My Step-Dad Joe constantly felt it was his calling to confront me about the size of my feet…not that it was breaking his bank to keep me in boat sized shoes but he never stopped reminding me how improper one comes across when he or she finds too much energy in sharing points of view that end up being a giant size eleven in the mouth.
I’ve always blamed my passion for openness on being a product planted by the thought farmers controlling the rolling hills and skyscraping mountains of Montana—with only 800,000 people calling it home…sometimes the only thing to do is bust open a can of product opinion and see if it’s capable of shooting a star across the wild Big Sky.
Is it wrong to pop out what comes to mind?
We go to the same malls, books stores and restaurants…people everywhere look like humungous zits without a whitehead—swollen to the soul with no desire to poof.
I did some research on this clam it up behavior. Being from Montana is a lame excuse for wanting to be filled with expression. Author Lou Solomon shines light on my word behavior by exposing three different types of communicators: Those who see original thoughts as being inappropriate, a few more capture the idea that everyone at the table contributes to the importance of the perspective and then there’s the massive amount who believe they have good ideas but lack the confidence to voice them.
As much as I love that word confidence…too much of it will kick your tail clean off the list of those inducted into the Debate Hall of Fame. I’m nothing compared to the family champion. Jokingly, as kids we used to call my sister Mouth…she was born ready to take anybody on—big, tall, small or somewhere in the middle…Thanksgiving and Christmas had nothing to do with family love, gifts and forgiveness…Rick Flair and Hulk Hogan would’ve never been crowned kings of the ring in my house…she’d have them down and out at hello.
Her ability to vocally lead has turned into a shoulder patch that reads #1 Protector—Susan’s commitment to my parents aging path showcases an understanding that falls into the folder called unconditional love. It doesn’t matter how many times she opened wide and shoved that foot inside…inner strength becomes visible to all involved.
So how can we do this at work? If confidence makes brothers and sisters hero’s at home—how can the rest of the wandering world of zombies invite electricity to the workplace?
Having the same confidence in front or near your boss is a difficult task…Lou Solomon writes, “Workers see only one boss…one that wants the job done, nothing else. Other bosses want employees to show up and be heard while the majority of those asked simply admitted that timing is everything—an idea or approach cannot materialize unless the timing is right but how often does a boss make that position available for the taking?”
Billions of books have been written about why there’s silence in 2010—fear of rejection.
From not wanting to clash with anyone to confrontation being a total waste of time to relationship being more important than a scorecard…things are left undone because of rejection and or the fear of.
In July of 2002 I elected to do battle with my Karate Sensei—how dare he make me run in the snow! I’m in radio! I have a career to protect! He took in my sharp words like a true warrior then softly explained to me after class, “You will do pushups and sit ups until you grasp the idea that attackers and aggressive people on the outside don’t give a flying flip about your career either. You can either be prepared or take your final step with no time to think about how you should’ve listened to me and not your heart.”
The problem with vocally folding is that it feeds the river that makes authentic speaking less of an important tool than balancing your checkbook in an online banking world. Authentic speaking is quickly becoming an endangered species and the world of science isn’t interested in saving the lips in movement planet.
Image is everything and nobody wants to come across as a jerk, power control freak or Mouth of the South. Solomon’s research project unveiled a very limited list of individuals who see authentic speaking as being something we should all do. Shocking was the number of people who are convinced that transparency is the ultimate freedom. Topping the peak of the mountain, “It’s perfectly fine to be you…just don’t be an idiot.”
Historians write, “Benjamin Franklyn was this nation’s first ever daily blogger.”
Benny is looked upon as being one of the masters who shaped the greatness of this beautiful country. If he had Twitter and Face Book he probably wouldn’t have written, “Going to the store. I’m home with the kids with nothing to do. Got a booger…I shall call him Kevin.”
I’m going to steal a thought from my radio Boss who boldly stood in front of five stations filled with Broadcasters and said, “You are in the communications business…you complain when we stop you from being creative over and out of songs but now that each of you have web pages to do whatever you want…I can’t get any of you to speak.”
Freedom of speech is becoming a lost art because hardly anybody is interested in authentically speaking.
Wait! Justin Bieber’s having a bad hair day! Huff! Puff! Oh no! Heidi Montag isn’t having plastic surgery today! No! Tell me it isn’t so John Mayer isn’t Twittering today! I love the way people are quickly gaining access to 5,000 plus friends on Face Book…how much longer before we start disconnecting those who have nothing to say. Not going to happen...popularity contests feel better than pats on the back.
I’m no Ben Franklyn but I’m willing to admit I have a job…to convince one person a day to put their thoughts in motion just to watch it spin around the world a thousand times or more. If this doesn’t work, maybe we can convince people to start making shorter calls on their cell phones. It obvious we have nothing to authentically say.
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
No comments:
Post a Comment