The Value of Communication

[Doug Ross]

The Value of Communication can't be taken for granted. It is way more than saying what you have to say. Is anybody listening? How would you know if people understood what you were trying to communicate to them? Wouldn't they need to indicate somehow that they got it? I have heard friends quickly say, "know what I mean", but not wait to find out!

What is your role as the receiver? You hear what is said, but now the question is did you hear what you wanted to hear, or did you understand what the other person was trying to tell you? What you can do to make sure you heard the person, is to say something like, " So, if I understand you, you want me to repeat back what you just said so you know I got it, right?"

I was at my son's house and sitting with my 18 year old grandson. He said in a relatively loud voice, "What are we having for dinner?" Nobody was in the room but us, his sisters were upstairs and didn't think he was asking them because thay are not the cooks, his Dad was sleeping in another room, and his mother is hard of hearing and you have to be face-to-face for her to get it all. So his question went out into the air and nobody answered him at all.

I asked him if it was important, and he said, "I want to know what is for dinner." I said, nobody heard you. So he said it again louder with the same absence of response. I suggested that he find his mother and ask her to her face. He knows she doesn't hear well; it's been that way for all of his 18 years! What do you think happened next?

The truth is nothing happened! Nothing. He was on his iPhone and just continued. Now, suppose you were me. What would you think of this?

Doug

[Nelly Camardo]

What a great story Doug! I know exacly what you think......I have my grandkids here this week, however they are still too young to own an iPhone (thank god) otherwise I believe the communication would most likely go the same way.
Communication - another great topic for the YES group!!

Nelly.