If you’re glued to the TV, going crazy trying to make sense of election results, you’re not the only one.
As I’m writing right now, my wife’s reacting to election news and commentary on TV, as more votes are being tabulated. What tight races in key states! A friend of ours in Maine is tending to her garden, for a little peace and quiet.
“This is nuts,” someone else we know is ‘shouting’ in a text with very evocative emojis in the message.
Hearing political experts parsing and opining on TV, I’m getting an ‘aha’ moment. I forgot which one of the experts said this, but one of them suggested something we really need to do, here, in America — since, quite apparently, we’re still terribly polarized, judging by the election tallies and the election drama. When a commentator said we need to learn how to speak to each other, I got to thinking: What a great opportunity for someone in the communications business!
Getting polarized people to speak to each other… to communicate… that should be pretty easy, wouldn’t you think?
I’m at my drawing board, right now, penciling out a business plan. Picturing in my mind having groups of people – Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Evangelicals, atheists, and so on – learning the fundamentals of speaking to each other. Having them take calming breaths, as a first step.
Teaching them good listening skills. And from there, walking them through non-confrontational communication techniques. For instance, suggesting to Linda – in the group – that there’s a better, more positive, more constructive way to iron out differences of opinion than telling Fred to ‘go stuff it!’
Let’s everyone step back, inhale and exhale those calming breaths… and let’s do our level best to all get along. We can do that! I know we can!
This communications gig — teaching fellow Americans how to speak to each other — could be one heck of an opportunity!
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.