English Speech Communication: Commitments, Clarity, and Trust at Work, in Negotiations, and in Daily Life

 In the culture of the United States, keeping commitments is key to being clear and to building and keeping trust.

Keeping your commitments is the acid test or highest evidence of clarity.  Being consistent in the words you say and the deeds you do is one of the highest forms of clarity.  For example, if you say, “I will follow-up with you tomorrow with a phone call,” and you do that, then the other person knows that your words were clear and accurate.

Put another way, if you say one thing and do that one thing, then you are consistent.  Your words, promise, and commitment are fulfilled.  You are predictable, and your words match your actions.

But if you say one thing and do another, it is confusing and not clear to the other person.  For example, if you say you will follow-up with a phone call tomorrow, and you do not do that,  the other person is now confused.   You say one thing, and then you do something else – which is not following-up as promised with a phone call on the next day.

In the culture of the United States, failure to keep your word is often upsetting for the other person.  You are unpredictable.

Being predictable so that your actions match your words is highly valued in the United States.  It is also valued in many other cultures and countries.  When your actions match your words or verbal commitment, you are building trust in your relationships.

When negotiating with people in the U.S. and in many other cultures, it is critical that you keep your commitments.  Not being consistent in your words and deeds creates confusion and negative emotions or tensions in negotiating discussions.

The same general principle applies to interactions in daily life.  Whether setting an appointment or agreeing and committing to do a task, making your actions match your spoken commitment is highly valued in the U.S. (and many other cultures).  People love the consistency and clarity when your actions match your words.

Pay close attention to this.  For commitments, when your words and your actions are the same, the rewards of trust and good feelings between you and other people are great.

Gold, platinum and diamond – these are some of Earth’s most precious metals and gems. That’s how precious matching your words and actions are!

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.

The “How Can I Help” Call

For this “How Can I  Help” call, just by calling you are showing that you care.  Letting someone know that you are available can mean a lot.  People often don’t know what to ask for, but with good listening and asking skills, you may be able to find out enough to know what to offer.

Support comes in many forms – a shoulder to cry on, an ear that listens, a word of encouragement, a piece of information, a hand to hold for comfort.

English Speech Communication: Tips for Being Clear When Teaching a Task

Do you recall the last time you assigned a person to complete a task for you at work or in daily life (family or friend)?

Here are some tips for being clear in that circumstance:

1. Set the climate.

Be sure you are in a place which is conducive for listening.  Especially look for the level of background noise

Choose a time when your colleague or helper is free to pay attention.

2. Give the big picture.

Describe the overall objectives.  People need to see where their part fits into the whole.  That way they can know and feel they are part of the bigger, more important goal.

3. Describe the steps of the task.

This is the most important part of the task teaching.  If the task is already printed in an instruction manual, you still need to go over these steps to assure yourself that the colleague or helper is familiar with the steps.

If the steps are not written out, have the person write the list as you are discussing the steps.   This step increases the likelihood that the colleague or helper will remember all the steps.

4. Describe the resources.

Point out other references on the task, perhaps a manual or a You Tube video, if there are any.

Resources including people who have worked on this task before.

5. Invite questions.

Often we feel we don’t have time to answer questions.  This extra attention is worth the time and effort.  Better to give extra explanation than be unhappy with the results later.  Do open-ended questions, such as “What questions do you have?”   Avoid saying “You don’t have any questions, do you?”  The open-ended question invites and prompts responses.

6. Get the person to summarize his or her strategy for accomplishing the task.

This step assures you and the other person that the steps for the task are well understood.

You could use this sentence: “Call me compulsive – I need you to summarize how you will get this done.”   You are taking responsibility and thus reduce the defensiveness in the other person.

7. Agree on a date to follow-up.

The follow-up date depends on how complex and the value of the task.  For complex and/or very important tasks, an earlier date for initial follow-up works well.

When you speak, ask if you are being clear by saying, “Are you following me?”

That can remind the other person to listen more carefully.  If the point you are making is critical, you might ask the other person to repeat the information back, just to be sure you are communicating effectively.

And, don’t forget to express your appreciation and gratitude that your colleague or helper is assisting you. Smile!

The “How Can I Help” Call

You make this call to offer support and make yourself available as a resource.  When you hear about a project or challenge someone is facing, do call.  If you hear someone is going  through a job search, you can call and offer ideas and moral support.

You may have to ask some questions to find out what is really needed.

Public Speaking Training: Clear and To-the-Point

Do you want to be a communicator who expresses ideas clearly?  Do you want to be clear and to-the-point for presentations?  Those presentations could be any presentation, from a five-minute informal chat, to a thirty-minute formal speech using many examples. Here are some tips for expressing ideas clearly.

Being clear simply means that when you speak, write, or otherwise communicate, your listener understands your intended message.

Probably you are like most people.  You start from the point of view of “What do I want to tell my listener?”

Best is to make your point of view from the listener’s side of the communication.  Try asking yourself this question:  What do I want my listener to do, think, or feel as a result of my communication?

First, of course, you must be clear with yourself about what your goals are. Then you must have information about who the listener is, what filters are in place, and how to get through those filters so that you can be understood.

Present your ideas in an order that the listener can understand.  You want the listener to be nodding in agreement with you as you speak.

Here is one of my favorite techniques to organize your thoughts and communicate logically. The P.R.E.P. approach is great because you can use it in an impromptu fashion.  P.R.E.P. stands for point, reason, example, point.

• My point is: Exercise is energizing.
• The reason is: It makes your heart rate go up.
• My example is: After at least 20 to 30 minutes of increased heart rate, you are more energized when you leave the fitness center than when you entered it.
• So my point is: Exercise is energizing.

Another strategy is to list and number your points.  Here is an example:

I recommend that you hire the new consultant to create a plan that will

1. Increase sales.
2. Improve morale and enthusiasm.
3. Increase productivity.

Unfortunately, no one is born knowing how to express ideas clearly.  But don’t you love it that there are clever strategies to organize your thoughts and communicate clearly?

Be sure to watch our English Speech Tips videos and Accent Reduction Tip videos  for more English pronunciation and accent reduction exercise.