Part 3 :: 'Communicate' or 'Relate.' What's the Difference?

You might think that “communicating” and “relating” are basically the same thing. It’s good to get a sense for the finer distinctions between these two business-critical concepts. They can help set you on a path to solving productivity, management and operational issues – whatever’s getting in the way of you and your team delivering your very best work and thriving while you do it.

First, though, let’s revisit the idea that communication is radically relational.

The word “radical” comes from the Latin word for “root.” When we say that “communication is radically relational,” we’re affirming that communication is at the root of all of our human interactions.

Communicating is fundamental, essential and vital for our capacity to relate to one another.

The concept of “relating” is a big-picture way of thinking about how human beings connect with each other. There are myriad influences and nuances in every single relationship, and their special combination makes each relationship unique.

But every relationship requires communication, and, ideally, good communication, for that relationship to come into being and continue to grow. It is a primary means for nourishing all our connections.

Simply said, communication is at the root of human relationship. 

Like the roots of a plant, Authentic Communication nourishes, sustains and uplifts our relationships.

Because we communicate with absolutely every person with whom we interact,           
and all of us communicate all the time,                                                                          
when we acknowledge that our life and work are comprised of relationships,              
when we see that a relationship can only flourish with strong, healthy communication,    
we can begin to take steps to ensure that we are communicating in optimal ways for our relationships to blossom, our connections to deepen, our work and our lives to thrive. 

​#AuthenticCommunication #LovingWork