Join the exclusive SPARK Conference at Vision Expo West on September 27th, a one-day event designed specifically for Opti-Port members. This is your opportunity to connect with like-minded multi-office optometric business owners and gain valuable insights through the sharing of best practices. Expect informative and educational content, as well as a cocktail reception after the event at the Opium Room at TAO. Registration is open now!
Click here to register and see more event info.
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Are Your Communication Skills As Strong as You Think?
Joseph Michelli, PhD
Opti-Port is proud to present Dr. Joseph Michelli, an internationally sought-after speaker, author, and organizational consultant, as the keynote speaker at this year's SPARK at VEW.
Most people underestimate the importance of communication skills and overestimate their communication abilities. Communication researchers and consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman put it this way in a Harvard Business Review article, “Chances are you think you’re a good listener. People’s appraisal of their listening ability is much like their assessment of their driving skills, in that the great bulk of adults think they’re above average.” While 90 percent of people think they are excellent listeners, communication experts suggest only 17 percent of people consistently demonstrate high-level listening competencies. That means 73 percent are overestimating their listening behavior, and that overestimation is costly in business.
To effectively run a practice, leaders must continually work on listening, writing, and verbal skills that enable them to understand others and share complex information in clear, concise, and straightforward ways. This session offers insights and activities to increase active listening, nonverbal communication, writing, and verbal skills. It focuses on understanding, empathy, and maximizing interpersonal influence.