Benjamin: “I used what I learned and I changed two teams.”
Fred, George and Sam disagreed and simply said, “No. That’s not what happened.”
These were corporate leaders attending a virtual online Causative Communication workshop. Their assignment, after the second training session, was to spend several weeks using their new communication abilities and observing the results.
The teams that Benjamin was talking about had been stuck in an argument for weeks prior to the training. Their meetings never moved beyond stubborn debates and were disappointingly unsatisfying and unproductive, much disgruntled grumbling on both sides. They were each “right”, but unable to unite to solve the bigger problem the organization needed them to solve.
There were extremely smart people on both sides. Genuinely good people who all believed they were doing the right thing.
Unfortunately, their communication ability was nowhere near up to the challenge of solving the heated, disagreement-filled situation they were all in.
Benjamin was the one person who decided to do something about it. He arrived to the training tremendously motivated. Benjamin was frustrated because the lack of cooperation seriously interfered with his ability to be productive and move forward in his own job.
It was especially frustrating because he was a technical leader, but he wasn’t in charge of either of the teams.
Benjamin really wanted to see these two teams working well together. His burning question was, “How do you get others to change when you’re not in charge?”
In the first two training sessions, Benjamin worked on his own ability to communicate. He learned how to create a real human connection and a level of understanding that uplifts every conversation. He developed the ability to transform any conflict into harmony, then lead discussions into creative, productive and satisfying outcomes.
He had 3 weeks to put his new skills into action and make them hold up in this hurricane.
When we got together again at the start of the third day of training, they all were reporting back on what they had done, and the results they had produced.
Benjamin: “I used what I learned and I changed two teams.”
The others: “No, Benjamin. You changed the whole organization.”
Benjamin sat back, stunned by the magnitude of what he just heard. Then he started grinning.
It turns out that Benjamin ‘s efforts to unblock the conflict went way beyond the two teams. When these two teams began to communicate and work well with each other, the positive effect this created rippled throughout the entire organization. The number of people impacted was tremendous.
The important thing for you to know here is that one person can make a huge difference.
Our history books are loaded with examples where one individual created large-scale transformation.
Big transformations are always started by individuals and picked up by teams. And even within teams, it’s the individuals on the team who introduce the ideas that spark more ideas and galvanize the whole team and beyond to create real change. Each individual makes a difference.
Not everyone wants to make an impact on a global scale. But everyone I’ve met wants to see a better world around them, better relationships, a better organization, a better society, better family dynamics.
We are all part of groups. And those groups are part of a bigger group. And so on, until you reach all of us.
One individual, you, communicating well, can inspire and utterly transform the dynamics of any group.
Do you believe that’s possible? It’s easy to believe that someone else can do it. Sometimes it’s more challenging to believe that person can be you.
I have no doubt about it. It most certainly can be.
The ability to truly communicate is unfortunately rare and greatly appreciated. It’s really the success “secret” of the most effective people in the world.
The good news is that this skill is available to anyone who makes the life-changing decision to learn it and use it to its fullest to make a difference.
The big difference between Benjamin and everyone else was his decision to do it. That decision always puts you in the leadership role, regardless of your position in the organization.
Benjamin did it. You can too.
Be the cause!