Do you want to be heard?

Written By Mindy Muller

My kids used to whine. I taught them early on that everything they want to say they can say without whining. It wasn't WHAT they were saying that was the issue it was HOW it was being said. It worked. We triumphed at not having whiny kids.

I find myself wanting to give that same lecture to professionals. We whine, we complain, we taunt, and we throw tantrums over people's actions, inactions and opinions. It largely isn't WHAT is being said that is the issue but HOW it is being said. If you want to be HEARD and if you want people to LISTEN and RESPOND, it matters how you say things. Name-calling, 'gotchas', or calling people out may make you feel empowered and you may even be cheered by those who agree with you...but at what cost? If you are serious about making an impact, changing the dialogue, and opening the eyes of others...if you are interested in having your position heard and persuading others to reconsider their position, I challenge you to reconsider your approach:

1. Be as willing to listen to understand as you want others to listen to understand. Most people believe what they believe because they have different information, other facts, and other perceptions. You will be better readied to educate and dialogue when you understand what they think and why.

2. Be prepared. Have your facts, your research, your data and your anecdotes ready. Emotive language and persuasive speech are not enough. Well-prepared truth-speaking is powerful regardless of how the truth is orated or presented.

3. Be clear and confident without being offensive. If people are offended by the TRUTH, so be it. But do not purposely seek to offend with rhetoric and strong language.

I appreciate a well-prepared disruptor. I appreciate being challenged to think differently. Keep on disrupting the status quo if your end game is moving us further down the path, but please don't dumb down decorum for the sake of shaking things up. Disrupt honorably and stand your ground because you are confident you stand on what is true and righteous.


-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP

#nonprofits #justice #smallbusiness #nonprofit#communitydevelopment #peopledevelopment


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Mindy Muller

EDUCATE. SUPPORT. DEVELOP. CONNECT. CDP helps communities thrive. Through innovative and strategic partnerships with nonprofits, local government, educational institutions and community-based businesses, CDP works through community stakeholders to make communities places where everyone can thrive. Through our team of professionals we have helped thousands of organizations build their capacity to better serve their communities by providing innovative solutions to unique community development challenges.

Specialties include nonprofit capacity building; affordable housing solutions; community development strategies; and, social enterprise and entrepreneurship

https://communitydevelopmentprofessionals.com
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