Lessons in Laryngitis

God has wreaked his wrath upon me … he took away my voice. Going on Day 3 of non-verbal torture.

The corollary lessons that have surfaced have not gone unnoticed, though. After all, I so often tell clients the power of communication self-control by doing more listening than talking. (I see my teenager saying it like “less this, more that” while gesturing yappy mouth and closed mouth.)

The simple reminder for each of us to manage our verborrhea is a good one. We have one mouth but TWO ears for a reason. A video series from Tom Peters highlights this benefit of listening more and talking less in a short he titles “Shut Up!” In it, his emphatic mandate to leaders is simple, albeit hard to execute for those of us in the expressive category. Our fast-paced nature in getting work done prevents us from the occasional hesitancy to let the words fly around us, soaking them in without actually having, no needing, to be a donor to the barrage of unnecessary lingo.

In our never-ending search for improved communications, this is one that you can implement immediately. I love it!

Join me in my silence. In your next meeting, check yourself before ever asking whether you indeed are adding value with your words, or whether you are simply expending unnecessary energy that could be used for the fine skill of listening.