Have you ever observed a skilled facilitator use tone tools to turn around a tough situation? Tone skills open mental gateways both to speak ethically and to feel heard. They also communicate respect across differences, and find winning solutions within opposing views. What’s your tone IQ?
People who engage others, through tone practices that support and empower excellence, also tend to demonstrate stronger interpersonal intelligence. Add to that a healthy sense of self-worth, or intrapersonal intelligence, and you see why tone effectively engages differences. 
The brain requires use for growth – and communication intelligence sharpens if you affirm others, thank people, speak respectfully, ask meaningful questions, or inspire others’ talents on a project. Deeds that draw from your gene pools and from life experiences.
From the brain’s perspective, tone’s merely a matter of neurons and dendrites that spark new synapses for learned communication skills. In much the way Martin Luther acted on peace, Gandhi valued humanity, or Mother Teresa brought hope to others. Each time they moved forward with tone, they rewired mentally for more of the same – and so do we.
To see tone clearly, it helps to spot its opposite fumes – found in any toxic workplace. Mental fuels in people who insist on one side only, argue for one up-man-ship, create conflicts by fostering flame wars, disregard opposing viewpoints, and rarely reach deeper for understanding.
Move tone into action, by communicating its strengths, and your mind will:
- benefit from nuances within opposite viewpoints.
- solve complex problems with more diverse thinkers.
- draw fresh ideas from multiple intelligences.
- strengthen your own approaches for winning progress.
- anticipate and resolve angry outbreaks.
- laugh more at the little things and at yourself
- leverage curiosity and run from cynicism.
How will you develop winning tone skills by what you do and communicate today?
Related Posts:
Smart skill 31 = Move Tone Tools to Open Opportunities
Smart skill 32 = Move Past Regret by Doing its Opposite
Smart skill 33 = Move Beliefs into Action to Win
Smart skill 34 = Move Beyond Technology that Fails
Smart skill 35 = Move People Back to Center
Smart skill 36 = Move Beyond Myths of Safety
Smart skill 37 = Move Brainpower into Reconfigured Learning
Smart skill 38 = Move to Replace Broken Systems
Smart skill 39 = Move Innovation into Invention
Smart skill 40 = Move Intelligences up a Notch Today
on Jan 16th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I will start by thanking you for starting my morning with this great article. And, I am training my brain by making you one of my morning staples. Now, it is Shave, Shower, and Brain Leaders and Learners.
Oh, and I try to get fiber, too. Does that help my brain by the way? I suppose at least indirectly, huh?
Seriously, considering and really thinking about the information you supply alone helps my tone skills. It really does.
on Jan 16th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Thanks for your kind words, Conrad. When the plane landed in the water yesterday – and the pilot’s brain went into auto pilot for brilliant skills – I was reminded that what we do and what we act on daily – impacts results we’ll get. He modeled it for all of us, and it came as no shock to see how he prepared over a lifetime. It’s fun to consider how we each do what we’re growing new dendrites for so the brain can use the skills when conflicts or crisis strikes. May your day offer you the best of its wonders!
on Jan 18th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
[...] Technology lacks tone but leader should not – and everybody in session sees when good tone draws differences together for great [...]
on Jan 19th, 2009 at 8:16 am
[...] topics with people at center of discussion, use tone skills to value differences so that all participants speak and feel heard on each [...]
on Feb 2nd, 2009 at 9:48 am
[...] his plane in the Hudson River and inspired others though, you have another amazing chance today to live and communicate raw brainpower rather than crash through conflict. Worth a [...]
on Feb 12th, 2009 at 8:53 am
[...] Open every post with tone that moves you and others forward toward mind-bending solutions. Tone tools work especially well because tone builds goodwill, and can lead to consensus among those who [...]
on Feb 15th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
[...] need. Does a bully work beside you? Do personal struggles appear too big for peace? Has past tone poisoned a conflict beyond [...]
on Feb 16th, 2009 at 6:42 am
[...] Posts: Smart skill 31 = Move Tone Tools to Open Opportunities Smart skill 32 = Move Past Regret by Doing its Opposite Smart skill 33 = Move Beliefs into Action [...]
on Feb 16th, 2009 at 6:43 am
[...] skill 31 = Move Tone Tools to Open Opportunities Smart skill 32 = Move Past Regret by Doing its Opposite Smart skill 33 = Move Beliefs into Action [...]
on Feb 16th, 2009 at 6:44 am
[...] savvy needed to risk novel approaches or renew broken systems include tone tactics that unite people with winning ideas. Good tone allows people who differ to speak and feel heard, [...]
on Feb 16th, 2009 at 6:47 am
[...] skill 31 = Move Tone Tools to Open Opportunities Smart skill 32 = Move Past Regret by Doing its Opposite Smart skill 33 = Move Beliefs into Action [...]
on Feb 21st, 2009 at 8:06 pm
[...] to avoid speaking what’s really on their mind? The opposite of meta-messages, of course, is tone that communicates sincerely – and at the same time avoids meta-messages. Do [...]
on Feb 23rd, 2009 at 6:35 am
[...] easily leave out the ethics that prevents science from bombing or maiming. Learners will lack the tone tools to expand insights into collaborative enterprises, or to set standards that avoid bullying in the [...]
on Feb 25th, 2009 at 11:24 am
[...] Use tone to builds good will, even among those who disagree. Tone tools opens opportunities for you with life-changing dividends. Social media tone draws success like the moon impacts tides [...]
on Mar 14th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
[...] Tone transforms PC and unPC into tools for open discourse from all backgrounds, with [...]
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 9:06 am
[...] possible at the time. No tell to make excuses or explain why, simply state clearly and in good tone, how you’d look forward to a time or two with [...]
on Mar 24th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
[...] Tone toxins tend to surface at work when some people expect what others fail to deliver. Brain based tactic – [...]
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 9:41 am
[...] will disrespect alternative ideas as they emerge. My question is, what could a facilitator do to ensure tone that opens opportunites, to engage creative ideas, and refuses to silence voices – all by valuing [...]
on Apr 15th, 2009 at 8:45 am
[...] drowns people’s minds with harmful cortisol chemicals – while disagreement accompanied by good tone adds serotonin and leaves people’s intelligence and dignity in tact. Can you see how serotonin mushrooms [...]
on Apr 20th, 2009 at 9:19 am
[...] starts with tone that opens opportunities and ends with the kind of curiosity and creativity that Einstein and others model to inspire the [...]
on Apr 25th, 2009 at 9:24 am
[...] Tone skills are the brainpowered tool most noticeably missing in acts of violence. [...]
on Apr 26th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
[...] Reverse your tone when conflicts hits and watch your brain race to new [...]
on May 11th, 2009 at 11:55 am
[...] Would communication take on tone skills that trigger more brainpower at [...]
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 6:43 am
[...] constantly diminished Susan’s appearance and her unique communication approaches. Because poor tone became the norm for some, opportunities were lost for others to celebrate Susan’s angelic [...]
on Jun 7th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
[...] 5. Flame wars create stress: Harmful chemicals such as cortisol surge with flame wars where people fail to step back and consider value from an opposing view. Good tone, on the other hand, enables people to communicate understanding and prosperity across differences. Consider the wide mix of intelligences that benefit groups who create a peaceful climate to challenge high-impact minds. [...]
on Jul 8th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
[...] that transforms mistakes into mental growth. It’s a bit like a litmus test. By looking beyond poor tone spoken to a cranky leader in past, for instance, why not try a new approach this [...]
on Jul 11th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
[...] leaders, a serotonin tap may be simply a smile and a few encouraging words. Each time you emulate good tone tools, you help others to rewire mentally for more of the same. Move tone into action by modeling its [...]
on Jul 13th, 2009 at 10:55 am
[...] speaking out without regard for what response will likely come back. It’s more than using good tone though. It’s also bigger than meta messages, which merely mask what we mean. The kind that says, [...]
on Jul 29th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
[...] on deciphering what that person could be saying in meta-messages spoken, simply snip away. Sure, use good tone, and name the problem honestly rather than deny it exists, but then take mental scissors to snip [...]
on Aug 4th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
[...] are capable of increasing peace and warding off war. Far fewer though, are aware that it takes daily rewiring for positive tone. It starts where we live and it lives peace through words and actions that negotiate good in many [...]
on Aug 6th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
[...] tone’s brainpower add goodwill across differences. For each barrier met, successful people target learned tone skills that counter that negative force. It’s a deliberate choice, and like other brain based skills [...]
on Aug 9th, 2009 at 7:16 am
[...] skill 31 = Move Tone Tools to Open Opportunities Smart skill 32 = Move Past Regret by Doing its Opposite Smart skill 33 = Move Beliefs into Action [...]
on Aug 16th, 2009 at 9:21 am
[...] and then pop into reactions, with seemingly less choice over time. Criticism, that comes from poor tone, calls for another choice, to renew with the brain in mind. Not that your winning choice changes [...]
on Aug 23rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
[...] Avoid hidden traps of cynicism by building good tone skills that open new gateways for all to speak and feel [...]
on Sep 3rd, 2009 at 7:07 pm
[...] broken situation for a winning outcome, and regain calm in spite of pressure. Use respectful tone to the person causing trouble, and invite the person aside to help build consensus by creating [...]
on Sep 11th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
[...] all seen it reach higher levels in tone used by a genius, and sink lower in a recluse. It packs a punch with faith at times, and builds a [...]
on Sep 15th, 2009 at 6:25 am
[...] Communicate good tone regardless of feelings, and you’ll often find criticism fade and watch stress convert [...]
on Nov 16th, 2009 at 8:49 am
[...] work, why not communicate goodwill – on the other side of a controversial issue. Use good tone. For example, show how you value the goodwill built with those who disagree, when you respect [...]
on Dec 21st, 2009 at 10:59 am
[...] hottest competitor announced unprecedented growth through inventions that require cooperation across differences, a trait lacking where you [...]
on Jan 31st, 2010 at 9:04 am
[...] Collaborate tone tools to turn around broken practices. [...]