I interact with teenagers and young people on a fairly regular basis, and I’ve observed that some of the old-fashioned arts of basic communication are fading, and it makes me sad, but it also makes me worried. Are we raising a generation of kids that don’t know the power of eye contact? Who are unskilled at talking to adult strangers? Who struggle with handshakes? In our pursuit of material excellence, are we forgetting the value of understanding and developing skills around human connection and the art of self-advocacy? That connection is worth exploring for its own sake, not just because it allows us to perform well in a job interview (although let’s be honest, if two equally qualified people walk into a job interview, and one knows how to make a good first impression and the other doesn’t, who’s gonna get that gig …)? This episode is my attempt as a communication coach, to offer some tips, some ideas and some fascinating stories I’ve been gathering.
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