3 Ways to be an Exceptional Communicator

It's a common belief that simply being excellent in our field of work leads to career success. Quality is important, but it's not the only determinant of career success. Quality needs to be combined with warmth and reliability. What if you're excellent in your area of expertise but difficult to work with or can't be counted on? In episode #137 of the Accelerating Excellence with Del Gilbert podcast, I explain why all three elements are necessary for career success. Two out of three won't do! 

"A lie, believed to be true, will affect your life as if it were true." - Henry Cloud "I'm not a morning person." "I'm not good with technology." "The other candidates are more qualified than me. I'll never get the job." Your beliefs determine your behavior. How you view life is how you do life. You cannot consistently act in a way that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself. In episode #136 of the Accelerating Excellence with Del Gilbert podcast, you learn to how to how to have a health view of yourself. 

"Learning to communicate skillfully will rapidly improve every area of your life." - Brian Tracy Communication is one of life's most important skills. Why? Because we communicate 80% of our waking hours. Today, we suffer from information overload. Most communication is simply a data dump. Learn how to structure your communication in a way that is easy to understand. In episode #135 of the Accelerating Excellence with Del Gilbert podcast, you learn to how to communicate in a way that is easy to follow and easy to understand. If your communication is clear, you'll be regarded as an expert.

Let's be honest. Most presentations are boring. How many times have you wished a presentation would go longer? Developing the skill of delivering a compelling presentation will set you apart in the marketplace. Most people refuse to give a presentation. If they are 'forced' into it, they just want to "get it over with!" I want you to get good! When you deliver a tight, cohesive, and compelling presentation, you have an opportunity to positively impact your audience and make their life better in some way. In this podcast episode, I share 7 ways to create and deliver an excellent presentation that will positively impact your audience and create a positive impression for you.

"Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all your energies on a limited set of targets." -Nido Qubein Most people live lives of constant distraction, never giving their full attention to one person or project. They're diffused and distracted. They dabble and dawdle.  Years ago, having a high IQ was a competitive advantage. Cal Newport, the author of the book Deep Work, has said, "Focus is the New IQ." Today, amidst all the distractions, if you can develop the ability to singularly focus on a task for a sustained period, you will have a competitive advantage. Nobody has achieved anything worthwhile without the ability and discipline to focus. Every great musician, athlete, or author has needed to give their singular attention to one thing, often and for extended periods.   Your ability to do great work, master a skill, and experience success is directly proportional to your ability to concentrate. And your ability to concentrate is directly proportional to your ability to eliminate distractions.

"Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things." -Peter Drucker Years ago, I taught workshops on time management and maximum productivity. But a fulfilling life doesn't mean getting the most done in the shortest amount of time. Efficiency is about completing tasks with minimal wasted time and resources. But what if you are efficient at something that doesn't need to be done at all? Effectiveness means focusing on your highest priorities and most important values and taking action on the things that have the greatest impact. In this podcast episode, I share 7 Practices for Personal Effectiveness. I'm confident that following these Practices will help you focus on what matters most to you, reduce the complexity in your life, and give you more peace of mind.

We all feel we have too much to do and too little time. Consequently, we feel overwhelmed and stressed. But you can: Have your act together Stay on top of things Feel in control Meet and even beat deadlines But you can't wing it. You have to have a system. In this month's podcast episode, I share a simple system for capturing and determining the priority of all your tasks.  This system is easy to use regardless of your job, season of life, personality, or whether you prefer a paper or electronic system. I trust you'll find my High-Performance Workflow helpful as you navigate your roles and responsibilities.

We all have responsibilities and obligations, but I'm convinced that life is also meant to be enjoyed. Too many of us are so 'busy being busy' or leading lives of distraction that we don't pursue things that bring us true enjoyment. In this podcast episode, I share 7 ways to enjoy life. I hope you'll give it a listen. Remember, if you aren't enjoying life, others won't enjoy you!

Our emotions can either hurt us or help us. Research shows that 80% of career success comes from Emotional Intelligence, not IQ. How you handle yourself in the workplace goes a long way in determining career success. And how you manage yourself in your personal life will go a long well in determining the quality of your life and your relationships. In this podcast episode, I share the key action that will make your life better and make you better at life.