Shirley Clark, CLC (Certified Leadership Coach) spoke to the Optimist Club of St. Andrews-Irmo March 11. She serves primarily in the field of corporate coaching.
Clark brings with her a diversified background, including having been Executive Director of the Women’s Center of Washington, DC and Northern Virginia, now in its 50th year. It was in that capacity that she identified the need for more impactful communication.
That need could potentially exist in corporate, church, educational, and/or other settings. Many of those interactions take place one-on-one. Her first bit of advice is to begin each day with a purpose and with the intention to communicate that purpose more effectively.
An often-used saying in sales and other professions is that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Using that principle, laser-focused listening leads to a better understanding of the other person’s situation. By being a good listener, one becomes a more trusted colleague, where interactions are more relaxed and less stressful.
In the photo are Club President Mike Myers, Mrs. Clark, and her husband, Nick Clark, who was the formal speaker host and who presented the speaker with a copy of the Optimist Creed.
