All I Said Was…

A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000 words a day.? Thats a lot of talking!? Combine that with the demand to have immediate responses and that leaves little time for thinking before we speak.

In the business world, communication style has a direct impact on behavior and in turn performance. See if you have experienced either of these All I Said Was.

If you have any problems, feel free to call me directly.
-Senior VP speaking to direct report VPs staff

Steve (Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing) is a go-getter. Full of energy, ideas, and enthusiasm, his goal is to be President of the Distribution Channel.? He recently held a meeting with Wally (VP of Marketing) and all twelve of Wallys staff.? At the end of his speech, he said, if you have any problems, feel free to call me directly.? Wally immediately felt demotivated: Why is he encouraging my staff to go around me?

Many would say that Steve was just trying to give the impression of being transparent and reachable.? But the impact of his words caused a negative reaction by his direct report and even some loss in productivity the rest of the day.? But all I said was..

Nothing.? I made a statement in a meeting and no one said a word!
-Vice President speaking inter-department meeting

Susan is the Controller of the firm.? A numbers and factual oriented person, she can always be counted on for accurate statistics for any project budget.? Susan notices how others are good at starting a discussion in team meetings, so she has been experimenting with her style.? She made a statement in a meeting, stopped and looked up.? The room was silent.

What did she do to try to engage others in the room?? Did she consider that some of her team members may be intimidated by the depth of her knowledge? The impact of her lack of words shut off openness in the meeting and certainly made her feel inadequate. Performance was temporarily blocked.

These are only two simple examples.? Considering we use 7-20,000 words per day, shouldnt we begin to choose our words based on the impact they have on others with different styles from our own?

Whats your communication style and how can you use the DNA Relationship System to create more business?? You can learn more at http://www.dnabehavior.com/solutions/dna-relationship-performance

• About the Author

Peggy Mengel

Peggy Mengel - Business Coach - The Biz Sherpa

As CEO and founder of The Biz Sherpa, I coach and consult with executives on developing deep and strong relationships with clients, staff and most importantly, themselves. When you align your talents, passions and strengths with a strategy that fits your uniqueness, you will transform yourself, your client experience and your business.

Throughout my career, one my driving principles is to understand people before numbers. It is this philosophy that ignites my desire to help financial services firms meet the challenge of driving results through a behaviorally based strategy.

How can your firm balance the demands of effectively managing people and maximizing profits? Start building business from the "inside-out" with a coach who understands your industry and your challenges.