What do Victoria Falls and Ocean’s Eleven have to teach us about communication?
Variations of Victoria Falls
I am lucky that I could visit Zimbabwe and see Victoria Falls. It is truly an amazing natural wonder! It’s a glorious curtain of water, as far as you can see.
It turns out that I was really lucky. Had I been there during dry season, the river would have been low and the falls would have been a trickle. Had I been there during high season, the amount of water thundering over the falls would create so much spray and mist that the falls wouldn’t be visible!
Communication is not a waterfall
I’ve been thinking of that trip to Victoria Falls because I recently heard the analogy that we shouldn’t consider communication like a waterfall. And I agree! Not any version of even the most amazing waterfall in the world. Effective communication isn’t unidirectional – downward. It also isn’t just occasional trickles. Or overwhelming and deafening volume.
Lesson in Las Vegas
Perhaps a positive analogy for effective communication can come from a different trip I took – to Las Vegas. Just like the guys at the end of the movie in Ocean’s Eleven, I stood mesmerized by the fountains in front of the Bellagio. I watched the water dance back and forth, up and down, swirling and streaming, fast and slow. That fountain is designed with intention for balance and flow.
Strength Exercise for Communication Muscle
So here’s the exercise to strengthen your Communication muscle:
- For a week, set a daily reminder to pause and reflect on your communications.
- Identify what felt like the Bellagio! And what felt like a waterfall – a waterfall where you were at the top, or at the bottom.
- At the end of the week, see if you can identify any patterns that suggest ways you can make adjustments to have more George Clooney, or water fountains in your world!
