ABCs of Effective Communication

by JoJo Tabares

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.—Proverbs 25:11

B e careful of your thoughts; they could become words at any moment.—Ira Gassen

C ourage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.—Winston Churchill

D iscussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of ignorance.—Robert Quillen

E ven if you learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?—Clarence Darrow

F oolishness always results when the tongue outraces the brain.—Unknown

G ood communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.—Anne Morrow Lindbergh

H enny Youngman once said, “Anybody who thinks talk is cheap never argued with a traffic cop.”

I t is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool then to open it and resolve all doubt.—Abraham Lincoln

J ames Humes said, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.”

K eep your words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them.—Unknown

L et your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.—Colossians 4:6

M ost conversations are merely monologues delivered in the presence of a witness.—Margaret Millar

N ever argue with a fool. Someone watching might not be able to tell the difference.—Unknown

O ne of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.—Will Durant

P lato said, “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”

Q uestion the source and you will discern any bias.—JoJo Tabares

R emember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.—Benjamin Franklin

S ay what you mean and mean what you say.—George S. Patton

T he right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.—Hubert Humphrey

U nderstanding your audience is key to persuading them.—JoJo Tabares

V erbocity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.—Dan Quayle

W ell—timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.—Martin Fraquhar Tupper

X tremes communicate less persuasively than does accuracy.—JoJo Tabares

Y ou can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.—Lee Iacocca

Z ero equals one speaking plus no one listening.—JoJo Tabares

Biographical Information

Copyright, 2009. All rights reserved by author below. Content provided by The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC.

JoJo Tabares holds a degree in speech communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula. You can also find JoJo on Web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com/.

You are probably accessing this site because you had questions—just like everyone else. That’s why CMI exists. You can keep the free answers on this site coming.