Americans Spend Less Than 40 Minutes a Day in Face-to-Face Communications

Times have changed. Up your game and learn diplomacy skills in American business. This lesson is not related to social communication habits and patterns, but by creating elevated language patterns in the workplace, you may find yourself using these practical skills with your family and friends.

Effective communication in American business involves speaking well-spoken English with managers, teammates, and customers. Here are some holiday gifts from me to you that will undoubtedly enhance your chances of good luck in 2025. Consider the following suggestions as Charisma Lessons.

These micro-learning lessons will jettison you to the corner office with a view of a promising future.

1. I encourage you to slow your speech pattern.
2. Brush up on the pronunciation of words in the English language. Pronounce every word, no slurring.
3. Broaden your vocabulary. Try using a new word every day in the new year.
4. Avoid blurting words that are not complete sentences, such as 'Sure' and 'Maybe.' Instead, express yourself in a sentence to explain what you want to convey. Instead of saying, 'Sure,' say, "Yes, I will deliver the report by 2 pm." Instead of saying, 'Maybe," say, "I will drop by the meeting if my client isn't late." This form of communication is a form of transparency and it is very effective in creating trust. Transparency plays a vital role in ethics.
5. Ask questions during discussions, and listen to the answers.
6. Listen to others without interrupting them (a cardinal sin in effective communication).
7. Lean forward and nod (slightly) three times when someone is speaking to you.
8. Raise your eyebrows momentarily when you shake hands with someone. This is a primal trust characteristic.

• There is a misnomer that speaking in complete sentences makes one appear haughty, ‘uppity,’ and arrogant. The opposite is true. Speaking in complete sentences gives an allure of self-confidence and assurance.
• On the other hand, listening evokes trust in others. The ability to fully listen to someone speak is a choice. In other words, listening is a lost art.
• Communication skills are part of life-long learning and require updates (like software, some trends need to be updated over time.) I have studied communication and visualization skills since I was 18 (1967) when I took the course Psycho-Cybernetics from the author himself, Maxwell Maltz, MD, and I am still using those early lessons by planning and creating effective human connections. The population of the United States in 1967 was 197 million. Today, the population is 345.4 million. That is approaching a doubling in US Growth. Since 1967, face-to-face communication has significantly changed, primarily influenced by technological advancements and shifting societal norms. Here are key changes in face-to-face communication over this period:
• Face-to-face interactions have become less frequent, with recent statistics suggesting that people in the US spend only about 40 minutes daily in face-to-face conversations.

·???????? Many prefer sending and receiving texts, email, or social media platforms rather than speaking to people.

·???????? Attention spans could improve during face-to-face conversations while people check their phones or other technology.

·???????? Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, have low person-to-person communication skills and prefer technology to communicate.

·???????? Visual imagery has become more important than face-to-face communication, including emojis and other visual aids to express emotions quickly.

·???????? The rise of video conferencing tools like Microsoft Teams or Zoom have changed the nature of face-to-face communication, allowing visual interaction.

·???????? Face-to-face requests in business are still considered forty-one times more likely to garner positive responses than emails.

·???????? There is a growing recognition of the importance of non-verbal cues in face-to-face communication, including body language, handshakes, smiles, and facial expressions.

·???????? People have become uncomfortable with in-person conversations due to over-reliance on digital communication, and companies are recognizing the need to create environments that prioritize and practice personal communication.

·???????? Despite reliance on technology, face-to-face interactions remain crucial to human connections in business and personal relationships. The challenge lies in balancing the convenience of digital communication with the irreplaceable value of in-person interactions.

Practice generosity in your communication style. Go that extra step and consider your listener. Consider (just consider) the critical fact that your delivery is as important as the content of your words, and if your listener resonates with you, they will listen to what you are saying.

We are in the midst of holiday parties for the next month. Use some of the suggestions in this article during events with your workmates, family, and friends. You will know instantly if you are succeeding in rapport.

Happy Holidays from my family to yours.

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For more information on Ethics and Etiquette in American Business, please read my new book, Navigating Virtue: Ethics and Etiquette in American Business. I am Phyllis Davis, and I’ve been an Ethics and Etiquette Expert for 40 years and have traveled over six million air miles teaching, speaking, and training companies. https://ethics-etiquette.com

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