Speak in a language understood
Posted: May 17, 2019
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela
With the passing of Nelson Mandela recently, it seems appropriate to highlight some of his philosophies. And while we will most likely never be called on to free a nation, his quote above can have impact for each of us in our daily lives. How many of us take the time to think through the language that will most easily be understood by the people we are communicating with?
Most of the time conflict seems to stem more from a perception someone has of the way we speak rather than the content of what we say. Taking time to show this level of respect for the people we are communicating with increases the rapport we will have with them and our chance for a positive outcome.