Author Archive: Geoffrey Schmitt

You’ve been invited to dinner. Your host or hostess has prepared the meal. However on the very first bite, your taste buds tell you this is not going to be a savory feast. What to do? How can you tell…
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Everyone knows men and women are different. However, when it comes to relationships we sometimes forget. It causes misunderstandings. Markman and Stanely of PREPinc.com tell a great humorous story (in their workshops and first book, Fighting for Your Marriage) to…
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Some folks believe that telling a lie will break one of the Ten Commandments. Now that is a lie. The commandment is “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” It means you should not lie when giving testimony in a trial….
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The Communication Cycle has been presented in a variety of levels and nuances. The basic cycle is in four parts. First the message is formulated. You can break that down into any number of sub-sections. They might include inspiration, meditation,…
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Unless the podium has the seal of the President and you’re the man it can be difficult to own the stage at the beginning of your presentation. A lot depends on the kind of speaking engagement. How formal is it?…
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Most communication these days is electronic. From Twitter, to Facebook, IM, to Texting, people are sending messages of all kinds to all places for all kinds of reasons. However, there is still a place and preference for old fashioned handwritten…
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Do you want to be known as a “yes” person? No. Do you want people to take advantage of you? No. Do you want to disappoint your kids and miss their game, performance, etc.? No. Do you want to follow…
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When it comes to communication there are three basic forms: written, spoken, and non verbal.  Everyone uses all three. However, most of us have a preference for one. If you are somewhat shy and introverted you might prefer written communication….
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It has been said, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” So how do you let them know?  The first thing is simple to say and perhaps a bit harder to do. When you are…
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It’s your first free evening in weeks. You have just sat down in front of your favorite TV show. You are about to take a big bite of a Dagwood sandwich and the doorbell rings! “Who could that be?” you…
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Back in the 1960s it was popular to say that the medium is the message. Nowhere is this more true than in public speaking. Non verbal signals communicate and we trust them more than words. You will never see a…
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It is unrealistic to think that any relationship is so good as to totally avoid disagreements and arguments. However, it is possible to keep them few and far between. It is also possible to keep them minor instead of major….
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It’s all about them. Psychology calls it projection. What we don’t like in ourselves we judge negatively in others. The Bible teaches the same thing as it records a saying of Jesus. Take the log out of your own eye…
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Many people live their lives as though negative reinforcement is the best strategy for growth and advancement. However, the best path to positive behavior transformation is through positive reinforcement. It is true with your pet dog and it is true…
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When you come to your senses and realize that you have caused offense it is time to make an apology. There is no great secret to making a sincere apology. It just, first and foremost must be sincere. You can’t…
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There are many relationships in life that provide opportunities for us to share our knowledge and experience with others. This can be rewarding or frustrating, depending upon the situation, the receptiveness of the other person and our skill for sharing…
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Life is short and time is precious.  We will enjoy it more if we pt pleasing ourselves and those close to us above the “oughts” and “shoulds” of our other interpersonal relationships. So what to do when you are invited…
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These days there are so many “modern” ways to communicate. To some even email seems old hat. There are Facebook walls to write on. You can Instant Message and Twitter. Younger folks seem to prefer texting. In the midst of…
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Communication is everything; well almost. Unless you are a hermit interacting with others is an essential part of your life. The better you are at it, the better your life will be. There are several areas in which improvements can…
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Unless you are a hermit, conversing with others is a major part of your life. Doing it well is critical to your success in life, both personally and professionally. One avenue to conversational development is to increase what you know….
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It may seem strange to say that we need to learn how to communicate. After all we have many conversations all day long. However, it is true. We need to learn to speak more clearly and effectively. It is even…
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