communication skills

You Can Take Not Caring What Other People Think Too Far

Most of my life I’ve been plagued by the fear of what other people think of me manifesting as self-consciousness, social anxiety and fear of rejection. While this exaggerated fear can be really annoying, in moderation it turns out not to be an entirely bad thing.

A few weeks ago I started playing open mic nights with my new band The Sketch Artists. At our first gig in the inner west we met a guy who was a regular at the venue. Let’s call him Peter, because that was his name.

Peter seemed friendly and sociable, and soon joined my band-mates and I at our table while we waited to go on and perform. One of the first things that Peter said to us proudly was:

“I don’t care what other people think”. (more…)

By Graham Stoney, ago

Urgent Warning About Nonviolent Communication

All right. Listen up, people, because this is important. Now, you may have heard of the recent demise of a certain man named Rosenberg. No, not Heisenberg – Rosenberg.

Marshall Rosenberg was a psychologist who became increasingly disillusioned with a modern mental health care system with its ever-increasing emphasis on diagnostic categories and labels for mental disorders which he found actually got in the way of him identifying with his clients’ humanity and giving them the empathy that they needed to actually heal their underlying emotional trauma.

(more…)

By Graham Stoney, ago

How To Be A Dickhead Personal Trainer

I recently had a conversation with a personal trainer at Fitness First on Collins Street, Melbourne that highlighted for me how not to work with a potential new client. Now I don’t want to malign this fine institution or their personal trainers in general; I don’t know the stringent requirements they have for the position, nor do I want to suggest that all their trainers treat potential clients the same way.

This Guy Is Probably A Lot Better

This Guy Is Probably A Lot Better

I’d probably include the specific trainers name here to avoid any possibility of confusion, if I could remember it; but I don’t remember it, and frankly don’t want to. I’ll just call him “Mr Trainer”, on the basis that if I show him some respect, he might learn to do the same to me.

The interaction left me feeling cranky until I could channel my anger passive-aggressively into this article. So here are a few suggestions on how to deal with potential clients that other personal trainers might find helpful if you want to come across as a real dickhead: (more…)

By Graham Stoney, ago