Showing posts with label Resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Resources. Show all posts
By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes
Work can be stressful, especially for a knowledge worker like you. Among all of the things that you cannot control, including absurd deadlines, demanding team members, and gruelig workload, there is one thing that you can control, and it is becoming mentally tough. In today's article, you will gain an understanding of what it takes to be mentally tough at work.


Work can be stressful.
Especially for today's knowledge workers, who are continuously connected, often distracted, and constantly under pressure. Taking work home is the norm; yet still, you can barely keep up. There are many factors that are out of your control; however, there is one thing that you can control, and that is becoming mentally tough.
Lucky for you, mental toughness can be cultivated and built over time. It takes a while to fully grasp, so let's get started right away. Below are a few ways, including daily rituals and habits, on how to become mentally tough at work:
1. Concentrate on making improvements.
When projects go awry, emotions tend to boil. While most of your team members are feeling anxious, angry or confused, you have an opportunity to step up as a leader by helping everyone move forward. Instead of looking at everything that went wrong, how awful the consequences will be, or how upset you feel, focus on how to improve the situation. This may be difficult to do during high stakes situations, but if you have the mental toughness to focus on the positive, you can certainly push through the agony.
To prepare yourself to gracefully push through any ardous situation, each morning, make the choice to keep cool all day. Committing yourself to taking on a cool, collected and take-charge persona, first thing in the morning, sets the tone for the rest of the day. If it helps, stand in front of a mirror and look yourself in the eye. Then, say the words, "You are a leader. You will focus on making improvements. You are mentally tough." This ritual may sound strange, but it works, because saying those words crystalizes your commitment.
2. Find meaning during adversities.
The ability to find meaning during difficult times and emerge a stronger person says a lot about your character. In fact, great female leaders like Oprah Winfrey and Eleanor Roosevelt emerged during the most trying of experiences. Instead of giving up, they stood up to adversities by creating a narrative around the challenges, looking at the situation from an educational angle, and viewing obstacles as problems to solve.
Again, it is all about choice. Great leaders make the choice, the commitment, to interpret adverse experiences as opportunities. If you do the same, you will find that there is nothing you cannot conquer. So the next time you are faced with adversity, ask yourself, "how can I learn from this?"
3. Learn to be contextually intelligent.
Mental toughness is often known as the "survival of the fittest," which depends on your ability to adapt to difficult situations, by applying creativity to transcend adversity.
If you want to adapt well and do it quickly, you must learn to be contextually intelligent. Contextual intelligence is defined as "the ability to understand the limits of your knowledge and to adapt that knowledge to an environment different from the one in which it was developed." It requires exposing yourself to different environments and being open to new ideas.
An easy way to learn to be contetxtually intelligent is to ask questions, and with the intention to learn. Truly focus on the person's answer, and see things from his or her point of view. A little empathy and undersanding goes a long way. If you are open to new ideas, opinions and solutions, you not only develop contextual intelligence, you become a voice of reason.
4. Seek Feedback.
Feedback leads to concrete improvements. As you move further in your career and gain more influence, you will be exposed to more critiques. Why not start a habit of seeking for feedback early, so you can train yourself to accept criticism graciously.
Actively seeking feedback provides opportunities to learn and make improvements. So be proactive about it and truly listen to the underlying issues that frame the feedback. By the way, nonverbal cues such as body language and micro-expressions also count as feedback.
The more accepting you are to others' opinions, the tougher you become.
5. Shoot for small wins.
Mentally tough people understand the power of small wins. While they make ambitious goals, they achieve these goals by making marginal, systematic and incremental improvements. Shooting for small wins relieves the pressure of having to achieve overwhelming goals, and allows you to focus on specific and manageable advancements.
Each small improvement may feel insignificant; collectively, however, small improvements create powerful progress. Before you know it, you have already accomplished that big, overwhelming goal.
Parting Thoughts
To be mentally tough in the workplace, you need to both commit to and practice for it. When you feel frustrated, pressured and anxious, take a moment and revisit the points above. Focus on the positives and try to turn challenges into opportunities. Your ability to thrive from adversities can be your super power, with which you can use to strengthen yourself and everyone around you.

1) Build resilience with HBR's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness


2) Strengthen your thinking with Unbeatable Mind: Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level


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By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes

Wouldn't it be nice if you can create more time at work? It feels difficult, but it can be done, if you are willing to put in the time to practice. Keep working at it. The benefits are rewarding.


Feeling swamped at work?
You will always feel like you have more work load than your capacity allows. So how can you accomplish so much work with so little time? Better time management helps. If you can "create" more time each day, you not only get more tasks done and get ahead in the project timeline, you also gain a sense of accomplishment and calm. In turn, your stress level will also calm down. Want to learn how? The following time saving tactics help.
1. Time block each day.
Time blocking boosts productivity by blocking off time slots so you can focus on one main activity. Doing so allows you to put all of your mental capacity on one thing, setting you up to succeed in that one thing. It also lets you avoid time hoggers such as meetings, phone calls, and emails. The most helpful time blocking method is the "engineer vs. manager:" where in the mornings, when you are the most productive, called "engineer" time, finish all the productivity-oriented tasks such as strategic planning, writing, or coding. In the afternoons, when you are less alert, finish all the managerial tasks such as responding to emails, holding meetings, and attending team events.

There’s nothing more frustrating than being interupted by phone calls and meetings, and not making enough progress. Time blocking each day protects your most valuable time first, so you are guaranteed to make progress.
2. Wait on it.
Immediately agreeing to every commitment and answering every request is your natural reaction. As a high-achieving professional, you want to feel valuable, help others, and do your best. However, you also risk being stretched too thin. To avoid this fast-track to burnout, when your attention is being requested, wait to respond if you can. For some requests, you can even wait a few days. Sure, priorities require immediate attention. Most likely, though, 80% of the requests that you receive are less urgent, vaguely stated, or even irrelevant to you.

If you need help determining the priority of each request, ask the following questions:
  • Will it contribute to advancing your career?
  • Will you gain a new skill from it?
  • Will doing it impede important work?
  • If you cannot justify why you should answer the request at all, just politely say no.
    3. Reschedule if you can.
    When priorities and deadlines compete, you can always re-prioritize and reschedule. Instead of forcing through mounts of tasks and meetings, lean out your day by re-scheduling less important tasks, meetings or projects out for several days.

    Giving yourself room to breath helps you focus better on the matter at hand. When you have the capacity to dedicate more energy to the most important matter at the moment, you are less likely to make mistakes.
    Parting Thoughts
    Creating time is no small feat. And it certainly requires practice. It helps to perform a review at the end of each work day, and week, to find areas for improvement. How you structure your day impacts success and productivity. So make it a habit, and keep working on it. The benefits will be rewarding.

    1) Dive deep into better time management with Strategies and Tips for Time Management


    2) Plan each day like a pro with the Blue Sky Day Designer Vertical Daily and Monthly Planner


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    By Christopher O | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes
    What do successful people do on the weekends? In today's article, you will find the 10 habits of urber successful people on the weekends that set them apart from the ordinary.


    Ever wonder what successful people do on the weekends?
    To continue to achieve high levels of success, they do what others are not willing to do. That doesn't mean they work around the clock during personal time. In fact, taking time to relax, decompress, and work on hobbies are highly recommended; because these activities contribute to people's overall productivity. Successful people spend their down time on activities that enhance personal, educational and career growth, provide mental fulfillment, and set the tone for a successful week ahead.
    10 Habits of Successful People on the Weekends
    1. They turn off their phones.
    Successful people use their smart phones quite a bit during the work days because of productivity and communication needs. On the weekends, however, they turn off those devices, in order to save time by not being "on" all the time. While technology is a crucial part of doing business today, it can also create an unhealthy addiction. Successful people treat their mobile devices like work computers: when they are away from work, they turn their phones off.
    2. They spend time with their families
    Successful people understand the sacrifices that they must make to achieve success. Duriing the work week, they may need to work overtime, travel, and stay out with clients. They may miss out on kids' games, have to re-schedule anniversary dates, and miss school events. Therefore, they intentionally resserve time during the weekends to make it up to their families. Making time to strengthen important relationships keeps successful people grounded and remind them of why they strive hard to succeed in the first place.
    3. They give back to their communities.
    Wheter their communitiess are faith-based, hobby-oriented or business-related, they give back. They not only give back by in monetary forms, they also give their time. They understand the value of paying it forward, and never for one minute take for granted that their success came from the support of their communities.

    4. They read.
    Leaders are readers. Successful people take time to ready, so they can enable knowledge base, think outside the box, make better decisions, enhance mindfulness, and improve communication skills.
    5. They work on their hobbies.
    Pursuing a passion outside of work generates a creative outlet. Successful people make time for passions and hobbies that stimulate creativity, refresh the mind, and enrich life.
    6. They exercise.
    From running to martial arts to meditation, exercising on the weekends recharges the body and mind. Successful people understand the power of physical activity and the importance of mind-body connection. They ensure that they have time to work out.
    7. They spend time in nature.
    Spending time in nature offers another way to unplug. This includes hiking, escaping to a beach, and walking in a nearby trail. Spending time in nature isnt' the most extravagant activity; however, it recharges, refreshes and relaxes the mind, by disconnecting people with their busy day-to-day's.
    8. They reflect.
    Successful people reflect on the weekends, so they can appreciate and review the past week. They look over accomplishments, lessons learned, what they are grateful for, and what they can let go of. This allows them to put things into perspective, prioritize better, and alleviate mental tension.
    9. They have fun.
    Successful people work hard and play hard. After a long week of making difficult decision and deep focus, they relax, laugh and enjoy purely entertaining activities. This includes socializing, watching movies and live events, and playing sports. Whatever makes them happy they will enjoy it to the fullest on the weekends. So when the tough work week comes around, they are ready to tackle new challenges.
    10. They plan the next week.
    Planning ahead leaves room to find and fix errors, mitigate conflicts, and ease stress. Successful people always plan ahead for the next week. Some of them plan a few weeks or months ahead. When Monday morning knocks on the door, they are ready to hit the ground running.
    Parting thhoughts
    The difference between successful people and everyone else is how they spend their time. Even on the weekends, successful people choose activities that keep them on track to reach their life-long goals. They partake in activities that contribute to personal growth, enhance career development, and help build communities. Successful people never lose sight of their ultimate vision. Even during the weekends, they intentionally work towards that vision, and that is why they are successful.
    1) Develop success habits with the Millionaire Success Habits


    2) Learn How Successful People Think


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    By Eroh K | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes

    Having a self care day routine is essential for your well-being. Just because you are juggling priorities doesn't mean you should forget your own needs. Taking care of yourself, and especially with a periodic self care day routine, boosts confidence, self-esteem, and self worth.


    Self-Care Day Routine: Daily Self Care Regimen for A Healthier You
    Everyone knows that practicing a self care day routine is essential for nurturing the health. But when it comes to implementing this practice, it becomes challenging. While women might be handling different priorities at once, it often makes them forget their own needs, which can boost their confidence and self-esteem.

    Sure, you might consider your once-in-a-blue-moon gym sessions or beauty appointments as a self care regimen, but if you want to feel good about yourself, it is vital to perform regular activities.

    If you ignore these practices, you might end up feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Thus, if you want to become the best version of yourself, it is good to take care of your soul, mind, and body. This article contains information about self-care routine that will help to maintain a good relationship with yourself: Self-care ideas in the morning

    You don’t have to view daily self care routine as a time consuming and complicated task. It should be all about the small things that you tune in to take care of yourself. The morning hours are the best time to practice self-care. It allows one to have a refreshed and happy day.
    In the Morning
    1. Make your bed
    Making your bed perfectly is a good way of making yourself feel good. Who doesn’t want to sleep in a well-made bed after a long day of work? Thus, if you want to encourage good sleeping hygiene, it is good to spend time making the bed.

    Also, making the bed is the first task of the day you’ll accomplish. It gives a sense of pride and will encourage you to perform more tasks.
    2. Drink a hot cup of tea or coffee
    Taking a hot cup of tea or coffee can make a big difference in your day. Tea and coffee beat other alternatives of morning drinks. They contain caffeine, which is a natural stimulant that boosts energy. They are also essential for rehydrating you after long hours of sleep, allowing you to set a tone for a productive day.
    3. Perform yoga or workouts
    A good way to boost your energy levels and focus on your day ahead is by stretching your body. You can achieve this by jogging, walking, or using a yoga video. Self-care ideas before and after meeting

    Within your busy life, there is little time to take care of your body and mind. Making self-care part of your work routine will improve your work relationship.

    4. Manage time
    Stress can have a negative impact on your physical and mental health. The main contributor to stress is poor time management. Missing deadlines can increase the amount of anxiety. A good way of managing time is by entering the meeting room a few minutes before the session starts.
    5. Drink water
    The body regulates temperature through sweating. Even when sitting down during the meeting, the body will still maintain a healthy core temperature. Drinking water can help to maintain hydration. Remember, you might spend a lot of hours in the meeting. Thus, it is good to carry enough water in the meeting room.

    Adding enough water consumption into your daily self care routine can increase your brain energy and get ready for the meeting.
    6. Log off all the social media platforms.
    Social media can distract you from concentrating during the meeting sessions. Many people post interesting things on social platforms. Because it can be challenging to switch off your phone, it is good to log off the social media platforms.
    During Lunch
    What comes into many people's minds when they hear about a lunch break is a hearty meal. Although it is good to have a delicious meal during the lunch break, you can perform plenty of things to refresh yourself. The lunch break is an excellent opportunity to incorporate a self care day routine and make sure that you don’t burn yourself out. Here are self-care ideas for the lunch break:
    1. Refresh your mind by chatting with friends and connecting with nature
    The lunch break consists of few hours of rest. So, you will not have much to do. You can pick your phone and try to chat with some of your friends and login into the social platforms to read some interesting pages. Also, walk outside and connect with nature. With this, you’ll breathe fresh air that will rejuvenate your mind.
    2. Take a nap
    Taking a nap during the lunch break might seem weird, but it’s an excellent way to rest your mind and body. With this, you’ll increase your productivity and keep you motivated.
    3. Take a breathe
    Breathing and relaxing can help to calm down your nerves. You can perform some workouts in the office or engage in yoga. As a busy woman, you might not have enough time to attend the gym daily. Thus, utilize this opportunity to stretch your body and take breathe.
    During 3 pm
    A portion of the day has passed, and you’ve managed to accomplish some tasks. So, you need some time to rest and get motivated to continue with the rest of the day. At 3 pm is the best time to pause and add your self care regimen to lower the tension you might be feeling at work. During 3 pm self-care ideas:
    1. Take a short walk
    If you work in a sitting position, it is good to go for a short walk. It helps to recharge, refresh, and clear your mind.
    2. Take a snack
    With the busy schedules, it can be challenging to maintain high energy levels. But do you know that snacks can raise your energy levels? A quick bite can help you to perform better and do great things. You can consume fruits, veggies, or chips to fuel your performance.
    3. Get some inspirations
    You can get things that you are passionate about from your internet. Whether your hobby is traveling or performing home projects, you can find everything online. Pinterest is a good site that has ideas that can inspire your interests.
    After work
    Adding a daily self-care routine after work is a great way of refreshing yourself. Anything that can help you to do away from the busy day is worth the investment. Remember, women have different chores to perform after work. You’ll require having time with your family and preparing dinner. But how can you achieve this after all the pressure from the work? Here are self-care ideas that will help you cope well in the evening hours:
    1. Take a bath
    A relaxing bath after a long day of work can help to lessen the fatigue. However, this doesn’t mean taking a quick shower and wearing your evening dress. You need a relaxing and hot shower to ease muscle pains and aches, increase blood flow, and boost immune functions.
    2. Nurture your skin
    It is a fact that after work, you’ll feel tired and stressed. The skin is the most exposed part to different stresses throughout the day. Thus, evening hours are the best time to take care of your skin. Focus on your face, hands, legs, and the entire body. Make sure you moisturize your skin well and take a massage.
    3. Journaling
    Journaling is a good self-care practice for everyone who wants to come up with goals. Make a summary of how the day was, and pay attention to the things you can improve. Focus on the coming days and the things you want to achieve. You can perform this while taking a cup of hot beverage.
    After dinner
    After dinner is a good opportunity to relax, calm your mind, and reset it for the following day. This time will help you feel relaxed and energized to start the next morning in a productive manner. Although you might feel tired, it is vital to create time for self-care practices. Self-care ideas after dinner:
    1. Socialize
    After dinner is the best moment to create enjoyable moments with your loved ones. Whether it’s your friend or family members, it is good to reach them out either on social media or making calls.
    2. Light a candle
    A scented candle can relax your body or mind. You can choose a scent that will relieve stress and create a relaxing evening.
    3. Take special drinks
    You can buy drinks or consume homemade cocktails. They help to refresh your mind. If you are not a cocktail lover, you can go for wine or beer.
    Self-care ideas before going to bed
    When winding down before bed, it is good to implement self-care practices. They help in preparing for a restful night and reducing tension in the body. It is good to incorporate these 3 self-care ideas to calm the night of sleep:
    1. Wear breathable pajamas
    Not all pajamas are ideal for sleeping. Remember, you want to have that luxury moment at night. So, it is good to consider lightweight, loose, and breathable pajamas. Materials such as cotton and silk are essential as they help to wick away sweat.
    2. Dim the lights
    Dim environment sends a signal to the mind that it is time to sleep. If you add dimming the lights into your night's daily self-care routine, you will be alarming your body to relax and prepare for sleep.
    3. Switch off your phone
    Everyone is attempted to check the phone more often to check social media posts and work emails. If you want to have a nice sleep, it is good to switch off the phone and put it out of the bedroom.
    Parting thhoughts
    Imagine having a non-stop busy day where you lack time for yourself? This stress can make you feel drained and lack of energy. Self-care is vital, especially if you’re a busy woman and don’t have time to relax and refresh your mind. These self-care ideas will help you get a break from stress and boost your physical and emotional health.
    1) You deserve a spa day at home. Soak yourself in a luxury bath with the Lavender and Lilac Spa Gift Basket


    2) Treat yourself to a box of delicious Godiva Chocolate Truffles


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    By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Reading Time: Five Minutes



    Are you suffering from burnout at work?
    If you continuously feel exhausted, irritated and unmotivated at work, you are most likely suffering from burnout. So what now? Do you look for a new job? Speak with a professional? Or take medical leave? The best remedy is to prevent burnout at work before it happens. To do that, ask yourself the following questions:
    1. Do you have time to rest and recover?
    When it comes to mental and emotional health at work, balance is key. To achieve balance, you must be able to both rest and recover from periods of deep and heavy work. A workload that outweighs capacity can stress you out. So you must learn how to keep the work load balanced, by planning and prioritizing properly, delegating wisely, and letting go of things that you cannot control.
    While we all want to do our best, we must not let perfectionism weigh us down. If you have been over-stretching yourself without much rest or recovery, it is time to take a break before breaking down.
    2. Do you lack autonomy?
    A lack of autonomy indicates a lack of control. At work, it may result from various root causes. Some of the common ones include feeling social pressure from team members, a constant shift in priorities, or a lack of control at home. While you cannot change your circumstances, you can change your approach. You can set firm boundaries with teammates, highlight organizational inefficiencies of shifting priorities to key stakeholders, and take personal leave to work things out on the home front. Gaining back control isn't about having a type A personality, but about getting back a sense of self. When outside pressure dims your inner light, you will burn out quickly. Before that happens, take action and refuel yourself, so you can continue to shine.
    3. Are you being rewarded fairly?
    There are two types of rewards: extrinsic and intrinsic. You need to both to feel accomplished and respected at work.

    Extrinsic rewards include raises, promotions, public recognitions and bonuses. It also includes non-traditional compensations such as extra days off for working overtime during a particularly demanding project, or the ability to work remotely, after COVID too, if your industry permits. Whichever extrinsic reward means the most to you, address it to your superior. If you feel like you have earned it, you should receive it. If you get turned down, it is okay. However, do realize that there is a chance that you and your work place are misaligned in value. If this is the case, you should look elsewhere for a similar position. When values misalign, the relationship rarely works out in the long run. It's better to end it early, and on friendly terms, than to drag it out and cause harm.

    Intrinsic rewards come from how well you are treated by others, including leadership, team members, clients and partners. Ask yourself: are you being appreciated for helping others? Is your name mentioned during presentations that you contributed to? Are your opinions and recommendations being considered seriously, or dismissed, ignored and turned down harshly? If you feel disrespected in anyway, address it with the person, in private and politely of course. If they dismiss or rebuttal your requests, then at least you took action to stand up for yourself. That alone can prevent a burnout.

    4. Are you being properly supported?
    When you confide in your teammates, do they brush you off, give you the cold shoulder, or listen with dedicated attention? Do you feel cared for and included, or ignored and left out? Does your workplace feel like high school, or a mature, open and professional space?

    The workplace culture plays an important role in your overall wellbeing. If it operates in a clique-y, highschool-like manner, and lack a supportive structure, you will burn out from the day-to-day emotional detachment. You can, however, shift the dynamic. Reach out to teammates who seem disengaged. Listen to their problems without judgement or pushing your own opinions. Kindness spread as quickly as burnouts. When you make incremental behaviorial changes, you create a culture of inclusion, kindness and respect.

    It takes one person to turn the ship around, and she could be you.
    Parting thhoughts
    Burnout doesn't just happen. It accumulates from multi-faceted issues overtime until it reaches a tipping out. The good news is: now, as soon as you recognize the symptoms, you can prevent it.

    As a knowledge professional, your choices are limitless. If your current workplace is driving you towards burnout, take a break. Or, take another opportunity. You hold the key to your happiness, and no one else is entitled to that.
    1) Be the type of Leaders Who Last


    2) Find more ways to avoid burnout at High-Octane Women: How Superachievers Can Avoid Burnout


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    By Nan Nan Liu-Maffetone | Strong Female Leaders | Target Audience: professional women, women in leadership roles

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    WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE?
    Ever sat through a conversation, speech or meeting and wonder,"what is the person's message?" In most communication models, the message is the main talking point, usually conveyed verbally or through writing, from the sender to the receiver. The best message in communication is simiple, clear, and direct. If you can't get the sender's point right away, usually within a few seconds after the person starts talking, or within the first paragraph of his or her writing, you should start contemplating on how to ask for clarification. And if you are the sender, then learn to sharpen your delivery, starting with following tips.
    1) Polish your message.
    Just like with well-dressed professionals, well-spoken and well-written professionals gain more respect and attention from their audience. You don't need to speak or write like Dickens, but do polish up your message with spelling and grammar checks, diligent proofreading, and trimming the extras.
    For verbal communication, think about what you want to say and how to say it before opening your mouth. Reduce filler words and pause when appropriate. A little polish goes a long way. Not only will it help you professionally, it also gives you a boost in confidence and finesse.
    2) Simplicity trumps fancy vocabulary.
    The best writers write with a seventh grade English level. The best communicators use simple words. Even if you have a vault of extravagant vocabulary to choose from, use them selectively, and only to prove a point. Otherwise, do your audience a favor and keep the message simple, brief, and easy to absorb.
    3) Prepare for meetings.
    When meetings go off track, your team loses valuable time. Eventually, the team loses faith in you as a leader. To avoid this from happening, make the effort to prepare well. Construct your message and talking points, create an agenda, and leave room for discussions and questions. When you prepare well, you are more likely to stay focused on the message, and keep everyone else focused on it as well.
    4) Use action words.
    Words such as "I think," "perhaps" and "most likely" imply a lack of confidence in what you say. If you deliver a message, believe in it first. Then, deliver it with strong, action-oriented words. Saying "I think the data points are good enough to enable the leadership team to believe that...perhaps...we will scale our business next year" just doesn't make as much of an impact as "the upward trend in our data drove the decision to scale our business next year."
    When in doubt, trim the fluff. Your message will sound stronger and sharper.
    5) Use the P.E.E.R framework.
    P.E.E.R is a flow sequence for delivering messages. It stands for Point, Elaboration, Example, and Repeat. Point stands for the point that you want to make. A sharp communicator delivers the point first. Elaboration supplements the point, and often conveys the "why" in your message. Examples give your message substance. It connects you with the audience by telling stories and arousing emotional response. Finally, repeat your point. Summarize all of your talking points and follow it with a clear call to action.
    Parting Thoughts
    Communication enables us to exchange ideas, understand one another, and create a warm, open and progressive culture. It is the glue that holds teams together, and is one of the most valuable skillsets that professionals attain. As a part of communication, how you deliver messages can either enhance your authority or diminish it. While it takes effort to sharpen how to communicate your message, it is well worth your time.

    Need more help? The books below are good resources.
    1) How to Win Friends and Influence People


    2) Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
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