Buying A Comb

Here in Songdo, South Korea, it is no surprise to be interacting with many people who speak Korean. Not all of them, however, speak English. And some of those folks do not speak my native tongue all that well. As I do not speak any Korean, whenever I attempt a conversation with someone I quickly find myself in a kind of mock game of charades. The other day in one of the local markets, for instance, I was looking for a comb to purchase. In trying to explain what I wanted to a very patient and sweet sales person, I soon found myself coming as close as I ever thought I would to impersonating Eddie "Kookie" Brynes from the 1950s television show, "77 Sunset Strip." Fortunately, it worked out. I got my comb and the sale person no doubt had a funny story to tell her family that night.

That short but memorable interaction was a reminder that not all communication is dependent upon words. Facial expressions and body language can and do play key roles. Also, when it comes to connecting with others, this incident also proved that to communicate effectively, one must be prepared to be flexible with little or no warning. I initially approached this sales person under the assumption that she spoke English. As neither one of us could speak the other's tongue, we were both forced to resort to other measures.

In addition to being flexible and patient, there was one other variable that contributed to the ultimate success of our interaction: both the sales person and I wanted to succeed. Though limited in our communication tools, the two of us shared an unspoken commitment to work together to make our encounter a successful one. That, in the end, was what enabled us to achieve our respective goals. This little episode reinforced a belief of mine that effective communication is rarely, if ever, not an attainable goal. It simply takes a willingness to succeed.