Talking the Talk is just as important as Walking the Walk

Talking the Talk is just as important as Walking the Walk

Intro:

Good Communication skills are essential in all aspects of life. From hanging with friends, to dating, to applying for work, to being successful in your chosen career, to sports, the list goes on and on. I’d like to focus on why good communication skills are necessary in a career.

Know Your audience

What I say to my teammates in the locker room and how I say it is different to the way I talk to my church leaders or even my coaches. In a career, you are expected to be professional. On the job is not the place for slang words or phrases. Often times, these words and phrases make you sound uneducated and immature. I’m not saying you need to use big words or elaborate speech, but the words you decide to use can make or break the way your audience views you. The success you experience in a career will hinge on the words you decide to use.

It’s Not just what you say, but how you say it.

I remember walking the streets of McAllen, Texas serving a two year mission for my church. I knew the message we taught was true. I knew what I was doing was right. I knew the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ could help any person, any where, in any situation. I knew that stuff. But sometimes days grew long. Sometimes it was nearly 120 degrees outside. Sometimes I hadn’t eaten dinner. Sometimes I felt sick. Sometimes my feet hurt. Sometimes I  just went through the motions and presented the message at the door at the was it. I didn’t have enthusiasm. I didn’t sound passionate about the gospel. Now contrast that to the times I decided to overlook that my feet hurt or that I was sweating so bad it looked like it had rained. Overlooking those things and deciding to be cheerful and positive made all the difference. It was a lot more common to be let in a house if my voice had some life to it. If it were happy. If I sounded passionate about what I was talking about. How you deliver a message often times is just as important as the message itself. Be sure to have a good delivery. Be happy and cheerful. Be positive and upbeat. You will find success.

Expressing yourself

Since returning from my mission I have dated two different girls. The first communicated openly with me. We talked about everything. How we felt was on the table. The second girl was just the opposite. I felt like I had to pry her feelings out of her. She was closed off in a sense. She never would say how she felt. She seemed to beat around the bush. I never felt like I knew how she felt. The second relationship was much harder than the first. I constantly felt confused. 

Being open and having good communication skills are essential in the workplace. They can put you above another employee. Communication skills can be the factor in a pay raise. They are essential.