Here's a thought to ponder: Effective communication is often overlooked.
In both business and personal interactions, many situations derail not due to flawed strategies or intentions, but rather as a result of poor or miscommunication. My experience suggests that a key factor in this is the failure to pause between conversations and ask a simple yet powerful question: WHY?.
Without this pause, I often find myself trapped by my historical beliefs and biases. A statement may resonate differently depending on whether it comes from someone I respect or someone I have less favorable feelings towards. Why does this happen?
When I consciously introduce "why" into my thought process before responding, I engage my full intellect rather than relying on ingrained, automatic reactions. This practice encourages deeper listening and allows me to truly understand the other person's perspective, while also prompting a self-audit of my existing beliefs.
This reflection doesn't necessarily change my response, but it certainly makes it more thoughtful and authentic.
This insight led me to a valuable self-exploration technique: THE 5 WHY’S.
I took a personal belief and asked myself WHY, leading to a chain of answers through five iterations. To my surprise, I discovered that a childhood incident had shaped a belief that no longer served me. I realized that I had allowed this belief to influence my decisions and communications for decades. While I cannot change my past, I can certainly alter my future direction.
In the spirit of Coca-Cola, let WHY be “the pause that refreshes” your communication strategies.
Comments