Your computer has a password.
Your smartphone has a password.
Your fancy Apple technological toys have a password as well...
And so do you, when communication and human interactions are involved.
While getting to know new, interesting people, we could have a meaningful interaction with, and while deepening the bond with people we appreciate and respect already, expecting others to "get" how to reach us at the first try every single time, almost like magic, without helping them out in understanding us, is the perfect recipe for disaster.
[The power-trio needed for accessing my computer:
the beauty of Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
my personalized avatar and my password...
How about you?]
Asking the following questions, on the other hand, is definitely worth a try.
In dealing with you and having any kind of personal or professional connection with you, what should I pay attention to?
What is not negotiable to you?
What does upset you?
What does make you feel seen and accepted for who you are?
How can I make your day, today and tomorrow?
You pick the frame.
It can be formal or informal, fun or professional, in person or as a written e-mail exchange. It doesn't really matter.
What matters is your desire to communicate with someone in a way that can be pleasant for both, while avoiding unspoken expectations and assumptions.
This one is for JF.
He has been able to teach me a lot, while leading by example, in a very short amount of time.
He has been able to teach me a lot, while leading by example, in a very short amount of time.
Tags: Better communication, Self-awareness, Human interactions
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