COMMUNICATION IS OUR SUPERPOWER - LET'S USE IT

Humans are blessed with the ability to communicate. Animals and birds too can communicate - but no other species is as prolific and imaginative as we are in sharing thoughts , ideas and feelings. It takes a human baby nearly a year to pick up language - and once she does - the whole world opens up for her for now she can communicate with anyone, and not just her mother. While we celebrate a child's learning to talk - we almost immediately begin training her to " shut up and listen" as she grows older...

Much as we would like to believe that we encourage our children to " talk and express freely" - in reality, we often curtail their expression and expect them to follow societal norms regarding what and how much they can say about their feelings and ideas!

It then really is no wonder then that even as adults we find it difficult to express ourselves, to put our point forth or to even simply share our stories. This lack of communication - affects our personal and professional lives more than we realize.

Take the everyday situation of a new recruit joining an organization. More often than not, his interaction with his/ her boss is limited to a formal induction program. How many bosses take the time to really know a new junior - beyond his KRAs and his PIs? How many bosses actually take time out to familiarize themselves with the lives ( and stories ) of the people who work for them ? Employees themselves hardly ever share their unique stories (that make them who they are) with their peers or bosses. Imagine if the leader and the subordinates actually communicated , consciously and authentically, with each other. Would that not make their interactions ( and their work) more meaningful ? More satisfying ?

In the name of preserving hierarchy and maintaining decorum - we encourage people to stick to their 'roles' and 'stations' - and to keep their views, opinions and ideas to themselves. But such barriers only decrease the engagement among employees and stymie innovation in the firm.

There is of course a need to be polite and respectful at the workplace - but why should that mean that one cannot express oneself, share ideas, disagree or even argue? A truly civilized person should be able to communicate his / her point of view- without being offensive. And I believe that we are all capable of being civilized - but only if our work environment makes us feel "safe".

It is upon each one of us to create a safe environment at work - for each of us . If we can commit to being polite but honest about our own stance on any issue, if we aren't afraid to communicate with our bosses and juniors about our expectations , and if take time out to really know the people we work with instead of making assumptions about them based on office gossip - we can create an environment in which everyone feels safe enough to be his/her best , most authentic, most creative self.

We are all guilty of paying lip service to the concept of "open communication" without really being committed to it. We know that communication is the lifeblood of business - but how many of us are willing to examine our own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communication? How many of us can honestly say that we have not avoided talking about "difficult" topics with our colleagues, peers or even our own family members? We all tend to "suppress" and "avoid" communication in situations in which we feel vulnerable. And this tendency to "hide" in difficult times- only makes it harder to resolve conflict or reach consensus.

Let us all pledge to acknowledge that we have to consciously improve our communication. Let us pledge to speak openly about things that make us happy, sad or angry. Let us be kind enough to listen without judgement when others are expressing their opinions. Let us all remember that communication is what brings us together- and binds us together .

Let us all pledge to use our superpower - and to use it well!

Thank you.