By Chuck Cusumano
Are my words true?
Are my words helpful?
Are my words inspiring?
Are my words necessary?
Are my words kind?
When I look back at instances of miscommunication I have caused, they can almost always be traced back to speaking before asking myself these 5 essential questions.
As a leader, speaker, husband, brother, father, and friend, my communication is paramount to my relationships. No matter the role or relationship you are developing, any and every utterance should be preceded by this thought process: Is it true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and kind?
Too often, we let our emotions do the talking, which can result in saying things we may not mean. Some of these mistaken remarks may be easily rectified, while others can never be fixed. After all, “Words are free. It’s how you use them that may cost you.”
No matter what, know that your words could – and should – have a life-long impact on those you talk to. As King Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crashes the spirit.”