I just returned from Korea where I conducted a trainer certification workshop for seven trainers from CJ, one of the largest companies in Korea. It was a fascinating experience for many reasons. I trained in English and someone simultaneously translated into Korean for the participants. When the trainees delivered their final presentations, they used Korean while someone translated their words into English for me.

Because I relied much more on non-verbal communication to follow what was happening, I become hyper-aware of subtle body language and facial cues, as well as tone, pitch, and pacing of voices. When the translation followed, I often had already realized the meaning—the verbal translation just confirmed what had already been communicated through non-verbal communication. To stay completely attuned to the participants, I found that I relied much more on intuition and emotion; as a result, I felt relaxed, authentic, and open throughout the week. I have been analyzing the whole experience for some personal lessons that I'd like to share with you:

1. The personal connections during a class are at least as important as the content being delivered.
2. Listen more deeply to get behind the words being used—often that deeper meaning is where the greatest communication occurs.
3. Turn off any defensiveness at critical comments being expressed; breath deeply and stay tuned in to the person speaking.
4. Assume that others have good intentions.
5. Personal needs for recognition, to be right, to win approval, to impress others, etc. are the same the world over. Strive to meet those needs in healthy ways.
6. Love and appreciate the people in class with you. They are worthy of your respect.

My thoughts....what would you add?

Posted by Cynthia Clay at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Call me sensitive but I'm very weary of reading obscene or vulgar language in my professional publications. Recent case in point: Jack Gordon's editorial in the January 2006 edition of Training Magazine. It's called Straight Talk so I suppose he feels justified in including the phrase, "Bend over, here it comes again" in his rant about change management. I found it offensive, however, and showed it to several colleagues to see if they had the same reaction.

Their responses ranged from "Oh my gosh, he said that?" to "So what? Get over it." At the risk of sounding hopelessly out of date, I have to say that I don't think the world is a better place because we include obscene expressions in attempting to communicate. It certainly put me off and the value of the piece was lost on me.

I think it might useful to ask, before including a phrase like that one in an article or a training program: "Could I comfortably explain (without shifting my weight from side to side, avoiding eye contact, or blushing) what this expression means in front of:

a) my mother?
b) my high school English teacher?
c) my children?
d) my minister, rabbi, or priest?

My thoughts on a sensitive topic.....what do you think?

Posted by Cynthia Clay at 01:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Welcome to the NetSpeed Leadership blog. My friend and colleague, Lynn Gaertner-Johnson of Syntax Training, has been happily blogging about business writing for six months. She has had a marvelous response from people around the world who've learned useful writing tips through her blog. With Lynn's encouragement, I'm posting my first blog today.

Here are the guidelines that I plan to follow when writing these posts:

#1. Write from the heart in a conversational style that encourages readers to respond.

#2. Focus on leadership and management topics (from self-leadership to the leadership of others).

#3. Make it practical by offering easy-to-use techniques and strategies.

#4. Be opinionated and lively. Dare to stir things up a bit.

#5. Ensure that my passion for good management is expressed through my writing.

#6. Keep it short and to the point.

Now that I've typed guideline #6, I'll just say one last thing before I log off: I'd like to make this a dialogue. Please respond with your thoughts and comments. I look forward to sharing management and leadership practices that matter!

Posted by Cynthia Clay at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)