ARE YOU IMPROVING ON THE SILENCE?

There are rarely statements which make me stop and reflect, but yesterday I heard the following quote by Robert Greenleaf:

In saying what I have in mind, will I really improve on the silence?

As we now live in a rapid response world, how often do we pause and think how this message will be received by others? I would suggest there may be little thought that goes into a lot of communication, but think, will the words, and the tone convey the intended meaning.

When you are saying something, or texting, or emailing to someone are you using words, phrases, intonations, that raise them up, or pull them down? Even if the message is a difficult one to deliver there are ways in which you can be inspiring. It's not easy, but it's possible.

Email and texting are probably the realm now in which most messages go awry. Without hearing a tone and seeing a person's body language, we can often send a message that we never intended to -- literally and figuratively. I know that at times I have sent notes and then received back a response, which made me go "huh?" When I went back and read my original email, and put myself in the other person's proverbial shoes, I realized how it may have been misinterpreted. The problem is though that instead of picking up the phone and clearing up the misconception we email again...and then again.

I'm not perfect. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that! :) But I try to be positive most times. But I do forget, either when dealing with an unfair situation or incompetence, or somebody else's meanness. When I am confrontational it is because I'm reacting to a situation, not thinking whether this will help or inflame the situation. And I know I'm not alone.

When I was little, one of my favourite stories was Bambi, and I was a true fan of Thumper, the bunny. It was Thumper who said:

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all

So whether spoken by Greenleaf or Thumper (or the myriad of others who have made a similar observation), the message is the same. Be nice, think twice and improve on the silence!