talk shiFt™ with Tom Leu Interview
“Conversations with Tom” is an interview series with Ricky Midway on the Communichology™ of Pop Culture
Ricky Midway: So tell us what talk shiFt™ with Tom Leu is all about succintly, yet fully.
Tom Leu: As usual, you’re always a bit rough around the edges Mr. Midway.
RM: By now, I figured you’d expect nothing different.
TL: I don’t, so here it is: talk shift™ is Communichology™ with a Kick… (in the ass)
You know you’re gonna have to expand on that right?
Of course… This is about making the perception of improving communication skills more interesting and desirable to individuals and organizations. I say “perception” because communication often gets a bad rap because it’s a subject that few readily admit they need help with, yet most of us do. Often.. Communichology™ examines this all-important subject from the vantage point where communication skills and human psychology collide. This is a unique, and hasn’t ever been approached quite like this.
So another “improve your communication skills” training series?
No, not really. It’s much more than that. It’s deeper, wider-reaching, and more impactful.
But of course, it’s Tom Leu we’re talking to here… why would we expect anything less? Please explain.
Most communication skills trainings only focus on the what we do, and how to improve as communicators. I add in the why we do what we do in the first place by examining what I call communications transactional analysis. That’s a mouthful, but it’s really quite simple. When we know why we’re doing what we’re doing, the what to improve and how to make adjustments for better outcomes becomes more apparent and plausible. TA is form of psychological therapy. I utilize foundations of this approach to examine and improve our transactions as communicators. Our ongoing giving and taking of information in-person, online, and everywhere we are. We’re all continually engaged in communications transactions daily, both intrapersonally and interpersonally. By doing so, longer lasting, positive improvements result. It’s first about raising awareness, then about adujsting our approach for improved outcomes both personally and professionally. And who doesn’t want that?
Sounds like some rather intellectual-type shit… Explain what your concept of Communichology™ is as it relates to talk shiFt™ and your bigger-picture goals with this work.
The lofty goal of the talk shiFt™ brand and business, along with my underlying Communichology™ insights, strategies and resources is simply to improve the world’s relationships one interaction at a time. Communichology™ is a new discipline I’ve developed and term I’ve coined that studies the dynamics and outcomes from the intersection where communication skills and human psychology collide.
>> Read my Manifesto HERE.
That’s a typcial Tom Leu-style lofty-as-hell-goal.
I’m proposing this can be done by first raising awareness by creatively calling out careless and complacent communication and bad behavior in the most honest and edgy way possible. My belief is that “nice wins,” but not before I have your attention in the first place. We can’t get to “nice” sometimes without going through a bit of “not nice” first. Know what I mean?
Hell yes! Absolutely. Finally somebody taking this shit on in a new, and refreshing way.
This is different because I’m encouraging and demanding that people demonstrate improved human communication skills by first possessing a better-than-basic understanding of human psychology; both theirs and others’. It’s proved to be an effective methodolgy, and one that offers practitioners valuable social strategy advantages.
This sounds rather “collegiate” and intellectual… so why all the cussing then throughout much of your writings?
First of all, it’s not intended to be “collegiate” or intellectual necessarily, but it does comes from those places foundationally because I am a social psychologist at the core. And I’ll encourage anyone to click off and/or fuck off if they don’t like it. No offense. I call it “communo-humor” sometimes.
You’ve got no shortage of catchy catch phrases and sound bytes…
Again, it’s who I am, and how I am. I encourage people to take what you like; leave the rest.
I’ll give you credit for having the balls to put it all out there the way you do.
This is not just a vehicle for superfluous, and pointless profanity; but rather an outlet for well-placed and purposeful “language” and vocabulary that adds intended emphasis and meaning where necessary. It’s not to offend, but to commend those with the balls to call shit out and take action to improve. I speak honestly from where I come from, my experiences and education, and how I live and have lived. Read more HERE on my philosophy and purpose of the “potty mouth.”
Your ability to be an effective teacher and trainer, by bridging real issues with a real-world delivery style is refreshing.
I appreciate that. I’ve spent years developing this work and approach… talk shiFt™ = to Challenge. Change, Grow. Evolve. Move. Modify. Adjust. Alter. I’m offering commentary, insights, and interviews that shiFt the conversation away from politically correct niceties, to productively cogent necessities.
Sounds like a cool concept, but one that is abundantly necessary as well, today more than ever. So sum it all up here in with a few pithy, final phrases.
The goal is to talk shiFt™ ongoing: To raise awareness, adjust our approaches as communicators, and insist on changing things for the better. To shift the conversation, and to shift our perspective to “see” the world differently. Because if we don’t seek different vantage points to view the world through different lenses, we’ll never be able to recognize the opportunities we all have, every day to make a positive difference. Opportunities to shift our thinking, to ultimately shift our behaviors, in the moment, for better outcomes. Change yourself; change the world… in that order.
Why wouldn’t you…?
Exactly. Agree or disagree; just no apathy.
Stay tuned-in…
**More Conversations with Tom archives.
Stay tuned-in…
Click HERE for info on my Communichology™ course.
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