NEED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS

The cartoon strip “Dilbert”, created by Scott Adams, appears in hundreds of newspapers worldwide. It is the premier cartoon dealing with workplace issues. The characters include the pointy-haired boss, a supervisor with tufts of hair rising on each side of his head, and often incompetent; Dilbert, an engineer; Alice, an engineer; Asok, an intern; and others.

In one recent strip, Dilbert approaches the pointy-haired boss and asks, “What will the company’s future be like?” The boss responds, “It depends on the plan.” With that, Dilbert says, “We’re doomed, aren’t we?” The pointy-haired boss answers, “I don’t know, I haven’t seen the plan.”

If CAL-MOAA , the EXCOM specifically, is going to be successful 26 April presenting and approving a new strategic plan, we need to see a huge amount of member participation between now and then. Recently we asked participants to give us a chop, approval or disapproval of the plan draft, and by simply posting a comment to the request. To date, only one comment has been offered.

Some won’t write or comment because it’s just plain hard. Why? Some just don’t like to tell others what they think, or fear rejection or criticism, even intimacy, and are concerned that someday something they wrote will come back to haunt them.

For effective communication, we need emotional openness, and that means self-disclosure. This is the act of telling others what you think or feel about the plan, actually sharing how you are reacting to the other person and current situation. It is telling the truth, not just presenting your good side or your social mask.

Why tell others?

In the larger scheme of things, there is a wholesome cycle involving self-disclosure, friendships, and self-acceptance. First, it is usually helpful to tell the person you are interacting with how he/she is affecting you because sharing your feeling and thoughts usually deepens friendships. Secondly, acceptance by friends and others increases your self-acceptance. Thirdly, as you feel better about yourself, you can self-disclose even more of yourself, leading to closer, more enjoyable relationships. Fourthly, with more feedback, greater security and self-acceptance, you are able to look deeper into yourself and solve more problems.

We should be using this interactive technology to present the planning issues, discuss them, get feedback from many others, and together begin to set some directions, all well in advance of the EXCOM meeting. We are trying to be open with the issues, disclosing to others, hoping that in turn others will choose to let us know what they think and feel.

“To like me, to trust me, to be committed to our relationships, to facilitate my personal growth and self-understanding, and to be my friend, you must know me.” David Johnson, Reaching Out

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