• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Adam Kirk Smith

- A. Smith Blog - Leadership in Life

  • About Adam
  • The Bravest You
  • Blog
    • Leadership
      • Creativity
    • Communication
    • Relationships
    • Focus
  • Podcasts & Video
    • Podcast: Live Life with Purpose
    • Podcast: Ideas with Adam Smith
    • asmithvideo
  • Coaching & Consulting
  • Speaking

conversation

how to ask good questions Socrates statue

Erik Tyler | August 20, 2015 | 10 Comments

Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me (Ask Instead) – Erik Tyler

 

You’ve been there. You’re leading a group. You’re meeting with a coworker, an employee, your boss, or maybe even your spouse. You feel like you are speaking clearly, but the crickets are chirping in the corner. You’re met with slack jaws, slightly glazed eyes – and silence.

Maybe you find yourself meeting with people to discuss action points that need to be put in motion after your meeting is done, whether as part of a project team, employee reviews or conflict resolution. And people are nodding in agreement. Perhaps you’ve fallen back on the old standby of asking people to “repeat back what I just told you,” and they did so verbatim. Then … nothing happens. Nothing changes. Yet, you’re positive they heard you. What happened?

Worse yet, maybe it’s not silence or inactivity that you’re finding to be the problem. On the contrary, you’re thinking you would welcome some silence, because it seems like too many meetings dissolve into debate, arguing, posturing, resistance, confusion or general chaos.

I’m hopeful that you will have some real “Aha!” moments during our next few minutes together. Let me also add that, while this blog is geared toward business communication, the principles and approaches we’ll discuss here apply to interpersonal communication anywhere : with students you teach; with your friends, your spouse, your kids. In short, they are “people practices” not merely “business practices.” And as such, you may find the greatest value comes in getting through to your teen son than your business associates.

[Read more…] about Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me (Ask Instead) – Erik Tyler

how to remember names, name cloud over head with lightbulb

Erik Tyler | July 30, 2015 | 3 Comments

How to Remember Things PART 2: Names – Erik Tyler

 

In PART 1 of this series on “How to Remember Things,” I introduced some core memory strategies, particularly applied to tricky spelling situations. If you have not already read that post (and even if you consider yourself an adequate speller), I recommend you take a moment to read it now, since it contains foundational strategies that will apply to all other memory techniques in the series.

In today’s post, I want to add a little more to your overall understanding of how memory works, and then apply it to one of the most useful skills you can have as a leader: how to remember names. This one will be a bit longer than other posts, because it contains a base of truly useful and necessary foundational information; but I promise, it will be worth your while. Not only will you gain real skills in just a few minutes here, remembering names is key to effective communication and rapport, as well as simply being others-focused in life.

[Read more…] about How to Remember Things PART 2: Names – Erik Tyler

happy wooden marionette puppet

Erik Tyler | July 16, 2015 | 6 Comments

Big Fat Lie #3: How To Say It Without Saying Anything At All – Erik Tyler

 

I trust that in the last few weeks, you’ve begun to think about communication as the truly magical and monumental thing it is, and that you’ve learned to be a better liar (in the best of ways, of course) in Part 1 and Part 2 of this “Big Fat Lies” series. Today, let’s continue to fine tune our mastery of the craft by pulling the curtain on one of the sneakiest – and yet most powerful – lies of all: nonverbal communication.

I think most of us take nonverbal communication for granted, because it infuses itself into most everything we do, even without our being aware of it. However, it’s just that lack of awareness that can get us into trouble and leave us wondering what went wrong in both personal and professional communication settings where it seemed our spoken message was on track – yet, for some mysterious reason, was not received as well as we had hoped it would be. Or perhaps, you’re just wondering how to pack more punch in a presentation.

[Read more…] about Big Fat Lie #3: How To Say It Without Saying Anything At All – Erik Tyler

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

About

Hi, my name is Adam Smith and welcome to asmithblog.com. I am the author of the book, The Bravest You. Because of my work as an entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and speaker, I have been named a top industry influencer by American Genius. I live with my wife, Jasmine, and three children in Shenandoah, IA.

[Read More…]

Podcast: Ideas

Ideas with Adam Smith Logo

Podcast: Live Life with Purpose

Life With Purpose Podcast Icon

The Bravest You by Adam Kirk Smith

Youtube: ASmithVideo

asmithvideo icon

Latest Posts

  • FREE BOOK… for a limited time!
  • Add Value
  • Books I’m Listening To…
  • Motive Matters
  • Books and Other Stuff

Adam Smith · Leadership in Life · asmithblog.com © 2025 · Adam Kirk Smith's blog on leadership, relationships, communication, creativity, and focus.