You are in a conversation or at a seminar, and you want to say something or ask a question, however, you hold back. The reasons might include:
• I don’t want to appear dumb.
• I don’t want to ask a question that only I have because it takes up time.
• I may appear too aggressive.
The list continues. Are you missing out on real communication and learning just because “you think” you know what other people might be thinking?
Through the years, we have been taught to be VERY conscious of what other people think. Unfortunately, this bias has caused us to lose track of whom we are as a person and effects our ability to communicate openly.
In case, you haven’t noticed it, it is impossible to read others peoples’ minds. Recently, I had an interaction with a woman who was convinced I was angry with her. When she finally got in touch she told me that the delay in connecting was because she didn’t know what to say. Amazingly, I didn’t even have the slightest bit of frustration with her. The woman had developed in her mind a “story” that had no validity.
What would happen if this week you speak up and state what is on your mind?
Kathy Condon is an Award-winning Author, Speaker, Trainer on the subject of Building Relationships with the Business Community through Face-to-Face Networking and Social Media. kathy@kathycondon.info http://www.kathycondon.info/blog/ (760) 902-3094
