Let's Talk Courageous Communication with Telana Simpson

Are you aware of how much your vision is involved in your ability to communicate? We take it for granted that part of how we get our messages across to others, is what we gesture and what we communicate through our facial expressions. Telana speaks with Christopher Venter, who lost his sight in 2014, about what he has learnt from this experience of having lost one of his senses, and specifically his lessons about communication and relating to others. Topics include being specific with your choice of words, listening, patience, acceptance and trust.

To hear more about his adventure and story about his challenges, plus a demonstration of the technology solutions assisting the blind to communicate online, see the Let's Talk Possibility episode entitled: The Adventures of the Blind Scooter Guy.

For more info see:http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/communication-relating-lessons-from-the-blind-scooter-guy

As an example of a conversation that counts, Telana invited Desray Clark, a women’s leadership development specialist, to talk about the topic of feminism today. They cover how being a feminist has been misconstrued and how the movement has impacted some of the challenges we face today in terms of gender equality. They explore the conversations both men and women need to be having, and how we can have more of these conversations. What are the skills we need, and the mindsets that will help us put the issues on the table, and be more curious to unpack them for change?

For more info see:http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/feminism-gender-equality-with-desray-clark/

There are certain meaningful and important conversations that we need to have with children, but often the tricky conversations are not had, as we find them so uncomfortable to explore. Rod and Kate Power share some ideas on how to talk with children about sensitive topics, like how to protect their private parts, in an attempt to empower children against sexual abuse. They have created a useful tool to help parents have this uncomfortable conversation in an engaging and empowering way, helping both parents and children. Among other tips, they talk with Telana about developing trust, giving children permission to talk up when they are violated, the importance of listening to children and tips on how to handle the situation with a child if you suspect abuse.

For more info see:

www.myunderpantsrules.com

and

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/how-to-have-difficult-conversations-with-children

Brand Pretorius is an accomplished communicator, marketer and leader. Telana joined Brand to discuss what he learnt from his years of leading organisations in the motor industry, specifically about effective communication skills for leading others and as an Executive Director sitting on Boards. They cover feedback skills, dealing with conflict, how to confront others, the value of listening, public speaking and how credibility is a critical component to effective leadership and communication.

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/communication-skills-for-leaders-with-brand-pretorius/

Wilmarie Janse van Rensburg is a force to be reckoned with in the field of motorsport in South Africa, and is known as the SAspeedqueen. Using the context of her achievements in motorsport and business, Wilmarie shares her lessons that she learnt from racing on the track, that can be translated into life and business skills, and specifically in how we express ourselves in challenging environments. She covers with Telana topics like speaking up, focus and passion, assertiveness, finding inner strength and being consistent.

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/expressing-in-challenging-environments-with-wilmarie

Walter Pike shares about how our confidence in ourselves, together with our sense of self worth (self-esteem) and ability to be non-judgemental relate to our ability to have difficult conversations, using as an example his involvement in Slut Walk and having conversations about victim blaming and rape culture. He also discusses with Telana about group think and how to spread ideas, especially for marketing purposes, using his Directed Activism methodology and social media.

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/conversations-about-difficult-subjects-offline-using-social-media-with-walter-pike

Marion Scher, award-winning journalist and media trainer, believes that Mmusi Maimane (leader of one of South Africa’s political parties, the Democratic Alliance) is a master of communication. Telana unpacks with her Maimane’s communication skills, and also explores the skills needed to handle speaking in the media - on radio and TV - effectively. They also touch on interviewing skills, and the power of storytelling to get people's attention, especially online.

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/developing-media-communication-skills-with-marion-scher

Emily Vining is part of a diverse team of the social enterprise Lumkani making a social impact through the development of fire detection technology. Her role is to talk with the communities who use their technology, and by building relationships with them, ensure that they meet the needs and preferences of the end users of their device. Telana explores with her the skills, especially listening, that she uses to build these relationships, and the mindset that allows her to be so effective.

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/how-build-relationships-with-community

For more information about Lumkani, see this Let’s Talk Possibility podcast episode with Emily:

http://talkpossibility.innercoaching.co.za/the-journey-of-a-fire-detection-startup-with-emily-vining-ep-131

What are emotions? And feelings? And why are we so triggered by relationships? How do we use our emotions and relationships to understand ourselves more, and grow spiritually? What does it mean to just be who we are, our authentic self? To say "I am"? These are the questions Telana poses to Mike George, the author of several books, who also plays the role of spiritual teacher, coach, management tutor, mentor and facilitator.

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/mike-george-on-emotions-relationships-i-am-ep-10

Guy Kawasaki is known for his directness, and his success in getting his point across in keynote talks, as an author, and a venture capitalist. Telana asks him to share about the skill of pitching an idea, and why feedback, especially negative criticism, is so important and useful, even if it feels confronting to the other person.

Links referred to in the show include:

http://guykawasaki.com/ten-easy-ways-to-make-your-pitch-rock/

http://guykawasaki.com/the-only-10-slides-you-need-in-your-pitch/

http://guykawasaki.com/books/the-art-of-the-start/

https://www.udemy.com/entrepreneurship-course-by-guy-kawasaki

For more info see:

http://talkcommunication.innercoaching.co.za/guy-kawasaki-on-confronting-others-ep-9