It seems appropriate to end our month of posts on communication with a little get-together or party if you will. Hopefully, this will give us a chance to meet new readers and get to know the “old-timers” a little better.
Please leave a brief introduction in the comments below with a link to your blog or website if you have one. Invite your friends and let’s have fun with this!
“Everything that happens in an organization happens in or because of a conversation. If you want to
change the culture, you’ve got to change the conversation.”
― Five Frequencies: Leadership Signals that turn Culture into Competitive Advantage
I think one of the greatest gifts to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic will be learning new ways to communicate. During this time when we have not been able to gather in groups people have stepped up to reach out electronically.
How have you been gathering differently during this crisis? Have you attended a work staff meeting via Zoom? Have your places of worship been live streaming services, prayers, or even just “check-in” times? Maybe you’ve checked on elderly friends, neighbors, or family members via phone, email or Facebook. Did Grandma or Grandpa read a story or sing with your children via Skype? These are just a few of the ways we have been reaching out to each other during this time of physical isolation.
What are some of the things you have been doing to stay connected? Tell us your ideas in the Comments area below.
“Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas, they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials.”
― Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Has someone ever told you, I don’t discuss politics and religion? That doesn’t usually mean they won’t talk about those things with anyone — just not those who disagree with them. I understand not wanting arguments and hurt feelings, but people who do not agree with us are exactly the ones we need to talk to.
It is possible to have a calm, rational conversation between people who disagree. Not easy, but possible.
So how do we do this?
These guidelines came as the result of a conversation with someone I do not agree with. Someone I saw as the enemy showed me it is possible to have those difficult conversations and part friends.
The only way to heal the great divide between groups and people is to communicate. Start talking!
“In the best conversations, you don’t even remember what you talked about, only how it felt. It felt like we were in some place your body can’t visit, some place with no ceiling and no walls and no floor and no instruments”
“Although we live in an information technology age, we often find ourselves in failure to communicate situations.”
—Johnny Tan
“I think that the number one rule to effective communication should be ‘choose your words wisely’. This is because a simple choice of your words can make a great difference and determine whether your message would be accepted or rejected.”
— Jason Maisons
“When we are fully present, we have access to our greatest power, creativity and ability to communicate and perform exceptionally at whatever we are doing.”
— Christopher Babson
Has this time of social isolation given you greater opportunities to communicate and become closer as a family? Even for the many who are now working from home, I hope you are making time to be fully present, especially with your children.
Use this time to read, do art projects, play games, and just talk as a family. This might mean learning a few new communication skills or dusting off some old ones, but it will be worth the effort. Your children crave your attention. During this difficult time of all the greatest gifts you can give, the best is being fully present.