05 Nov Social Fluidity
The Evening Standard did a piece last year on the importance of Social Fluidity: the ability to speak confidently to a member of the royal family, as well as the capacity to have a good chat with your local handyman. In a world that is so diverse in culture and people, it is essential to be able to adapt our communication style to suit everyone we meet.
My grandfather lived a very colourful life. He had stories that would give Hollywood screen writers a run for their money. He spent his days in the 1930s mixing with scary gangsters, but his evenings were spent tangoing with wealthy crowds. When he retired, he would sit in coffee shops chatting with policemen, bank managers and entrepreneurs. Everyone knew Jo and everyone loved him. My gramps had Social Fluidity.
Contrarily, I recently sat next to a man on a train who began speaking to me. My delight quickly turned into concern when he told me that I was a ‘vulnerable woman’ and should be aware of the ethnic criminals who regularly travel on this particular train line. The man had zero interest in speaking with me, he only wanted an ear to hear his voice.
Good communication skills mean that you are able to adapt your manner with whomever you are speaking. In business, this means clients, suppliers and colleagues from all different backgrounds.
A great communicator is aware that her life is one of billions…. and so is her point of view.
Thank you for reading,
JT