Tag: speaking

Competing with other women is out. Connecting with other women to share ideas, work together on projects, and offer support is in. The changes brought about by the global economy have made collaboration and innovation must-have skills, and the great news is that women tend to be naturals at them. And that is why the women-helping-women movement is really picking up steam.

We’re making a shift to what I call "Connecting 2.0." It’s more meaningful than the "mile-wide and inch-deep" type of connecting we associate with social media. It’s based on sharing and co-creating, not self-interest. It’s authentic, it feels good, and it works.

If you were asked, "Are you a good listener?" chances are you’d answer, "yes."

Maybe you pride yourself on your ability to stay quiet even when you really want to interject, or maybe you believe that you give sound advice after hearing another person’s problem or dilemma. But you might not be listening as well as you think. To illustrate what I mean, here’s an exercise I participated in during a mindfulness course.

Temperatures have dropped here over the past month and we have discovered that our apartment becomes an icebox in the winter. But it was a big day and I had no choice but to get out of bed. Shivering, I grudgingly got up and took a shower then waited for David to take his. He didn’t have to come with me, but because he knew how nervous I was, he was accompanying me. I grabbed the notebook that David had found for me the day before, looked at the clock with dismay and headed out the door. I was going to be late on my very first day.