Communication: The Translator

People exceptionally talented in the communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Gallup StrengthsFinder

Gallup states that, “people strong in Communication talent can find words for not only their thoughts and feelings, but for those of others. This gives them the ability to reach out and connect with others in meaningful ways.” People who have strong Communication talent have the keen ability to translate thoughts into words. They can explain things in a way that is understood by those around them.

Communication is a powerful talent that compliments all other 34 themes. Communication, though, like all themes, takes time to move from a raw state to a mature state. If your mentee is part of the 24.5% of TeamMates mentees with the Communication talent in their top 5, consider taking some time to help them mature their Communication talent.

Here are some ways you can add value to your mentee’s Communication talent:

Bring in a word of the week to each match meeting. Pick a new word that they may have not encountered before. After learning the definition and pronunciation, challenge each other to use the word sometime before you meet again. When you have your next meeting, tell each other about the time you were able to use the word. For ideas of new words, check out Dictionary.com’s word of the day.
Start documenting common words or phrases your mentee says. These are your mentee’s “catch phrases”. In a few months, show them what you have written and encourage them to continue expressing themselves through words.
If your mentee is a verbal communicator, take time to help them verbally process their current circumstances. Check out some of these Thought Provoking Questions for ideas of questions to contemplate with your mentee.
If your mentee is a written communicator, consider taking a match meeting to create a journal together, like this one! Regular journaling is a great way to process thoughts and feelings in everyday life. If your mentee struggles with topics to write about, use the same thought provoking questions from above as journaling prompts.

Image Credit: https://staffengagement.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/internal-communication-strategy.jpg

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