EXCELLENT POST!
What Exactly IS Respectful Communication?
by Lauren | Nov 11, 2012 | communication, conflict management, Higher Ground, Kansas City, Lauren Schieffer | 4 comments
It was the end of a long week of traveling and training. I dropped into a seat on bus for the short ride to The Parking Spot and my car. A very cheerful and gregarious man sat down next to me and introduced himself. This is actually an unusual occurrence – especially at 11:30 at night. Most passengers (me included most of the time) spend the ride wrapped in their own thoughts, avoiding eye contact with other passengers, organizing receipts, finding dollar bills to tip the driver with and fishing out their car keys. This fellow was having none of that. He wanted to make one last new friend before he got in his car and headed home.
He asked me where I’d been and what the purpose of my trip had been. I shared that I offer seminars on respectful communication and conflict management – then I said the same thing I’ve said hundreds of times before, “America is forgetting how to communicate respectfully.” He cocked his head to one side and nodded. Then he asked me, “That’s very interesting, and I completely agree. So what’s your definition of respectful communication?”
For ten seconds or so I was actually stumped. (Is it possible that no one has every asked me that before?) The quickest and easiest response was the foundation of The Ten Building Blocks of Higher Ground Communicators: our goal as communicators, “All people feel comfortable and respected in our presence while we stand our own ground and we get our message across.” He said “I like that. I like that a lot.” He took my card and we said our farewells as I climbed down out of the bus.
I pondered this exchange for my entire drive home. Was that definition enough? Our goal as communicators is a simple and straight forward objective that I strive for and encourage others to strive for. And yet, this man’s question sparked a fresh curiosity in me.
Tell me, folks – what is YOUR definition of respectful communication?
What Exactly IS Respectful Communication?
by Lauren | Nov 11, 2012 | communication, conflict management, Higher Ground, Kansas City, Lauren Schieffer | 4 comments
It was the end of a long week of traveling and training. I dropped into a seat on bus for the short ride to The Parking Spot and my car. A very cheerful and gregarious man sat down next to me and introduced himself. This is actually an unusual occurrence – especially at 11:30 at night. Most passengers (me included most of the time) spend the ride wrapped in their own thoughts, avoiding eye contact with other passengers, organizing receipts, finding dollar bills to tip the driver with and fishing out their car keys. This fellow was having none of that. He wanted to make one last new friend before he got in his car and headed home.
He asked me where I’d been and what the purpose of my trip had been. I shared that I offer seminars on respectful communication and conflict management – then I said the same thing I’ve said hundreds of times before, “America is forgetting how to communicate respectfully.” He cocked his head to one side and nodded. Then he asked me, “That’s very interesting, and I completely agree. So what’s your definition of respectful communication?”
For ten seconds or so I was actually stumped. (Is it possible that no one has every asked me that before?) The quickest and easiest response was the foundation of The Ten Building Blocks of Higher Ground Communicators: our goal as communicators, “All people feel comfortable and respected in our presence while we stand our own ground and we get our message across.” He said “I like that. I like that a lot.” He took my card and we said our farewells as I climbed down out of the bus.
I pondered this exchange for my entire drive home. Was that definition enough? Our goal as communicators is a simple and straight forward objective that I strive for and encourage others to strive for. And yet, this man’s question sparked a fresh curiosity in me.
Tell me, folks – what is YOUR definition of respectful communication?
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