The lost art of verbal communication.

[GordonJ]

In 1970, in downtown Honolulu, I took my first Aikido lesson and was hooked. This after about 6 years of Judo instruction, the last year being more of street combat style because I thought I was going into the Marines.

Thankfully, some savvy Navy recruiter got me at the right time and said the right thing to me, to make me head for swabby land.

Anyhow. Although the results could be just as violent and devastating, the teaching and philosophy behind Aikido was less violent, less aggressive and more from a defensive stand point.

Well. As I mentioned above, today VERBAL communication is more like MMA cage matches, whereas in business, if you want to pocket some bag and smile to the bank...you need some Aikido like language moves.

It is often not what you say, but how you say it which makes the differences. Today, I'll give you a master secret to it, akin to feeling ki (energy) of your opponent before they even make a move.

So, are you armed with the weapons you need to defend yourself from the thugs in the boardroom, who want to take your chips and crush you like a bug (or, are you ready to deal with a Trump like character)?

The big KI secret of verbal combat is: the Socratic Method. A simple leg sweep, or energy redirection of a non judgmental QUESTION?

When you know how to ask the right kind of question, at the right time, you can get life changing results, much like the Navy recruiter got me to do, with a simple question to an 18 year old gung ho kid.

I'll be reviewing some of the Socratic Method, as it is used in the business offices of the world in the hopes some of you can make use of it for your own good and in a Win/Win/Win situation.

Gordon

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Today it is yelling and screaming. Cursing even. Where has civilized discussion gone?

Well in many of OUR business situations, such as with contract negotiations, it is still a valuable skill and one that you should choose to master.

Getting into a negotiation might also depend on your verbal skills too...so it not only can get you into the room to make your pitch, but it can also be used to get the deal you want.

Harvey Brody teaches the magnet under the table, where you manipulate the iron filings on top to get them to align the way you want. You literally do this with your language.

And talk, verbal communication, THAT IS EFFECTIVE and purposeful seems to be a dying art.

I will have more to say on this matter, as I am reviewing some old work from long ago, back in the olden days when we had to see people, TALK to them, and use our verbal judo, or whatever we want to call it...in such a way to get a mutually beneficial WIN for all parties.

What are some of your best TALK strategies? How do you prepare for your face-to-face presentations, and are there any methods or techniques you might be interested in learning?

I have a bag of tricks, that has been kept up on the shelf, but I will get them down, dust them off and then take a look at the state of VERBAL communication in the Post Pandemic/YELLING era.
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One start up secret is; I keep it forefront in my mind, the basic PREOCCUPATIONS and which one I believe my target to have...and use the first few minutes to verify that opinion...cause, if you get it right, then you are in a much more powerful position than you think.

Don't you even utter another word until you have mastered the Arts and Sciences of VERBAL judo (I'll do better, but it works for now).

Gordon