Communication is not obvious. When we are together, either digitally or in person, we are naturally creating a body of affection between those who speak and those who listen.
This interaction can be very powerful to those whom are listening or speaking. We talk about our own place in the world, because our repertoires are different.
When we are aware of all this and when we practice our hearing, we convert a normal dialogue into a rich conversation.
Have you heard that there are two types of relationships? One that is a “tennis game” and another that is a “paddleball game”?
In the tennis game, you use all your ability so that the other side receives the ball in the worst possible way. The relationships in the tennis game are focused on the other’s mistake and not on the quest to raise the level of the exchange. In turn, in the paddleball game, you make sure that the other receives the ball in the best possible way. Here, relationships are focused on resolving and continuing the level of the exchange.
This game analogy is very powerful as it illustrates how we can create a more affectionate type of communication and it enables one to understanding that affective communication is not something obvious.
How do you take care of conflict in your relationships to generate learning?