THE WISDOM OF ABIGAIL: A MODEL FOR GOOD PEOPLE SKILLS People Skill #4: Seasoning Your Word {con't}

​Great communicators get to the point. An old African proverb says, “Blessed is he who is brief, for he will be invited to speak again.” When it comes to communication, less really is more. Fewer words have a greater impact.
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Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be rash with your mouth…and let your words be few.” Proverbs 10:19 also warns us: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” One should not make the mistake of thinking that being a good communicator means being a big talker. There’s a huge difference. The key to skillful communication is the conveyance of information with the least amount of words possible.

In fact, some of the greatest, most inspirational speeches were also some of the shortest ever made. Winston Churchill’s “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech was just over three minutes long. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was a mere 271 words and took only two minutes. Rev. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was 17 minutes long and is regarded as the greatest sermon of the American Civil Rights movement.

Learn a lesson from America’s ninth president, William Henry Harrison. On March 4, 1841, a cold and wet day, he delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. At 8,445 words, it took him nearly two hours to read. As a result, he caught a cold which developed into pneumonia and it killed him. The lesson is clear: more words, less impact; less words, more impact.

Great communicators must be people of discipline who can control their tongues. They must resist the urge to impress people with their vast wisdom and wealth of experience. They must refrain from dominating the conversation and making themselves the center of focus. Get to the point, make it quick, and then be silent. Let someone else speak. I would rather be known as someone whose less words have great impact, “like apples of gold in settings of silver,” than someone who talks too much and has nothing to say. Abigail’s speech to David wasn’t long, but it made a powerful, persuasive impression.

Understand this truth: Silence makes you smart, but many words make you stupid. Proverbs reinforces this: “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive (Proverbs 17:27-28).

For more information on great people skills, check out my latest book, UPWARD: Taking Your Life to the Next Level now available on Amazon.

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