Communication Skill

Thinking about master communicators this week, speakers both secular and religious came to mind. These men and women who take a familiar idea and turn it on its head to open up a whole new world of possibilities. But I did not choose one of these.

Next I thought of musicians who can sink right into your bone marrow or get involuntary hip moment . Or who compos a lyric that captures the very essence of existence. But the blog does not settle on them either

Then I thought of authors who have taken me into havens of relaxation, or racing against time, or envisioning a world that could be or slapped back against the chair at the wonder of new ideas. But they will also have to wait for another hearing.

At the last I chose to single out someone in the early childhood field - my good friend and principal.
The over-arching skill I see and would like to emulate, is her ability to welcome anyone into her circle of acceptance in an instant. She does this by giving her whole attention to the speaker and seeing that any who would try to interrupt is paused. She comments on what was said and takes the conversation further.

She is a first language English speaker. She is also fluent in Cantonese where she lived for five years and in Mandarin, the official language of China. She has also learned her husband's local dialect. She takes her time to make certain she is understood and that she is being understood.

As the principal of three international Montessori kindergarten campuses , she keeps up on child development studies and encourages and welcomes her teachers to do the same and share their information. She invites cultural child rearing discussions and remains open to the possibility that there may be a better way than what we do at present.

She laughs easily, helping to relax and not offend. I have seen parents come through our door seething in anger and in just a few minutes, she has ushered them into her office, offered them some water (a Chinese sign of hospitality) and is engaging them in communication. It is not over until it is over no matter what else comes to the door. And when they re-emerge it is as cooperative allies.

This is not to say she doesn't mis-speak at times but her respectful mannerisms and self effacing apologies are most often accepted.

I have been in meetings with her where disrespect has taken over. I watched her square her shoulders, look the man straight in the eye, voice the ultimatum, then stand and dismiss the meeting. Message delivered and received.

I believe it is the sincerity and unflappableness  that I most respect and wish to emulate. I absolutely admire her language skills and her ability to totally disagree but not keep her from hearing the other side.

My communication hero - Paula Zhou!