Effective Communication, Like Sailing, Is About Focus & Feel
- Posted by: Joe Williams
Two years ago I had the opportunity to crew on a 48-foot sloop named Carina from Bermuda into Long Island Sound. I was part of a four-man crew that returned the yacht after it won its class in the Newport-Bermuda race. I noticed that Carina won again this year, the race being completed just a few weeks ago. Not only did it win, it did it by a whopping three-hour margin. The photo is from this year’s race, by the way.
While at the helm of this fast sloop, I learned a thing or two about focus–focus on the compass heading, focus on the sail trim, focus on the waves, focus on the following sea. And do it all at the same time. A hard task, but one that experienced ocean sailors do constantly. The result is that instead of sailing by thought, I learned how to sail by feel–the feel of the helm, the feel of the waves and the feel of the boat in relationship to those two forces. I had to quite trying to think all the time. In other words, I had to feel more and think less.
It seems to me that this is the same when it comes to our communication with others. We need to learn how to communicate through feel rather than by thought. The next time you are talking with someone, try this:
1. Listen more than you talk.
2. By attention to how they respond to you.
3. Become the thought you are trying to get across to the person.
5. Try to communicate with more energy and feel, rather than thought and control.
See what happens.
