Positive Principles Newsletter
April 2007
____________________________________________
Key Quotes:
“Think like a wise man but
communicate in the language of the people.”
-
William
Butler Yeats
“Communicate downward to
subordinates with at least the same care and attention as you communicate
upward to superiors.”
-
L.B.
Belker (The First Time Manager)
____________________________________________
This month's tip –
Speak their “language.”
Imagine that you are an
American on a business trip to Germany. You have learned to speak
enough German to order meals, buy train tickets, and do some shopping.
You are at the “survival” level of language mastery. You do not
speak the language well, but you can survive in the country.
On your first night in
Germany, you dine alone at a restaurant near your hotel. You can
read enough German to understand the menu. When the waiter comes to
the table, you should:
a)
Attempt to speak German to make things easier for the waiter
b) Point
to the menu, say nothing, and hope that the waiter understands
c)
Speak English loudly so that the waiter can hear you more clearly
d)
Ask the waiter if he speaks English and expect him to adjust to
you
In this scenario, most people
recognize that “a” is the most correct answer. You each speak a
different native language. Since you are in the waiter’s country,
and you understand at least some of his native language, it seems fitting
for you to make the effort to connect with him in his language.
Maybe he speaks some English so that you can both adapt a little to make
the connection, but you are the visitor so you make the first move.
Now consider a different
scenario. You are the leader of an organization. You like to
move fast and get results. You naturally speak directly, quickly and
with a focus on the bottom line. One of the people who reports to
you is quiet and soft-spoken. They do good work, so you are willing
to delegate responsibility to them. You always let them know
what you want done, but they keep asking how you
want things done. When you enter their office to speak to them, you
should:
a)
Speak softly and slowly with a focus on how things should proceed
b)
Drop a stack of papers on their desk, point to it, and hope that
they understand
c)
Raise your voice volume, speak faster, and talk about the results
you want
d)
Ask them to “pick-up the pace” and “get with you on this”
Again, the correct answer is
“a.” As in the first example, you speak a different native
“language” than your team mate. You both speak English, but you
speak it differently. The “language” difference between you and your
team mate lies primarily in the difference between your personality
styles. When you enter their space, you are the visitor so you make
the first move.
Opportunities for miscommunication and misunderstanding abound. They
happen everywhere people come together. The second example above
illustrates one potential interaction that can lead to miscommunication.
Other combinations also exist between people. The number of possible
combinations exceeds the scope of this article, but the following examples
illustrate some of these other possibilities:
In order to achieve success,
leaders and communicators must work through these points of
misunderstanding. It will not happen by accident. Breaking through
these barriers takes effort and focus. Most people start at the
“survival” level. With practice you can move to “fluency.”
Everyone works with people in
some part of their lives. Whether you are a business leader, teacher,
sales professional, pastor, or parent; success calls for connecting and
effectively communicating with other people.
So for now, I encourage you to
remember this month's tip . . .
Speak their “language.”
Have a great day,
Guy Harris
The Recovering Engineer
Additional information on how
to do what I recommend in this month's tip:
Better Relationships E-course
Personality Lab
Articles on related topics:
Learn to think “I’m Responsible”
Solving People Puzzles
