A little boy came home from school one afternoon and his mother demanded to know what they did in school that day. The conversation went thus:
Mother: Junior, what did you do at school today?
Junior: Our teacher taught us 2+2.
Mother: So, what is 2+2?
Junior: 2+2, son of a bitch, is 4.
The mother screamed and left all that she was doing in the kitchen to join the son in the sitting room. The conversation had taken a new dimension.
Mother: Junior, what did I hear you say?
Junior: Mummy, I didn’t say anything oh! I just said our teacher taught us that 2+2, son of a bitch, is 4.
Mother: Are you sure your teacher taught you that?
Junior: Yes, mum.
So, the next day, Junior’s mother went with him to see the teacher. On getting to the school, she confronted the teacher.
Junior’s Mother: Teacher, what did you teach your students yesterday?
Teacher: We did multiplication, subtraction, and addition.
Junior’s Mother: I’m interested in addition. What did you tell them 2+2 was?
Teacher: I told them that 2+2, the sum of which, is 4. Hope nothing is the matter, madam?
The teacher said the sum of which and the young boy heard and reported the son of a bitch. Who do you think is at fault? I’ve often asked this question in my presentations and the class is always divided. Some will say the teacher; others will say Junior while many will insist it’s the system. But the truth of the matter is whoever you think is at fault, something had gone wrong. A breakdown in communication had occurred. What is the implication? The consequences could be more than you think. We all know that most private schools are out to make profit, not undermining the value they add. Assuming the mother did not confront the teacher and quietly decides to withdraw her son (or children) from that school, it then means that the school has lost one account. Assuming the woman proceeds to tell her friends about the incident and majority of them decide to withdraw their children from the school, what happens? The school would’ve lost so many accounts. And those friends of hers will go ahead to tell others. Before you know it, the school owner, who is out to make profit and of course build wealth out of it, begins to wonder the misfortune that befell him. Just because of that single communication mistake.
Have you wondered how the world will look like, if all men become dumb? God forbid! God created the mouth so that man can use it for greater things. That’s why the mouth and other members of his department are among the most powerful team players in the body. In every work of life, communication is key. Take the case of a manufacturer who due to his false belief that if he produces the best in quality, and his goods are competitively priced, they will automatically sell. “Unfortunately,” says Ron Holland, “this is not the way of the world; it is far from the truth. Even the best, the cheapest, the brightest, and the most ingenious goods still have to be sold.” It’s a well-known fact that the salesman is the kingpin of industry. A brief stock taking in the society today will show that so many goods are chasing so few people, therefore making the buyer a king in the market place. Check with print and electronic media and you will observe that organizations are spending not just millions, but billions of naira annually on advertising to promote and sell their wares. Even with this expenditure, the buyer still determines what happens in the marketplace. This is followed closely by the competitor who can train and motivate fleets of competent salesmen to actually go out and dominate the market. The old adage that nothing happens until somebody sells something is still as fresh as a morning vegetable. The factory that does not sell its goods soon goes out of business. If a factory goes out of business, people lose their jobs, and along with their jobs, their livelihoods. Of course, it will affect every other member of the organization, from the security man to the chief executive officer. They are all dependent on the salesmen selling the end product, whether it is goods, services, or ideas.
It was Sophocles who said, “I see that everywhere among the race of men, it is the tongue that wins, not the deed.” You will agree with me that the spoken word is very powerful. Consider the phrase, “I love you.” Just three-letter word, but it has the magic of turning things around on the spot. It can revitalize marriages; make old people young, give people reason to live, turn sadness into happiness, tears into laughter and mediocrity into genius. Consider the words, “I am sorry.” Again, only three words, but if they are used in the right place, they can transform relationships, friendships, partnerships, and marriages. It is pride that stops people from using these three words, and it is pride that keeps them from achieving power, for the power is in the spoken word. What has all this got to do with being an orator, you ask? Well, I will tell you. If you cannot sell yourself to your nearest and dearest, how on earth do you expect to sell yourself to the big wide world? The story is told about a white community worker in a black village. He was coming down from a mountain and tripped, and within some seconds found himself at the foot of the mountain unable to help himself. Fortunately for him, the villagers were coming back from the farm when the accident happened. He called to them for assistance saying, “As I was descending from the clevity with such an excessive velocity, l suddenly lost my center of gravity and I was precipitated under mechamadized torophel.”
When he finished, everybody looked at each other and left him to his fate. They could not understand what he was talking about. Make it simple. Some people want to seek recognition by wanting to intimidate others, only to end up fooling themselves. Keep it simple. Even your life can depend on effective communication.
Shalom!