Simply listening to well spoken individuals can help to improve our communication skills.

It’s better if we interact with the speaker and if we make a conscious effort to learn from the things they do well, but something as simple as listening to a podcast for long enough can make an impact. We pick up on speaking patterns, word usage, and composure; and suddenly these aspects begin to make their way into our own communication.

It’s not just speaking and listening either.

Our environment impacts us even beyond what we tend to realize. People who work in a group where passive meetings are the norm schedule unnecessary meetings without even realizing it. People who work in teams with a chaotic environment tend to be chaotic.

We bring our own personality and identity to our environment, but over time we tend to regress to the norm. And our definition of “norm” is heavily impacted by what we see everyday and who we interact with.

So when we’re picking who we surround ourselves with, it’s worth reflecting.

Do I want to be in an environment that drives me to improve? Or do I want to be somewhere that’s holding me back?

-Brandon