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Beatrice Tonhodzayi-Ngondo Make a Difference
I was blessed enough to get a seat between two men in their 50s and 60s respectively on a flight recently. One was flying to the United States to visit his two daughters while one was heading to Dubai with his teenage daughter to take care of some business and do some shopping.
One may wonder how I got to know where they were headed and what they were going to do, when we did not know each other prior to being allocated seats next to each other on the plane. But being in the same space, even if it is for a short time, tends to do that to people.
How many times have you done that yourself?
You do not know this person but you find yourself talking to them. It is quite common in the queue at the bank, the supermarket counter, a school function, church, a conference or even on the bus.
It is just in us as a human race, this need to share, this need to bond. Some friendships have been struck and relationships built because people got talking.
Such is the power of talking.
How many couples do you know that are in love today or are even married that met on a flight or a bus? How many business deals are struck just because someone got talking to someone at a work function, hair salon or something along those lines? How many opportunities have been given to you just because you approached someone you did not know at some point and made contact?
So there I was, seated between the two gentlemen. Like the well raised daughter of Vhitori parents that I am, I had exchanged greetings and pleasantries with my two co-passengers and as such we got chatting.
After discussing the weather, a bit of politics, like everyone else has been doing lately, the two gentlemen began to talk and I realised that they actually knew each other from church.
So they were talking. As they talked I gathered that they were family men. They spoke about the importance of working hard to provide for one’s children.
The one who was going to the US spoke about how he had struggled to put his children through school and was now reaping the rewards. The other concurred saying he too was proud of his three children who were medical doctors and lawyers respectively.
He said he was travelling with his youngest child, the only one remaining at home, to do her shopping while he saw to some business. After sharing stories about their pride in their families, they started talking business. I was able to decipher that one of them runs a vehicle business, is into timber and potato farming while the other is an investor, a farmer, miner and hotelier. If I tell you how many contacts they shared on that flight, how many people they referred each other to, both in Zimbabwe and in other parts of the world just on that flight alone, you will not believe it.
Even I ended up being offered some advice and plenty of opportunities too just by sitting next to them. I was offered a discount on holidays and was referred to some great places and websites for information that is useful to me and my line of work, just by opening up a little bit and being friendly.
So afterwards I was just thinking about the power of communication and thinking it truly has the power to make a difference, no matter what the situation is. Just think about it, how many jobs have gone to a certain candidate not because they have the best qualifications but because they communicate the best? How many ladies have fallen for a guy over the other just because he communicated the best? How many women have been left by their men after years just because they did not communicate well?
How many people have struck gold in business just because they communicated well? How many people have gotten ahead just because they talked to someone? How many people have risen just because they are good communicators? How many students are well liked in schools even though they are not great academics just because they are always pleasant, courteous and respectful?
And how many people have been left alone just because they are bad communicators? That type that people always run out on or avoid? How many people have failed to rise because they just do not place value in communication and talking?
While communication goes beyond talking, at times what truly starts off communication is talking and the talking has to be strategic. That is why it is always important to think before one opens their mouth.
In opening our mouths before we think we can cause injury to others and destroy any prospects for ourselves. But also in not opening our mouths at all, we stand in the way of friendships, relationships, business deals, networking opportunities, love, advice and much more.
I have made two connections and it is two men who are not even of my generation, whose children are my age but who are fountains of wisdom in terms of parenting, praying, business, investing, relationships and much more.
One linked me up with his daughter who has interests in health and women and young people, just like me — and I have since been in touch.
I am looking forward to going on that holiday I got by simply being pleasant to the people I sat with on a plane.
Next time you are in the company of people, speak to them, if they encourage it. Do not go to a work function and leave without networking and getting to know some people. Exchange business cards and smile at someone. At church do the same.
We are always encouraged to greet someone new at the end of the service. Now I know why. That is how relationships are built. So the call today is that we communicate. We can address problems, challenges and even attitudes by communicating.
Even the body language we project communicates something. Let us always communicate positive messages. Who knows what we may attract by doing this.
There is power in communication.
Zimbabweans, let us communicate and we will do and achieve so much more.
Online Reporter