Communication Part 1: Collaborate

It’s Gemini Season. If you don’t know, Gemini season spans late May to late June every year, and its themes include communication, duality, trading ideas, and expanding intellectually while also having fun. We’re celebrating with a 3-part series to inspire honest and productive communication between humans at work.

Why communication for Gemini season?

Aside from my increasing desire to weave the metaphysical into what we cover here (welcome, friend), I challenge you to find a job description that does not list communication skills as a required competency.

So, let’s build the practical scaffolding of our working lives, and let’s do it with a backdrop of ancient, elemental, symbolism.

Strong communicators are rare

How many truly exceptional communicators can you think of, right now?

Part of the challenge is that communication is vast. You might excel at explaining processes, but fail miserably giving feedback. You might write well but speak in a way that puts your audience to sleep. Maybe graphing data is your thing, but speaking up unscripted horrifies you.

Communication covers a lot of ground. In fact I would argue that your relationship skills are highly dependent on your communication skills. Try having a healthy relationship without decent communication. Actually, don’t try that. It’s impossible.

Here’s a trick that will improve your communication skills starting immediately…

Communication is a collaboration

At its heart, communication is a collaboration, where parties share words and ideas with one another.

Communication is an exchange.

And so, what if, before you said or typed or even thought a single word of your “message,” you simply took a moment to connect.

In coaching we call the initial connection point between coach and client on any given day, attunement. It’s what we do to intentionally begin the process of synchronizing. It shortens the warm-up time needed. It facilitates trust and presence.

Are you in the habit of attuning to the folks you’re communicating with on a regular basis?

For some, it’s small talk (“how’s your day going so far?”).

For some, it’s eye contact and a handshake.

For some, it’s being funny (“sorry, my cat thinks he works here and insists on participating”)

For some, it’s a grounding breath or intention setting (“shall we take a moment before we get started.”)

Or a moment of intention setting.

Whatever you write or draw or proclaim later, step one for being an exceptional communicator is to connect. Step one is to collaborate.

Can you consider your communication a collaboration?

Try it. Then comment below or DM me over here and let me know what changes as a result.

I’m cheering you on.

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