strengthen your conversational intelligence® and to build on your current communication skills… because everything happens through conversation.
    4. Conversations can nurture trusting relationships which builds & grows people, projects, organizations.

      As humans, we are wired to be connected with others.  Regardless if you are saying hello, developing a project, solving a problem, communicating change or selling, the moment you interact with another person or people you are now entering into a conversation.  Each and every conversation is an opportunity to build and strengthen trust with your presence and your conversational intelligence ®.  The stronger you are skilled at the art of conversation, the more influential, impactful and trustworthy you will be… because everything happens through conversation.
    5. Your language & conversation skills are part of the “inclusion revolution solution.”

      Diversity can be leveraged and celebrated once we have truly included others.  Our conversations and the use of inclusionary “we-centric” language is a way to include and leverage diversity as part of any innovative strategy… because everything happens through conversation.

Be Your Message

Make Every Conversation Count

Because Everything Happens Through Conversation.

I am going to say it again.

Everything happens through Conversation!

Your strategic plan, team project or family vacation is only as good as your ability to discuss it include others, develop ideas together, then communicate and share it in order to inspire all who are involved to engage, contribute and make it happen.

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I Refuse to Socially Distance Myself

I Refuse to Socially Distance Myself

I am refusing to socially distance myselfI refuse to « Socially Distance » myself!

As humans, we are social beings. One of our needs is to stay connected, socialize, have energy exchanges. Our connecting may look different for each one of us, but we all need it!

In this era of COVID-19, we are hearing the message of “social distancing” in order to minimize the spread of this virus. I refuse to do that. Personally, I recognize my need for social connectivity and the more I socially distance myself, the more this is going to impact negatively on my mental health.

So instead of social distancing myself, I will gladly engage in “physical distancing” myself.

I did a shopping run at Costco the other day. The energy was very heavy with many people in masks, keeping their distance from one another. I saw little connecting with people’s eyes. I could not feel smiles possibly hiding under their masks. I didn’t hear or feel any “hello” greetings or see people waving to each other in some way, shape or form. It felt like I was a very boring scene from the latest zombie movie.

Judith E. Glaser said: “Words Creates Worlds”

Tanya Nesterenko says: “Words Creates Reality.”

Hence, the phrase “Social Distancing” is creating a reality of weaker social connectivity. So, I use the phrase “Physical Distancing”, which keeps me and the people I am connected with safe from the possible virus exchange AND keeps me socially connected.

As a result of my physical distancing but socially connecting, myself and two friends shared some wine over Facetime from 11:45 pm until 2:23 am one evening, laughing, complaining, sharing funny stories, planning, sharing crazy ideas, and more laughing.

This is my challenge: How are you going to stay socially connected as you are “physically distancing” yourself?

I invite you to share in the comment section how you are socially staying connected!

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Don’t Cancel… Postpone

Don’t Cancel… Postpone

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Don’t “cancel” – Postpone

The COVID-19 virus is making the world find alternative ways of being and living in this time of physical and in-person social distancing.  We are all trying to figure out our new routines. This means much uncertainty, so naturally increased anxiety as we search for predictability and recognizable patterns in our new reality.  So, let’s do everything we can to bring some hope, predictability and possibilities to our lives.

Let’s start with the language we use.

As humans, one of our psychological needs is to stay connected with other humans. We are finding alternative ways to invoke physical isolation and to keep some sense of social connectivity.  Social in-person gathering are “cancelled”, schools have closed, restaurants in some cities are now officially prohibited from opening. Our social life, as we once knew it, is currently “cancelled”.  When we hear the word “cancelled”, we interpret something is now “dead”, “gone”, “over”, “expired”, “lost”… At this time, we don’t need any more loss. We need hope to look forward to.

So, I propose to use much more frequently the word postponed.

Google defines postponed as: “To cause or arrange for (something) to take place at a time later than that first scheduled”. The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary shares: “to put off at a later time – defer”.  So, instead of cancelling and feeling the loss, use the word postponed and create hope and possibilities for our future.

From a business point of view, when our customers and employees hear “cancelled”, the event is most likely going to disappear from their minds… because in our minds, it is no longer going to happen. However, when they hear postponed, it is most likely to be “shelved” or “compartmentalized”. The ideas and future possibilities are still there, ready to be invited back to the forefront of their minds when the time is right. Keep hope and future possibilities alive for your employees and customers, so we are all ready when our postponed future becomes a present reality. You have the superpower to contribute to this hope with your language.

Judith E. Glaser said: “Words Creates Worlds”

Tanya Nesterenko says: “Words Creates Reality.”

I invite you to think about your language as a currency and to use your language to positively influence and create worlds that will allow people, your organization and the world we all share to thrive in today’s new reality and our future reality to come.

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