A Call for Balance

The world, as I see it, is largely dominated by two types of people: those who believe we are connected and those who view life from a "bottom line" perspective. As the first group sees an all-encompassing interrelationship between all people everywhere, they try to conduct their actions and way of thinking toward benefitting the "greater good" of society. The second group, though not without concern for others, tend to be driven by the plusses and minuses of any decisions. One is more heart-driven while the other is comfortable letting their head sit behind the steering wheel. Neither one, I should note, is necessarily better than the other. Basically, it is their approach to life that separates them.

I see these two perspectives driving many communicators as they approach their jobs, assignments, and responsibilities. Each perspective - one from the heart and the other from the head - is important and should play a vital role in how all tasks are assessed and eventually tackled. Ideally, the two should complement each other. I mention this because of a concern that many communicators today are letting one perspective dominate the other. Hired by a client to help them turn a profit, the professional communicator devises strategies designed to achieve that "bottom line" objective. While such a scenario is fine, particularly if success is achieved, the so-called "victory" seems limited.  

My concern echoes that of the little Prince in the famous book of that title by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. "Bottom-line" thinking is something grown-us do. In pursuing actions that are black-and-white in nature, other vital parts of life - happiness, contentment, fun, etc. - tend to get squeezed out. This is not good. Communicators is about human emotion. It speaks to the need we all share of  feeling connected, safe, appreciated and heard. As practitioners approach their many challenges, those aspects of the human psyche should not be overlooked. Thus, the two perspectives need to be co-pilots.