Susan MSA's Reviews > The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Your thoughts become your attitudes, which become your actions, which become your behavior, which become your habits, which become your lifestyle, and inevitably determine your outcomes. Utilize this circular truth by using positive thoughts to create positive outcomes. It is a choice you get to make every day. Choose wisely.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Since we are all unique and individual, being cognizant of different personality styles will help you better recognize where others are coming from to minimize barriers, build trust, and catapult your newfound communication skills into meaningful connections. The savvy socializer knows this all.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Communication is the soul of all relationships. More than any other skill, it is the heartbeat of success in sales, marketing, marriage, business, friendship, communities, and beyond.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Communicating negatively (gossiping, bragging, bullying, and criticizing) can be disastrous to your reputation, cause you to lose the respect of others, and leave a terrible impression. Why leave this essential expertise up to chance when it can make or break the success of your relations?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“When you begin conversations with confidence and listen attentively, you will become more flexible and adaptable in most any situation.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Mindfulness means paying attention to what is happening at this very moment and being keenly aware of your surroundings and the people in it.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Whether your awareness is focused on your own emotions and perceptions or directed toward the preferences, needs, and feelings of others, being mindful (aware and attentive) will enable you to respond more appropriately.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“This deliberate focus and sensitivity allow you to "put yourself in another person’s shoes and walk around a while" to better understand where they are coming from and what they are all about.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Developing this ability instills a sixth sense for navigating human relationships with dignity, grace, and discretion, thus making an intentional and thoughtful first impression.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“As Americans, we typically move full steam ahead without much regard to mindfulness or thoughtful reflection, often to one’s own detriment. Yet it is that same propensity for bold action which makes fulfilling the "American Dream" possible—where an immigrant can come to our country with nothing and achieve extraordinary things.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Although it may serve you well, any strength or skill which is overused can become a limitation when it forces you to constantly be moving and looking for the next best thing. Distractions, interruptions, and incessantly chasing after the next golden ring can become the norm.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Your encounters will be more successful when you slow down, pay attention, and become more mindfully aware of the world around you. Heightening your awareness in your social, situational, contextual, orientational, and cultural scenarios will improve your agility as you adapt to new social settings.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“With your mind alert and your eyes wide open, you will be better able to assess your space and your place for optimizing exchanges and your communication impressions.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Becoming more socially aware involves greater understanding of the dynamics of social interactions to assure you achieve harmonious outcomes.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“When you are socially aware, you will realize whether you are forcing yourself into a conversation or have actually been invited to participate.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Sometimes you must earn the right to be included. Otherwise, you may appear awkward or pushy.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“When a person is focused completely on self it is nearly impossible to be mindful of others at the same time. That is a contradiction for healthy communication, networking, and relationship building.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Sometimes it is better to refrain from engaging in conversation because making no impression is better than making a bad impression.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“When people can't give anything and are only there for themselves, why should others use their time and energy to get involved? There's no benefit.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Do you attend networking events to give out as many cards as possible or is it your intention to deliver something of value? When you are busy charging ahead with your own agenda, you're not meeting the needs of anyone but yourself—and it's obvious!”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“At a Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast, two of my friends and I were standing in a circle talking. A stranger approached, interrupted our little reunion, and gave each of us her card. She then began talking about herself and her business without a hint of social awareness, or care about her interruption. She even had the tactless gall to ask us for referrals. When she left our small circle, we looked at each other and laughed, “What was that?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Situational awareness enables you to observe your periphery with a clear vision and emotional foresight, which may inevitably keep you socially, physically, or professionally out of harm's way. Connect the dots.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“When you enter a room, a social situation, or a business meeting, be mindful of cues; read between the lines to better understand people and events. What do these things tell you?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“How do you know when to advance the conversation or when there's something still unresolved? When you are situationally aware, you watch the body language and notice the cues that are given to you. Listening and observing are being mindful in the best sense of the word.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Being “appropriate” means being suitable, fitting, relevant, or proper in a situation. What may be appropriate in one circumstance can be terribly inappropriate in another. How does one discern? Sometimes it is simply a matter of maturity and experience.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Contextual awareness represents a continuum of behaviors, which illustrates how and why groups of people unite or divide among cultures.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“When you have orientational awareness, your perceptions and impressions are based on location and proximity. Orientation may imply hierarchy, position, and prestige, or be the result of habits, traditions, and perceptions.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“In America, when a man walks in front of a woman it may imply that they are not equals and he is exerting dominance over her, or being arrogant and rude. In a different culture, however, it may be presumed that he is someone worthy of profound respect and is protecting her by going first.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“On a recent business trip, I reunited with a friend I had not seen in twenty years. After having a lovely lunch meeting, we came out of the restaurant to walk towards the parking lot. He automatically moved me to the inside of the sidewalk as he walked along the curbside. His orientational awareness illustrated a chivalrous gesture of protection and respect which impressed me greatly.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Our cultural lens is so much a part of us that we are not even aware of how obvious it is to others. Like the nose on your face, you may forget that it is there, but everyone else sees it. I can’t look at you and not see your nose.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Being grounded in your lifelong culture and your personal perspective, you are comfortable with the way you see things and may believe it is the best and only way.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Sociologically speaking, as Americans we often lack social, cultural, and mindful awareness. We hear the stories of how our arrogance has been known to offend, confuse, and alienate people from other cultures. Arrogance is the thief of mindfulness and it happens from both directions.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“To gain greater understanding, clarity, and awareness, you must become aware of your values and beliefs. Think of a triangle or an iceberg. Below the waterline, your beliefs and your values build the foundation for your behavior.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“We will judge others based on their behaviors with little to no understanding or regard for their beliefs or values—standards we may not know, nor typically see. When we do this, things can be taken completely out of context because we are assessing their behavior against our expectations, which are produced from our own personal value system.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Navigating relationships within our own culture can be challenging enough. When diverse cultures are involved, however, a huge potential for misunderstanding, disrespect, miscommunication, and intolerance is present.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“It is crucial to understand that there are myriad interpretations of behavior. When you subscribe only to yours, you may begin to think that everyone else is wrong and thus limit your flexibility and possibility. Developing cultural awareness will make your diverse relationships easier and more productive.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“4 Steps for Understanding Each Other

1. Identify your beliefs and core values; ask how they determine your behaviors and habits.
2. Realize with whom you are interacting and try to identify how their values are explaining their behavior.
3. Assume positive intent.
4. Seek ways to adapt your behavior to help bridge the cultural gap.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Prepare yourself well by learning how to be more mindful in each interaction. The effort you put forth to gain insight will empower you to make a better impression on others, while enriching your opportunities to build enlightened, trusted relationships.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Conversation starters. Icebreakers. Openers. However you choose to label them, that moment when the first words come out of your mouth can make or break the outcome of your entire conversation. Been there, done that, right?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Meeting someone for the first time has significance, but for some people, the awkwardness can be so great that they avoid a conversation altogether. The person who may be shy, introverted, or afraid of sounding stupid may just choose to remain silent rather than take the risk of engaging in embarrassing dialogue.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“How do you minimize the awkwardness in that moment? What are some of the conversations starters you've used to open, encourage, and support enjoyable and beneficial conversations?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“10 Conversation Bridge Builders

1. Simply say hello with a smile.
2. Ask them what they love about their work.
3. Ask natural questions out of genuine curiosity.
4. Get a person talking about what’s important to them.
5. Compliment something positive which you’ve noticed.
6. Engage them with questions which are easy to answer.
7. Introduce them to someone whom you think they’ll enjoy meeting.
8. Ask them if they have any trips or vacations planned.
9. Look for something you may have in common so that the conversation begins with shared interests.
10. Think of questions that begin with how, what, when, why and where.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Add a fresh twist of creativity to make a stellar impression which people won’t soon forget. Granted, your venue will determine how far you can stretch and how creative you can be. Making small tweaks to your conversation starters can make a memorable impact!”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“14 Awesome Conversation Starters

1. What do you do for fun? Hobbies, recreation . . .
2. What are your super powers? Gifts, talents, strengths.
3. Good morning! It’s great to see you!
4. What is your story? Tell me about yourself.
5. What brought you to __________?
6. Do you have anything special happening in your life (or your business)?
7. What’s the best thing that’s happened this week?
8. Are you living your life purpose or still searching for it?
9. What gives you passion and makes you happy to be alive?
10. Do you have any pets?
11. How do you know the host?
12. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
13. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
14. What's next on your bucket list?”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Speaking on Stage

Speakers and presenters have only a few short seconds before their audience members begin forming opinions. True professionals know that beginning with impact determines audience engagement, the energy in the room, positive feedback, the quality of the experience, and whether or not their performance will be a success. A few of the popular methods which you can use to break the ice from the stage are:

• Using music.
• Using quotes.
• Telling a joke.
• Citing statistics.
• Showing a video.
• Asking questions.
• Stating a problem.
• Sharing acronyms.
• Sharing a personal story.
• Laying down a challenge.
• Using analogies and comparisons.
• Taking surveys; raise your hand if . . .

Once you refine, define, and discover great conversation starters, you will enjoy renewed confidence for communicating well with new people.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Listening is one thing; however, ACTIVE listening is quite another. The first is a passive act which does not require great involvement, whereas, the latter is a consciously aware and deliberately focused effort to actively participate in the conversation.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Think of the communication that takes place in your own life on a continuous basis—at home, at work, with friends, and beyond. When you actively listen to people, you enhance communication.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“Listening actively confirms for people that you are positively receiving and thoroughly understanding the message they are conveying.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“By your practice of active listening, everyone involved benefits because you . . .

• are more engaged and engaging;
• demonstrate that you are interested in others and what they have to say;
• make others feel important, respected, understood, and appreciated;
• improve your memory and retention;
• affirm to others that you are an authentic, caring, and compassionate person;
make a great first and last impression”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact

“If the skill of participatory listening came effortlessly and easy for everyone, there would not be so many misunderstandings, communication breakdowns, irritations, and frustrations.”
― Susan C. Young, The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact