Communication Pizza
I have the privilege of working with a lot of professionals. Part of what I do is to find these professionals different kinds of virtual support, including virtual assistants. The first thing I do with a new client is seek to understand their needs so that I can find them the best support. When I ask these professionals what qualities they most want from an assistant, they almost always say the same thing: they want someone good at communicating. That always begs the question: what does it mean to be good at communicating?
I like to think of good communication as good pizza. One, because who among us isn’t thinking of pizza almost always? Two, because the metaphor works. Most everyone likes pizza, just like most everyone wants their relationships, work and otherwise, to involve effective communication. Some people like a simple classic like pepperoni, which we will compare to a preference for straightforward communication. Others may like something you don’t understand, like anchovies, where they might say ten words and hope you hear thirty. Then, you have the controversial topping of pineapple! For example, you might have someone who gives work directives during a conversation about life outside work. Maybe you have someone who likes stuffed crust, where they tell you a long, drawn-out story when you could’ve gotten the needed information in just two sentences. It gives, a “this meeting could have been an email” vibe. Should we even get started on the style of pizza? Do you like thin crust? Chicago style? Do you like phone calls? Or Slack messages? Wait, do you leave voicemails?? Okay, so at this point, we can all agree on two things: we want pizza, and “good” communication can mean something different for everyone.
We may have no problem sharing our favorite pizza, so why do we struggle to share our communication preferences? I think it is because what we say makes perfect sense to us; it’s our language. I speak “Krystal,” which is my native language. But my partner speaks his language, my boss speaks her language, and my brother speaks his language, and you can see where this is going; there is a lot of translating that has to happen. We all have our way of saying things, and it’s our duty to teach those around us our language. I have to teach those around me how to speak “Krystal.” I love learning the languages of those in my life because I truly understand them in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Leading with communication is simple; you just have to tell someone your communication preferences and ask about theirs. Now that I think of it, what better way to discuss this than over pizza?! Just make sure to ask someone what kind of pizza they like, and know that it is okay to compromise. There is plenty of pizza to go around, and there is no right or wrong preference—just a necessity to be clear!
Krystal works as a Client Success Consultant at BELAY Solutions.
She lives in Atlanta with her dog, Bawlmer.
They both love listening to Taylor Swift!