It’s that time of year again when dodging potholes becomes a sport here in Indy - another aspect of ‘March Madness.’ Hitting a pothole in my Mini really shakes me up!
Hitting a communication ‘pothole’ can also shake a person up. Potholes are a void begging to be filled, in the road or in communication. You know what I mean…someone doesn’t return your call or fill a request. He or she seems to disappear; you are left in the land of ‘not knowing,’ a void of information.
In the void of communication, what do you fill that ‘pothole’ with?
Do you assume it is about you? That somehow you aren’t worthy?
Alice thought her proposal for work was accepted; dates were even discussed. However, when she tried to confirm she received no response. She assumed the project wasn’t going to happen. In the end, she learned her client thought they were confirmed. He had less of a need for communication.
Do you assume the worst? Something has happened to the person?
Tracy, your child, is out late and not answering his cell phone. Need I say more?
Do you trust when the time is right you’ll have your response?
David is a busy executive. Over the years he’s learned when the time is right, he will hear from the person, just on time, although, it may not be his preferred time.
The astute communicator practices ‘pothole’ prevention by learning peoples’ preferences for communication. Given there are so many options to deliver communication, I have found it surprising what some people prefer and resent! Assuming anything is a big mistake.
- Nancy, a baby boomer, informed me she feels resentful when someone phones her; it takes too much time to return a call
- Eric, another baby boomer, informed me he primarily communicates on Facebook! E-mail is too slow for him
- My 20 something daughters prefer texting
- Jason, a Gen Xer business owner, prefers Linked-In
- My mother likes me to call her on Sunday mornings; it is a ritual
The bottom-line is: ask people how and when is the best way to communicate with them.
Yet, truly at the bottom of a pothole…
no communication… is communication.
It says, “This is not the most important thing to me right now. ”
What are your thoughts?
