Balloons- Communication and Assertiveness
Impact Factory's Words of Wisdom - Communication and Assertiveness
Balloons - Assertiveness and Communication
by Liz McKechnieBlow up four balloons, a, b, c, and d. Put them in a box and close the lid.
OK, so these balloons are special ones with minds of their own and a decides to inflate itself a bit. In a finite space the other balloons have a choice: Either to burst or to deflate an equivalent amount to compensate. Of course b might take up the challenge and inflate too in which case c and d have to shrink even more to survive.
Likewise, if one balloon chooses to deflate a little the other balloons have the opportunity to inflate within the space.
This can be the way the dynamic works between people within a family or workplace. So our relative behavioural status fluctuates according to the situation we are in and people we are with. If balloon a gets a lot bigger relative to balloon b the differential can make communication very challenging. It can be intimidating or even look like bullying when neither side intended it. If a deflates a bit then b may inflate accordingly and the gap narrows.
If we have our conscious attention on our own status and the status of those around us we can choose how much to inflate or deflate our behaviour to help the communication to run smoothly.
Effective Communication and People Management
We do this unconsciously all the time. (Notice how you talk to a three year old child as opposed to a pushy sales rep). When we make a conscious decision to alter our status according to who we are interacting with, then we have an invaluable tool for effective communication and people management.Next time you are walking down a crowded street or being crushed on the train in rush hour try mentally inflating your balloon a little and see what happens.
Find the next available Open Communication Skills Course
And the next available Open Assertiveness Course
Effective Communication and People Management Skills Training
