What is lifesaving to the newborn, may be critical to the way that we survive in our work, fend off competitors, grow commitment in our
distributed workforce, improve profit, grow demand etc.
How we 100% communicate our intent is key in all communications – and increasingly in virtual meetings such as phone meetings, email communications, videoconferences and instant messaging.
A cohesive company culture of clear communications leads beyond survival to sustained business, and opportunities for growth.
NoMadMeetings will learn from any lesson, how best to support people effectively communicate wherever they are located.. so what can we learn from a baby or toddler?
When a child is born, they have two innate senses –falling (they will instinctly respond if they feel they are falling/being dropped) and sound (they instantly respond to sound). And they have clear ability to give body language messages. Even as a near 2 year old, I saw this still evident when the child responded with a cry, when the lift they were standing in, started going down; and sound – they will blink, respond to a noise such as a clap.
These instinctive underlying senses remain throughout our lives. I have been observing the communication skills of a baby turning into a toddler. He has almost 100% communication skills – yet is not yet talking. His body language and gestures unambiguously translate his intent. He demonstrates he has clearly understood a verbal instruction from his adult carers. Yet he has no verbal skills yet.
All this is done through the only three skills he has – very precise INTENT and use of body language, and ability to make a noise.
When we work with organisations who hire us to help them achieve critical collaboration and strategy with people across geographic distance, we find that one or more of the critical innate communication tools are not working – Is communication INTENT crystal clear? Is the BODY LANGUAGE precisely aligned with intent? Are the WORDS precisely aligned with intent and body language?
The baby/toddler urgently requires that communications are unambiguous. It is a matter of survival.
We operate our businesses optimally when we:
Clearly show the intent: (intent/outcome of an Agenda item; reason why we have sent you an invitation to a meeting; purpose of an email (what actions from this email? what do we want from the respondent? what do we want from those CC’d!?; purpose of a meeting and the critical reason for each attendee to be there?).
Clearly show our body language: (what is our body doing when we are in a phone conference call – if we are passionate, is our body slumped in a chair or is it also “excited”?; if we are on a webcam – are we looking at the person speaking or are we looking away?)
Clearly have our words align with our intent – (in an email, or a phone conference or a videoconference – do we say what we mean?; Who are we really communicating to? Do THEY know this? Do they know why they are there? Are we using words, aligned with intent, aligned with body language?).
A baby/toddler – makes sure all these things are aligned – because there is no room for ambiguity. It is a matter of survival!
What a lesson to learn.
Contact us if you think that there is room for improving communications – particularly with those at a distance – staff, regional offices, business partners, board members, advisory boards or experts, clients, funders, other key stakeholders. If you had 100% clear communications – both ways – what difference would it make to your bottom line, to your top line, to your reputation, to your work and life balances?