Keith Amoss PhD, pictured, opened the session Ian Sanderson

Keith Amoss PhD, pictured, opened the session Ian Sanderson

Following on from the first interactive breakfast session “All about You”, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) people and leadership group held their follow up event at Badenoch & Clark’s Luxembourg offices on 14 June.

This session continued the theme of The Art & Science of Communication. While the first session explored how to get to know yourself and your communication style, this second get together was entitled ”All about Them” focusing on what we can observe and learn from others.

Albert Einstein said: “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” Was this his magic formula for communicating E=MC2? Perhaps not. Yet any gender discrimination aside (he most surely meant men and women) it does show a respect for other people.

As leaders, managers, consultants and professionals, or simply as humans, we take daily decisions based on what we see and hear. We judge situations. In turn, we are also judged by others. Crucially, our perceptions and resulting judgments may differ.

Keith Amoss PhD, kicking off the session, remarked: “If we could ever really know another person in his or her totality, we would begin to understand why they act as they do. Yet, regardless, we will still make our own judgments on them without that necessary insight.”

Photo: Ian Sanderson

Naturally, when we perceive unfairness in the workplace – discrimination, bullying, favouritism, we may have to act on what we see. Similarly, we may criticise or condemn a boss or fellow worker and judge it right to do so. Yet we should make such judgments with care. We can learn from observing others that when they act they may be missing facts (for example understanding personal values, competencies and formative experiences) and failing to see the full picture. The same may be true for ourselves. Consequently, our judgments can be flawed.

Claudia Neumeister, MA, (pictured above) led participants through a transactional analysis model that explained how our “life position” – how we generally view ourselves and others – can help or hinder communication. “A healthy and authentic life position is one in which we assume that “I’m ok and you’re ok”, she explained.

Attendees actively discussed their experiences and as one remarked: “From this workshop I now realise more clearly that by attempting to understand how other people may perceive issues and not being too quick to judge them you can have a greater impact in your communication. “

A four-part series

The workshop was the second in a four-part series on the art and science of communication to take place in 2017. Register for the third workshop on 20 September on the chamber’s website.

This article was submitted by the British Chamber of Commerce's people and leadership group.