You may have heard the phrase "actions speak louder than words." In communication, this is 100% true. Communicating is a full body experience. While we use spoken words to communicate face to face, it is our body language and non-verbal cues that truly give depth to what we say. 

Non-verbal communication is an important aspect of any communication exchange. Non-verbal communication is anything you do with your body while speaking, other than the act of speaking. Often, your non-verbal cues will give away your thoughts and feelings before you realize it.

Facial expressions are just one of the many non-verbal cues that are used when we communicate. They are, however, potentially the most powerful of these cues and can make or break you when you are presenting or speaking to a crowd.

Other non-verbal cues include body posture, gestures, eye contact, and touch. Each of these communicates different things to your audience. Imagine sitting through a presentation in which the speaker...

Do you feel like communication is a challenge? Do you find yourself struggling to articulate your thoughts and feelings in the moment? Communication, especially verbal communication, can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. In this blog post, we will discuss 11 tips that will help improve your communication skills and make speaking easier.

1. Start with the end in mind. Every communication, verbal or otherwise, has a purpose, an end-goal. Identify this first so you have a clear idea of what you will need or want to say. Ask yourself what you are looking to accomplish through your words to help you know your goal.
2. Identify your message. This should become clear once you know the purpose of your communication. As part of this, identify your audience and how you need to speak to them to ensure your message will be properly received. 
3. Identify potential challenges. Most of us will inevitably mess up or trip over our words a few times in any given situation. DO NOT let this...

It is often said that simplicity is key, and this holds true in communication. Keeping your message clear and concise helps people better understand what you are saying.
This blog post will explore simplicity in communication and why it is important.

Think about a time when you read or listened to something, and afterward, you had no idea what was said. There had to be a message in there somewhere, but it was so jumbled you couldn't find it.

Simplicity is one of those things that is easy in theory but can be challenging in practice. For many of us, anxiety about what to say, or fear of not saying enough, can cause us to overthink. This leads us to create a muddy message with a lot of words but not a lot of clarity. Remember, the key to success in communication is simplicity!

If this describes you, keep reading. To help you keep things simple, here are a few tips to remember as you craft a message:

1. Less is more - Don't overthink what you need to say, just say it. A good...

Have you ever read something expecting it to be amazing, but it was riddled with grammatical errors or the wrong form of a word? Maybe I am alone here but when I read something with poor grammar or word use, I get so distracted I lose the point of what I am reading. I am literally that person that reads a post on social media, sees the wrong use of “your” and comments with “you’re”…I think I need to find another hobby but that is a fight for another time.

As a business owner, corporate professional, service provider, or leader, you must hone your communication skills at the basic level. Grammar and vocabulary are the foundation of good communication. Using them correctly will help you create clear, concise communications that will build your credibility with your audience!

You are judged by your grammar. Now, no one is perfect, and most of us still end up with a typo or two even after a few reviews. One or two minor errors probably won't derail...

In most situations, there are multiple ways to get something done. Communication is no different. While there are usually many ways you can say something, some ways are better or more effective than others.

Think about the last time you asked someone to do something. If you said "Hey, do XYZ for me" you might be met with rolling eyes or even get ignored all together. But if you say something like "I'd appreciate your help, would you please do XYZ for me" then you are more likely to get that person to help you!

Asking for help isn't the only situation where how you phrase your request can make all the difference in the response you get. In this blog post we will discuss 5 ways to rephrase what you need to say so that you will get the response you desire!

1. Try replacing "I'm sorry" with "thank you." Instead of saying "Sorry I'm late" try saying "Thanks for your patience" or "Thank you for waiting for me." This simple rephrase immediately takes your words from a place of stress and...

Do you think your communication skills could use some help? If so, don't worry. You're not alone. In fact, most people struggle with the art of communicating at one point or another.

There are many ways to improve your communication skills and it could take a lifetime to explore them all. To help you out, I've put together 9 tips that will help you communicate better right now!

1. Simplicity is key! Keep it simple. Don't overthink what you need to say, just say it.
2. Try to avoid saying "umm."
3. Eliminate fluff words. Words and phrases like "honestly" and "let me be clear" can cloud your message. Adding unnecessary words to make your content appear fuller will dilute your message and create distractions for your audience.
4. Think before you speak. When you are addressing people live, it is okay to take a few seconds to gather your thoughts before speaking. When writing, you can erase and rewrite as needed but when speaking, you only get one shot to get it right.
5. Context is important....

Communicating is something we all do. Everything we do communicates information in some way: a baby cries to communicate hunger, a child screams to communicate fear, some people fold their arms to communicate disgust, we use language to communicate everything.

While communicating for basic needs is ingrained in us at birth, communicating at a professional level has to be learned. Culture, community, and one's own abilities have a big impact on the communication skills they develop.

Regardless of your own level of communication skills, there are few things you can do to ensure that you always communicate effectively. Here are 5 C's of effective communication that will help you improve your skills and take your communication to the next level!

1. CLARITY: Clarity is the foundation of effective communication. Without clarity, your message or information will be lost or will have less of an impact than you want. If your information is unclear, people may not receive your message the way...

Tact is one of the traits that many leaders lack, but all should possess. Tactful leaders can engage and communicate with their subordinates in a manner appropriate to the situation without crossing the line into toxic territory. Tactful leaders have the self-awareness to know when they are being too aggressive or pushy. They can assert themselves without being aggressive and can be firm without being a bully. Subordinates will respect a tactful leader but will fear or shy away from a toxic one.

What is Tact? Tact, according to the dictionary, is "the ability to speak or act in a socially acceptable way." Tactful people are able-minded and can communicate without offending. They know when it's appropriate to be assertive and just how far they can go before they step into aggressiveness.

Think of a time when you had an encounter with a leader who was very tactful in their communication. How did that make you feel? How did that experience shape your view of that leader? How can you...

Do you feel like you are struggling be a confident leader? Leadership is not for the faint of heart, and it can be difficult to know how to build confidence when you find yourself in a leadership role. If the phrase "fake it til you make it" comes to mind, you are not alone. Leading others is not something that comes naturally to everyone, but you will have a much easier time leading with the right tools in your belt. Read on to learn about some easy tricks for building your leadership confidence.

1. Get familiar with what it feels like when you ARE confident so that you can mimic those feelings at any time - to do this, pick something you are really good at, anything at all, and talk to a friend about it. That feeling you get as you tell your friend all about XYZ that you are skilled in, THAT is confidence. Now you know what it feels like, and you can start to mimic those feelings in other situations.
2. Focus on what you do well and build from there. Leadership is a journey, not...

Leadership is a tough role. One of the hardest parts of being a leader is understanding how to lead and how to communicate what you expect from those in your charge.

One of the most important skills you can have as a leader is how to set expectations. When you're not clear about what your leadership expectations are, it's difficult for those who work under you to do their best work.

This blog post will give you some tips on how to be an effective and successful leader by understanding and communicating your leadership expectations through three different lenses: the first-hand perspective of someone working under leadership, the second-hand perspective of someone observing leadership from afar, and finally with third-party stakeholders such as colleagues or shareholders.

As someone who has both led, and been led, I can think of more than one occasion where the one doing the leading, did not clearly communicate their expectations, so not only was the end result not what they...