Are Millennials better or worse at interacting on a one-on-one basis because of the prevalence of technology in their lives? I’m not sure what the long-term effects of growing up in a world of computers and cellphones will be. However, watching high school and college students communicate leads me to believe that texting and digital communication have affected their “in-person” communication skills (but that is a completely unscientific observation). When looking at what skills to develop, face-to-face communication is a critical place to start. The more effectively you interact with others, both online and off-line, the more powerful … [Read more...]
Blink – Malcolm Gladwell
This article was originally published a few years ago at the RockStar Success Library. But it's still as relevant as it was then. Don't make too quick a judgement ;-) In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell goes from his examination of macroscopic communication in The Tipping Point to the other end of the spectrum. With Blink, Malcolm looks at the power of first impressions. And more importantly, he examines how our minds create these first impressions and why they have so much power over us. One of the main concepts that Malcolm looks at is the idea of thin slicing. This is how he describes that act of making decisions based on a a small amount … [Read more...]
How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less – Nicholas Boothman
This article was originally published a few years ago at the RockStar Success Library. It has great tools for connecting with other people! Nicholas Boothman’s book has a title that sounds like a infomercial at 2 in the morning. When you get past that it’s a solid piece of work. It examines the critical first moments of a new relationship, i.e., how to build rapport with someone. I often train groups on communication skills, and the first thing we talk about is building rapport. As I see it, rapport is the bridge that allows communication to flow between two people. How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less is powerful for … [Read more...]