Thought for the month: 

Communication is not just in what you say but largely in how you say it.

Sanctuary and EDI

Inclusion and Emotional Intelligence

The Sanctuary theme for September is Emotions. Emotional intelligence is key to cultivating an Inclusive environment. How we engage with others, the care we take in our approach and the sincerity and honesty we exude, determine to a large extent how effective our relations will be.

Many of us truly value our honesty and seek to be “real” in how we express ourselves to others. We must also consider, are our efforts to be real also being kind, being courteous, being respectful as well as honest? If we don’t exhibit these qualities while we are being real, then our words will be less effective in reaching those that we are speaking with.  We might then need to work on learning how to express these values authentically.

How will people react to the words that we say? The tone with which we speak and the body language that we express, both play a significant role in how people interpret what we say. We must think about what it would mean to speak our truth but with kindness, courtesy and respect. Think about how it can be most effective. One of my elders told me a long time ago an idea, that is often credited to Albert Mehrabian, that it is not just what you say, but how you say it.

Learning how to express ourselves in ways that are effective is necessary to be an effective leader and to build strong relationships. To be an effective communicator we not only need to think about what we want to communicate but also what is the best way for the person we are communicating with to understand what we mean. Thinking about how best to help the other person understand is part of emotional intelligence and a key to building healthy relationships and a healthy culture of Inclusion.