Interpersonal Communications
Interpersonal Communication Skills - J Is For...
We are launching a series about communication that focuses on family interaction, rather than on workplace dynamics...
Of course, many tips and guidelines that help you develop family relationships can be carried over to the workplace environment. Learning to get along with the most important people in your life can help you get along with others, most of whom don’t play a major role. We have so many communication ideas and so much relationship advice that once again we are starting an alphabetical series. However, we don’t promise to handle the letters in strict alphabetical order, nor even to do all of them.
J is for joke. You are allowed to joke but you really should watch out for several things. Perhaps first and foremost don’t tell the same joke over and over again. The only ones who will laugh more than once are those workplace subordinates who are waiting to hear from you about a promotion. In fact, even the first time your kids and to a lesser extent your partner may not laugh at your jokes, whether or not they think it’s funny. Don’t forget that jokes are largely a cultural phenomenon and the chances are you haven’t got their culture down pat. Once in a while you can hit it big. I came up with some doggerel (silly poem) related to the 2000 American Presidential Election and not only my then 19 year old son liked it but his buddies did too, telling him “Your dad said that” in an admiring way. My advice after such a coup, don’t press your luck.
If only horsy could explain this joke.
J is for justice. Sometimes the only way you can get your loved ones or others to listen to you is to appeal to their sense of justice. Needless to say, many people are confused between what’s best for them and what’s just. There are, however, some people who can see the justice in an argument, even if it goes against them. I am tempted simply not to deal with the first category of people; needless to say such a philosophy is untenable. Life is unjust.
And now for some of the things you want to avoid.
Don't try this jiving at home.
J is for jive. Don’t even try to jive with members of the next generation. You’ll get it all wrong and you’ll only lose face. Forget using their code words, you are not part of their crowd. This advice doesn’t necessarily hold for your partner, assuming that we aren’t talking about a December-May or a May-December relationship. Still, why jive, why not talk straight about the situation? This may help reduce misunderstandings.