Vincent Ivan Phipps
Contributing Writer
Communication VIP Training and Coaching

Summer is here!  Vacations rise.  Outdoor activities rise. And as temperatures rise, so can our emotional temperatures.

Here are three tips this hot summer that can keep your communication cool.

1.    Pause before responding. The average person processes thoughts about 500 words per minute. The average person only speaks at about 150 words per minute.  This means that even if you were to speak three times faster than your normal rate, you still cannot speak as fast as your brain can process.  This speech to thought ratio can be detrimental when we get overly emotional.  We say the first thing that comes to mind without using our mental filters.  Pausing 2  – 3 seconds enables us to calm down and allow our brains to be more selective about the words that may be more suitable.

2.    Hydrate.  That’s right, drinking water can make you a better communicator!  Approximately 73{938cd9e8dae860e800efc538277d4f7684e6f6981618ba70d1c34357a53c2e1f} of our brains is water.  When we are dehydrated, the neurons controlling the left side (logical side) of our brains is at a disadvantage. When our brains are hydrated, in increase intellectual and conscious decision making.

3.    Ask before assuming.  Instead of saying, “Looks like you failed to complete your assignment again.” Ask, “What is the status of your project?”  Instead of saying, “This is going to take me too long to explain this to you, I will just do it myself.” ask, “To make sure we are on the same page about how to do this, what is the process to ensure completion before the deadline?”

As the season gets hotter, our patience can get shorter.  During the Summer heat, follow these three tips and this season, keep your communication cool.