Communicate or Complicate?

I have learned to communicate with people from my failed communications!

There are several such instances which have made me improve my communication skills, or am I being naive to believe so?

When I was in Gujarat, I used to make phone calls to my family after 11 pm so that I make calls for 25% of tariff. When I went a little before 11 pm and found "telecom" center devoid of usual crowd, I remarked to the operator, "Aaj bilkul free laktha hai"(meaning there is no crowd!), for which he replied "No Sir, 50% charge! Period.

I engaged this driver"Pappu" who came from interior part of UP, India. Although he needed a lot of moulding for him to be called a driver, I selected him after a brief interview by my family members, purely for his innocence and to help a man who has come from far flung place to eke out a living.

Within a week of his joining, I took my guest proudly to a meeting venue in my car with Pappu on wheels, telling all the details of my newly acquired driver.

We reached the gate of the venue, when I told him in Hindi, to the effect that "stop near the gate, watch out if some vehicles are coming and then go in".... Pappu carefully followed my instruction by stopping the car near the gate, got out of the car and went inside to find if any vehicle was coming!

Both of us could not control our laughter.

Then I realised my mistake. Like what competent communicators do, I failed to notice the "Entry behaviour" of the receiver.

Both words and silence, can communicate a lot. Think for a while, all of you. Try and stop communicating with your near and dear for more than the usual interval and see what it communicates!

Well readers, use your skills and,be careful as to how you Communicate or else, you will complicate matters!