Don’t Say It!

They say I talk too much 🙂

Before the main topic, an invitation:

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Last week, I found myself in conversations about art and how artists communicate without words.

Then today, while talking with my son—a graphic designer—we landed on an important idea: the essence of communication is to create spaces where messages reach people both intellectually and emotionally. He believes branding is about letting your message out to be discovered.

“Political parties have become brands,” he said.

And he’s right. Campaigns know exactly what they want to say, to whom, and how their audience thinks, behaves, and even what they like. They understand what emotions to create while delivering their messages.

I, on the other hand, am a very verbal person. I think in words more than images. I express myself by talking, and I like to believe I’ve learned to make my ideas clear. Sure, sometimes I confuse people—but even that’s part of how I help others find their conclusions.

Still, I can’t help but wonder: what am I missing?

— If you know, let me know.

I often feel a gap between what I want to say and how others receive it. That’s the nature of verbal communication, I know, but lately I’ve come to see more clearly the importance of silence and emotion. I don’t need to say everything. Sometimes, the most powerful way to communicate, even online, is by creating a feeling rather than delivering words.

We all think and communicate in such different ways. Too often, we take things for granted, assuming that “normal” is how we think.

I want to offer value to you, to my family, to my friends. But I’ve noticed that even trying to be of value can be interpreted wrongly.

In my field of work as a consultant, for example, customers appreciate availability, fast reactions, and quick responses. So I make myself accessible, with clear rules. But after a while, that level of access becomes normal, and I sense they begin to push those rules, seeking even more. That’s when I realize: boundaries also speak.

So I wonder:

• Are we failing to communicate because we try too hard to say things “the right way”?

• How does your communication create the feeling of “Yes, I know exactly what you mean”?

• And when do you allow silence itself to speak?

• How do we take into account other human characteristics—like differences in values or approaches to life and business—when we communicate?

How do you entice emotion and imagination to truly connect with others?

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“Some influencers communicate so widely because they embody what their audience would like to become. Isn’t that also a form of silence, letting people fill in the blank with their own desire?”

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Love,

Jose

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