Communication

Funny Expat Story -
 
I took my daughter to a nail salon for her birthday.
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Living in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, we interact with the salon team in German - the best we can.
 
There just so happened to be somewhat non-kid friendly music videos playing on a large TV in the center of the salon. 
 
We were the only ones in the salon and once we got settled in, my 9 and 5-year-old were locked onto the screen.
 
I politely asked the Salon Team to please turn this off/change the channel, saying it is not great for the kids.
 
Imagine my shock, when I received a funny look. They grabbed the remote and turned the loud music up even louder! I explained again in my sub-par German, but finally left as is while we were in mid nail painting and could not seem to get the result.
 
Conveniently (for him), AFTER we left, my son (who goes to a German and English bi-lingual school) told me that when I said, “Der Musik ist schlect fur die Kinder”….I actually communicated to them that the children can't hear the music…SO they of course thought I wanted them to turn it louder!!! And they made sure to make me a happy customer and turn it up MUCH louder.
 
From that moment, I’ve been more diligent checking for translation with my son!
 
This somewhat ridiculous situation (clearly opposite pages), made me think of what I've learned through the DiSC program. 
 
How many times have we left conversations thinking we are on the same page (even with the same language), but we are just not, for various reasons. 
 
The more we make a point to learn and understand other’s communication styles, preferences, drivers, behaviors, etc…the more we can ensure communication moves us forward at work and in life. 

I believe there is great value in this. We should aim to equip people in this area early in their career…not to mention how this can greatly benefit personal relationships.
 
As a certified DiSC practitioner, we are happy to provide access to the DiSC assessment, 360-degree assessment tools, leadership assessments and the list goes on!
 
Through the DiSC Assessment & Tools you can:

-Increase your self knowledge - Better understand your preferred communication approach, motivators and stressors

-Learn how you may be perceived by the different styles and the pros and cons of this

-Better understand different communication preferences and behaviors that differ from yours

-Have a common language allowing people to best leverage their DiSC profile and adapt their behaviors with others

Strong communication & understanding drives everything from building healthy relationships to successful business deals! This will always be a focus and passion for us. 
 
To be sure I don’t make the same mistake at the nail salon, I made sure to learn the phrase, “Kannst do bitte die Musik andern” - meaning, "Can you please change the music?!” Problem solved! :)

Author: Erika Butler, CEO

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