David W. Bennett

The “Not-So-Hidden Secret of Communication Effectiveness” isn’t really a secret at all. It’s actually two of the most often used sets of communication skills which people use to understand and link up with others in conversations—establishing common ground and creating connections. It’s the best way for one person to communicate with another person, but it usually “just happens.” Participants will learn that to change their focus to this approach they only need to do more of what they do now. They don’t have to re-invent their communication. All they have to do is to focus on the other person and to adapt their communication skills in every conversation. Participants get a sense of what common ground connections feel like through interactive exercises during the presentation. They’ll also recognize that they’ve had these feelings before—and that they feel good. It’s a tremendous positive feeling in the audience when they realize they can so easily enhance their communication.

Everyone already possesses two communication skills that they sometimes use in communicating with others--establishing common ground, and creating connections. Unfortunately, often these skills just happen. By combining these skills into common ground connections and using this approach more deliberately and frequently everyone can enhance their current communication. This presentation provides participants with simple guidelines for using this new focus. This approach only requires that each person do more of what they already do--establish common ground and create connections. People don't have to re-invent their other communication skills either. They just need to use their other communication skills to support them in this new approach. Participants are given specific guidelines in using this new approach. Short interactive exercises help them to "feel" what it's like to connect with others in this way. Skills are immediately transferable.