To master the Language of Effective Listening, you must learn to recognize the two primary “modes” of body language in a marriage: The Fortress and The Bridge. 1. The Fortress (Defensive/Reactive) When we feel attacked, we instinctively protect our “vitals.” The Cross: Folding arms across the chest or crossing legs tightly. The Angle: Shifting the […]
More than 90 percent of the managers and professionals in our effective listening workshops were more interested in improving communication at home than at work. While we spend thousands of dollars and years of our lives honing professional “soft skills,” we often treat our most important relationship as something that should just “work” automatically. Divorce […]
Marriage: It’s No Joke. Comedian Milton Berle once quipped, “Half of the jokes in the history of the world have been about married people.” Examine three examples: “I have no trouble meeting expenses. My husband is always introducing me to them.” “Married men do not live longer than single men—it just seems longer.” “My husband and […]
“There are no uninteresting subjects. There are only uninterested people.” — G.K. Chesterton Here is a secret that will transform both your marriage and your career: People with the widest interests are the most successful, the most interesting, and the best listeners. In a marriage, “narrow interests” lead to repetitive arguments and a sense of […]
In the corporate world, we call it “career derailment.” In a marriage, we call it “drifting apart.” Barb and Bob worked in the same office, and both were considered by many to be on the fast track to the top. They were hard workers, creative thinkers, and excellent planners. Both had demonstrated superior academic abilities, […]
To be human is to communicate—to talk, listen, and respond to others. While we often view conversation as a mental or emotional exercise, it has a dramatic physical effect on our bodies, especially on the heart and blood vessels. In his path-breaking work, The Language of the Heart, Dr. James J. Lynch conclusively demonstrates how […]
The face is the primary stage where our feelings are performed. While we focus heavily on the words we choose, our facial muscles often tell the “real” story before we even finish a sentence. In Unmasking the Face, researchers Paul Ekman and William V. Friesen expanded on Charles Darwin’s theories to prove that facial expressions […]
