Learning to Speak Up

Don’t be the person who misses out on things in life because you didn’t speak up.

You didn’t communicate that a change needed to happen, or that you believed you were a great candidate for a specific position, and it resulted in a missed opportunity.

(Read more about how to avoid missing another opportunity.)

You may be extremely talented and a hard worker, but you could easily get overlooked because of someone who has great communication skills and isn’t afraid to ask for that raise or promotion, even though that person may have less character and a lesser work ethic than you. If you’re too shy or you’re afraid to speak up because you don’t want to sound stupid, then somebody else may get the job you really wanted or the raise you worked so hard for all because you didn’t communicate to your boss or supervisor.

Realize this: people aren’t born with good communication skills.

Those skills have to be developed. There are three principles to communication: how to start a conversation, how to carry on a conversation, and how to end a conversation. The book of Proverbs is an entire course on communication—what to say, what not to say, how to say it, who to say it to, and when to say it.

Developing communication skills is an ongoing process. If we want to be successful in life, we have to learn how to speak up and how to communicate effectively.

Proverbs 25:11 (ESV) “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

THE TAKE AWAY

Practice the art of communication. Learn how to really talk to people and not just give one-word answers or short, generic phrases like, yes, no, I dunno, maybe, I think so, I’m not sure. Teach your kids how to introduce themselves to others and how to communicate with confidence. It will be a huge benefit to them in the future!

The first step to communication is to change the way you think.

What you think about is what you’re going to talk about—and how you’re going to talk. Make sure your thoughts line up with God’s Word.