It is best, for effective communications when you are clear about your intentions, your interests and what you love or don’t really care for all too much. You are an important element in this. People – at least, most people – are not mind readers, or even intuitive to the point of knowing exactly what you want or need.

A frowning customer may be reading something unpleasant on their phone, but it may be a tomato that isn’t quite ripe or a flavor they weren’t expecting in their Panini. Asking, “how is your lunch?” would be a good idea…just to be sure.

Turning signals were invented for this reason…Even if someone driving behind you can tell that you might be inching your way toward an exit or the other lane, pushing that handy little lever could be a life saver.

Talking about what you want for dinner, to do for Valentine’s Day or even for your next career may tell someone else a tidbit of information that will allow them to help make you happier beyond belief. They may stop and pick up chicken Marsala, make a reservation for a couples’ massage or tell you about that awesome, local company that they just heard is hiring.

Reading a negative review or hearing that someone is gossiping about you is equally terrible – no doubt. Blowing up and getting angry or feeling frustrated and internalizing everything on your mind can be the worst thing to do. Not to say that total blunt honesty, impulsively shared is the right approach either, but you should think about it – write it down if you have to – and say what you think, but also what you want to say.

Honesty, sincerity, humility, integrity and empathy are each, on their own merit, an important element in communication. Sometimes, you just have to talk out loud, not just in your head, which we all tend to do in this “politically correct world” we live in today. Plus, social media allows us to react and share, quite impulsively, and it doesn’t always work out the way you think when you hit return/enter/post/upload. This concept and practice works for your life and your small business equally helping you grow both professionally and personally. Which, to many of us, are “one and the same”.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl