Gratitude practices and journals have been taking off in recent years, for good reason. Taking a little time to focus on what’s going well, what we appreciate about our lives and each other, can reframe and elevate our experience and even our mental health.
For many reasons, some productive and some less so, most of us spend a lot of our time looking at what’s not working, what’s out of whack. That relentless spotlight on the negative or what’s lacking can make us lose our sense of proportion.
In our communication coaching practice at Ignite CSP, we start with what’s going well. After a lifetime of people critiquing their public speaking and communication skills, most of our clients have a hard time coming up with anything they can be grateful for or appreciate. And of course, from where we’re sitting, there is so much that’s already working! If there weren’t, they wouldn’t have made it this far.
Here’s a short list of some of what we see and appreciate in our various clients’ communication styles:
Warmth
Competence
A great smile
Pride in their team
Approachability
A desire to connect
Humor
Passion for their topic or industry
Energy
Quirkiness
Intelligence
Confidence
Reassuring leadership
Willingness to try
Interesting vocabulary
Spellbinding stories
Command of the material
When you think about your own communication style, what do you love? What is working for you? What are you thankful for?
