Our youngest son, Ben, loves to sing and will quickly memorize the words to songs. A few weeks ago, the song "Funky Town" (by Lipps, Inc.) came on the radio and I was surprised to hear him start singing the tune. When the song progressed to the part where they would sing "talk about it" he started singing "TACO BODY." I stopped, looked at him, and asked, "Taco Body?" He, very seriously, turned back to me and said, "Yes, taco body."

Isn't that what happens a lot in life? We are singing "talk about it" but everyone around us is hearing "taco body?" In 22 years of leading people in the Navy, I have found that if you want to have everyone around you hear the song you are singing and not misinterpret the words, you should follow this equation:

Q2L + S2S + S2A = GR8 COMMS

Quick to Listen + Slow to Speak + Slow to Anger = Great Communication . Only 7% of what we say is really important, the other 93% comes from how we say it and our body language as we say it. If you want to break down barriers, build teamwork, and increase cohesion, try these strategies:

- Smile and make eye contact during the entire day

- Share a funny story about yourself

- Remove (or get away from) distractions when talking with people

- Listen with warm eyes and an open heart

It takes time and effort to lay the ground work for GREAT communication but for every bit of yourself that you tithe, you will get paid back 7 fold! With living in a fast paced world that keeps us distanced from one another, isn't it a fantastic time to start connecting with great communication? Don't wait...communicate!

This Week's Quote:

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road".

- Henry Ward Beecher

Keep laughing, leading, rockin', and connecting!