Shownotes
Welcome to the Speak in Flow podcast, where we explore how to unleash your leadership voice with communication strategies to harmonize your team. In today's episode, we dive into practical communication strategies that promote empathy foster impactful interactions, and form meaningful connections.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
Communication as an Orchestra
Think of communication as an orchestra where every voice plays a crucial role in either disrupting or harmonizing the overall flow.
Impact of Digital Communication
The rise of social media and digital platforms has transformed how we connect, but it also brings challenges such as misinformation and miscommunication.
Creating Impactful Interactions
Practice active listening, show genuine curiosity, and demonstrate empathy to tackle complex communication issues effectively.
Creating Positive Change
By honing your communication skills, you can foster a collaborative environment where understanding and cohesion thrive, leading to positive outcomes.
Key Takeaways:
Three Strategies for Effective Communication (P, B, P)
- Preparation: Take time to understand perspectives, gather accurate information, and clarify desired outcomes.
- Breathing Techniques: Use techniques like box breathing to stay calm, and focused, and manage nerves during interactions.
- Positive Mindset: Approach conversations with openness and a focus on finding common ground for collaboration.
Memorable Quotes:
“Every instrument, every voice matters.”
“Every interaction that we have is like this orchestra. The words that we use can create a divide, can create silos, or it can create a symphony of beautiful music. Together.”
“Have a positive mindset - a mindset that you can find common ground even if there's a different opinion from yours.”
About Melinda:
Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.
She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.
Website: https://speakinflow.com/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/speakinflow
Instagram: https://instagram.com/speakinflow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowerall
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Transcripts
Communication is like an orchestra.
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:Melinda Lee: every instrument, every voice matters.
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:Melinda Lee: When one instrument is out of tune it can create a ripple effect. Now the whole orchestra is out of tune.
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:Melinda Lee: When one instrument is in tune in sync, it could create a symphony of beautiful music together.
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:Melinda Lee: Every interaction that we have is like this orchestra.
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:Melinda Lee: The words that we use
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:Melinda Lee: can create a divide
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:Melinda Lee: can create silos, or it can create a symphony of beautiful music. Together.
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:Melinda Lee: our communication can build cohesion collaboration.
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:Melinda Lee: And that is why we dive into the speak and flow podcasts where we talk about the strategies to help you and your team unleash the power of their voice, achieve maximum potential and flow.
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:Melinda Lee: Today's topic is all around changing the way our world communicates.
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:Melinda Lee: How do we have effective communication that builds meaningful relationship and influences the room that we walk into.
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:Melinda Lee: to listen more effectively, even when we're in differing opinions.
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:Melinda Lee: to lean into curiosity, to lean in to collaboration and spark creativity
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:Melinda Lee: in our world. Today.
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:Melinda Lee: the digital communication is rising
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:Melinda Lee: and we're not quite sure of how it's actually impacting us. Or we're still grappling with what it's doing to our people, our society and our connections.
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:Melinda Lee: Social media
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:Melinda Lee: is disseminating information more rapidly than ever to the masses.
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:Melinda Lee: We're digesting information. Our kids are digesting information.
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:Melinda Lee: and I believe a lot of this information is misinformation, inaccurate information.
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:Melinda Lee: and our kids are digesting it at a younger age and more faster than ever.
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:Melinda Lee: Studies have shown that in professional settings, in effective communications on the rise.
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:Melinda Lee: creating silos.
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:Melinda Lee: people are unhappy at their jobs more than ever.
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:Melinda Lee: and they're feeling misunderstood.
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:Melinda Lee: unheard, unseen, undervalued.
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:Melinda Lee: So today, I want to share the 3 strategies to help
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:Melinda Lee: improve the way this world communicates.
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:Melinda Lee: beginning with every single one of our interactions
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:Melinda Lee: that can create a ripple effect of positive change.
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:Melinda Lee: So here are the 3
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:Melinda Lee: PBP.
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:Melinda Lee: Very easy to remember. The P stands for preparation.
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:Melinda Lee: B stands for breathing.
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:Melinda Lee: and then the last piece stands for positive mindset.
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:Melinda Lee: and I'm going to break down, each beginning with the 1st one
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:Melinda Lee: preparation.
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:Melinda Lee: preparing by taking a moment to do our research.
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:Melinda Lee: really thinking through? Why do I believe what I believe? What information have I gotten? And is it accurate?
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:Melinda Lee: Is it factual? Is it from valid sources
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:Melinda Lee: and doing the work that you need to really think through that and have that information for yourself?
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:Melinda Lee: And then
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:Melinda Lee: taking the time to prepare by putting yourself in the other person's shoes.
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:Melinda Lee: getting information, facts, statistics from their perspective.
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:Melinda Lee: When you have a balance, perspective, perspective, an accurate perspective of both sides. You can feel more confident going into your presentations or conversations
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:Melinda Lee: with more strength, more ease.
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:Melinda Lee: along the lines of preparation, beside doing the research and gathering relevant, accurate facts.
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:Melinda Lee: You wanna also think through what is the outcome that I'd like to achieve in my conversations?
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:Melinda Lee: Is it to persuade?
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:Melinda Lee: Or is it just to get information?
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:Melinda Lee: And if you are new in the relationship, or just getting to know their perspective, I encourage you to get curious versus persuade.
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:Melinda Lee: ask relevant questions, ask questions like, where did you get that information? I hear you're saying, XYZ. Tell me more about that.
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:Melinda Lee: And and Tommy, where did you get that information? What source? And then, taking the time to really understand and read the facts, or read the information for yourself
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:Melinda Lee: that will continue to educate you and help you to frame your perspective going forward.
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:Melinda Lee: and which takes me to step 2 when you're presenting your ideas.
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:Melinda Lee: Breathe.
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:Melinda Lee: Breathing is a second strategy.
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:Melinda Lee: Breathing as you move into the interaction.
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:Melinda Lee: To stay present in the present moment
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:Melinda Lee: breathing helps you to open up your mind
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:Melinda Lee: and and dissolve any of the visceral nervousness or fear that you might have
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:Melinda Lee: and step into where the person's at being with the person versus in your head, trying to formulate what arguments that you want to have, or what arguments arguments that you need to bring up to prove your point.
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:Melinda Lee: So breathing is a wonderful way to help you get grounded
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:Melinda Lee: and to stay present with the person in front of you.
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:Melinda Lee: I like to use a box breathing method. This is the same method that the Navy seals use when they're in pressure under high stakes. Situations.
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:Melinda Lee: and that's 4 breaths in
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:Melinda Lee: 3, 4 hold 1, 2, 3, 4,
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:Melinda Lee: exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, hold, 1, 2, 3, 4,
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:Melinda Lee: so you can use this breathing method as the person is talking. If you're feeling yourself with a heightened emotion or visceral nervousness or anxiety. Use the breathing technique, the box breathing technique
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:Melinda Lee: to help calm the nervous system and stay present
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:Melinda Lee: and then move into curiosity, especially if the person is saying something that you don't agree with, and you want to rebuttal, and you want to prove yourself to be right when you go into this type of interaction, of proving nobody is going to hear anybody.
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:Melinda Lee: So you want to be able to calm the nervous system, and that will allow your partner, the person that you're talking to to also calm.
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:Melinda Lee: So you want to guide the interaction from a place of calm
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:Melinda Lee: by using the box breathing method.
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:Melinda Lee: which then leads me to the last P. The last strategy, which is a positive mindset.
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:Melinda Lee: Earlier I talked about preparation. What outcome you want.
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:Melinda Lee: Is it to persuade to gather information
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:Melinda Lee: as you're doing all this? I want you to have a positive mindset.
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:Melinda Lee: a mindset that you can find common ground.
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:Melinda Lee: even if there's a different opinion from yours.
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:Melinda Lee: consistently. Ask questions to find the commonality between you 2, and I promise that you can find it. But it stems from you having that positive mindset first, st because without it.
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:Melinda Lee: if you're going to go in
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:Melinda Lee: competitive competitive, then that's what you're going to get the likelihood of you leaving that conversation derailed, frustrated is high because you went into it
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:Melinda Lee: competitive, combative. And so you want to go into it with a positive mindset that you can find common ground, open yourself to new possibilities, continuing to ask, What can I do here? What are the possibilities? Even when we have different opinions.
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:Melinda Lee: having that positive mindset, being the leader in that
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:Melinda Lee: interaction, will help increase the likelihood that you can
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:Melinda Lee: find collaboration and solutions.
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:Melinda Lee: It is possible. Remembering that you're all in the same boat together.
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:Melinda Lee: we're in the same orchestra.
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:Melinda Lee: So together, let's sing a symphony of beautiful music.
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:Melinda Lee: knowing that our words have that much power
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:Melinda Lee: to creating a ripple effect. So, remembering the 3 strategies that we went over today, preparation getting a balanced perspective.
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:Melinda Lee: trying to understand the other side.
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:Melinda Lee: 2 breathing
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:Melinda Lee: consistently, being in the present moment with the person
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:Melinda Lee: listening.
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:Melinda Lee: 3
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:Melinda Lee: moving in with a positive mindset
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:Melinda Lee: that even in our complex world that we can find common ground
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:Melinda Lee: more than ever. We need to change the way this world communicates.
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:Melinda Lee: and come in with one voice
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:Melinda Lee: stronger than ever.
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:Melinda Lee: and I hope you use this
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:Melinda Lee: to create a ripple effect of positive change.
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:Melinda Lee: Thanks for being with me today until next episode. I am your sister in flow. May prosperity flow to you and through you.
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:Melinda Lee: and
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:Melinda Lee: have more meaningful connections, relationships
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:Melinda Lee: until next time.
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:Melinda Lee: See you on the other side.
