Duh

“I thought about my goal, as goals always help to define content when something important has to be communicated.” Radical Loving Care

There is a horrifying story in my book about a murder that took place in a hospital. The President and CEO couldn’t figure out how he was going to address the public so quickly after the discovery. He said the above quote and it has stuck with me. He knew his goal was to be sensitive to all of the family and loved ones of the victim, to assure the patients and their families that they were still safe in the care of the hospital, and to address and calm the providers still having to work in the hospital in such a horrific time. He said this grounded him and helped define the content of his communication.

I have been applying this idea to different pieces of my life lately (very minor pieces in comparison). In dealing with a difficult conversation with a friend: What do I really want to accomplish in this communication? In dealing with difficult decisions at work: What do I want to communicate to my leadership?

I think it’s interesting that when I step back and think about what I want to accomplish through my conversations, I can express my thoughts more clearly and cause less hurt to myself and others. Duh? Yes, duh. But once again, I’m just sharing the very obvious lessons I’m learning as I’m dealing with becoming a grown up.