The Schellman Blog

American entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple Steve Jobs once said, “learn continually—there’s always ‘one more thing’ to learn!”

Stephen R. Covey, the author of the groundbreaking book that continues to top bestseller lists and shape business culture today, said, “the 7 Habits represent a proven process of personal and interpersonal growth that can have both immediate and lasting impact.”

As we quickly have stepped into 2018, we should not forget to reflect on what 2017 meant to us – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is important to allow ourselves the opportunity to celebrate accomplishments, to learn from the not-so-great times, and to plan for adventures in 2018.

Are you always concerned with making a good first impression? Do you often feel unsure of how to approach the conversation with a group of people you are meeting for the first time? Don’t worry, it’s common to feel anxious and uncertain in networking situations. When meeting new people, we tend to put a lot of stress on ourselves to shine and come across well, in order to make a connection.

The Nonverbal Group in New York conducted research that suggests that, on a daily basis, the amount of communication that is nonverbal varies between 60 - 90%--this number depends on the situation and the individual. Dr. Albert Mehrabian, a professor of psychology best known for his publications on the relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages, wrote in his book “Silent Messages” that only 7% of our messages are conveyed through actual words. So then, the question begs—what is happening to us in a technology obsessed culture of hiding behind our smart phones? Are we even paying attention to the real people right in front of us?

I had the privilege of attending a one day Leadership simulcast recently, and the theme was “Powered by Purpose”. It made me think, what is purpose? We hear the word often, but have we stopped to think about it? When I think of purpose – it is what defines us, drives us, and empowers us.