Change has been in the air at Say It Clearly since the start of the year. Slowly, slowly the changes have been put into place and now it is the newsletter’s turn.

There has been a change to the look and frequency of the newsletter. Every month there will be a special offer of some sort as well as the usual information, tips or techniques. Nothing too dramatically different there.

What’s prompted these changes is that SIC has been running for over 8 years now and I feel like winding down a bit.  It really was time to stop and have a re-assess as to what’s not sustainable and thinking ahead for the next 8 years, it’s now all about small and slow.

All day workshops are out. Half day workshops only for teams.  Individual training availability has been restricted to 4 a month which leaves time for creating new resources that everyone can access on an online ‘school’ so welcome to the world SayItClearly.nz!

Hmmm, not so dramatic really and it may seem as if there is no change at all but there is, truly.

.nz platform is like a shop. You go in, have a browse around, ask some questions – will this work, how does it fit, how long will it last. That sort of thing. Then you make your choice and make your way to the counter to pay. The best part is there is no social distancing, waiting outside while others shop, wearing a mask and the customer service is exceptional. The staff won’t keep chatting to each other while you wait. Or complete some mundane chore while you stand there wanting some help. I’ve digressed.

This ‘school’ has all my training in programmes that will suit what you are looking for. Wanting help with any form of public speaking? Pitches, Presentations and Public Speaking is for you. Struggling to be heard in meetings and wanting to be an effective leader? Find Your Voice, Find Your Words. Is English your second language and you really need to have excellent spoken English for your job? Then Speak Excellent English will cover all your needs.

What if you want a programme for a child? We have two – Performance Preparation for Children  or Clear Speech for Children. There are several schools running both these programmes which is a great way to reach a larger number of children needing speech help, even if it is just for confidence but will most certainly improve their articulation which in turn helps out with learning to read and spell.

Click on the link to take a look. Any questions just ask or if you have any feedback I’d love to hear it. www.sayitclearly.nz

Diaphragmatic breathing is essential for any aspect of speech. It is the ‘motor power’ in behind your voice and it is also the method of breathing recognised as reducing anxiety levels and lowering your blood pressure. Watch the free video on the home page to learn how and practise your favourite exercise every day or at times you feel your heart rate is going up due to worry or stress.

Sign up to any course and you receive the full 40 page training manual FREE saving you $29NZD. This offer expires on the 30th of September 2021.

Good luck out there, stay safe.

Miriam.

Yes, up until 9th July I have some availability but after that there are no gaps in my calendar - fully booked until January 2022. If you have been thinking about how I can help you and your team with effective communication book a time now. 

In New Zealand, ineffective communication can cost 70% of production. $600 per employee, per annum in sick or stress leave, it costs 1.5% of a salary for staff turnover. Not to mention the $12, 000, 000 in personal grievances due to issues escalating that have not been dealt with effectively. (These numbers come from Statistic New Zealand).

If you have any concerns or had employees raise concerns with you around frustration, stress, conflict, bullying,  do not let this escalate, deal with it now. There are 3 ways I can help; 1:1, small group or half day workshop but book a time to talk and we can discuss the best way forward. 

Segue.

“When she rises, we all rise” Westpac Women of Influence slogan is spot on. When we, as women, find our voices and find the words to use for maximum positive effect, we all rise. The other day I was relieving in a science classroom of year 10 young women in an all girls’ school so it was for one hour.

One of the young women in that class I used to teach when she was 5. I was her first teacher and boy, did we clash. The whole year. She wanted to be in charge and so did I (obviously, as the teacher.) If she didn’t see the point in an activity she was very vocal about it and would sometimes point blank refuse to do something she couldn’t see the worth in. Jump Jam springs to mind.

At that school we gave out certificates in assembly every Friday to the student that had done something ‘of note’.  The last Friday of that year I gave the certificate to her because of her determination, strength of character, knowing her own mind. Even at 5 she had mana. (And yes, I do remember the why in behind that certificate 9 years down the track. There are some children who stay with you and watch to see how they develop as a person).

On that one hour in her classroom the other day, she displayed all of those attributes she had at 5. Did we clash again? Yes. How annoying. Clearly she hasn’t yet got the maturity to see how I know best (*insert winky emoji).

What I hope for her, her whanau and our community is that she embraces her mana and learns to use her voice and her words to raise us all up. I do believe she has the skill and attributes to become an outstanding leader and I truly hope she has role-models to show her the power behind her words and how to use them effectively.

Year 10 (14/15 years old) has got to be the worst age EVER. Who's with me?

Or they make you clench your jaw, hunch your shoulders up around your ears (note – while a good postural technique is to make sure your ears are above your shoulders, they shouldn’t be UP near them). You might even lose your temper, react, in other words.

While we all have challenging aspects of our personality and when we work closely with people, including customers and clients, what can be the most challenging is our reaction. How not to be ‘triggered’ by what someone has said, or done, or how they chew their food or breathe. We can’t control what others say or do we can only control our reaction.

Learning how to respond as opposed to reacting is what’s key to effective communication. Not only the workplace but also at home, in our personal lives.

If we are met with any sort of behaviour that makes our life challenging, there are techniques you can learn to deal with it. It's important to learn these techniques when you are relaxed so it's easier to recall when you are stressed. 

Anger is a secondary emotion so there is always some other emotion in behind it, as the primary emotion.  These emotions can be so fleeting we aren't even aware of them and we just go straight to anger. Once again, breathing helps keep you calm under angry situations (and help you to calm down if it's you who's angry).

It also can be challenging not to be drawn into someone else’s issues/conflict/drama that actually we have nothing to do with.

One way to stop this from happening is to respond in a non-committal way. Saying “Riiiiight” and really drawing out the iiii sound will give the person time to draw breath and carry on without you haven’t to say anything possibly incriminating.

When it comes to dealing with issues or coming up against challenging people, take a deep breath (it will only take 3 seconds) and let it out slowly. These breathing exercises are in the training manual that’s currently free on Amazon (link at the bottom of this).

This week I am covering this very thing in a couple of workshops within a team. Team workshops are great because everyone hears the same message and discussions around what was presented as everyone will have a different take on it, will lead to the learning becoming more likely to be put into practice.

Say It Clearly has training options available as a service provider for NZTE. Which means you could qualify for up to 50% of the cost off your training. Email below for more info.

Find Your Voice, Find Your Words.