The commencement speaker said, “Yes, things are uncertain, and for the last several years, we have been talking about unprecedented times. But if everything is unprecedented, that means it is precedented.”
I found it amusing.
I’m not sure the graduates did.
The reality is that the world is always uncertain. We have just become more aware of it in the last several years.
Which means I need to be better about seasoning all my communication with HOPE.
Jonathan Milligan wrote, “People need hope before they need a solution. Hope offers power in the present moment.”
Here are three ways you can add hope to your communications:
- Remind people that they are not alone.
This morning, I had a conversation with a respected leader.
Our conversation was brief, but knowing that I could talk to him about some of my challenges was encouraging, and he was there for me.
Everyone needs community when they lack hope.
2. Admit your failures.
This is slightly counterintuitive, but sharing your failures catalyzes hope.
People need hope most when they feel like a failure. Sharing your failures (and the fact that you survived) breeds hope.
3. Remind people that change is possible.
Personality tests like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and DISC are helpful tools, but they can put people into “boxes” where they feel trapped.
Feeling trapped is antithetical to hope.
Do your best to encourage people that change is not only possible, but also good!
Without hope, humans cannot survive. Make it a habit to season your communications with hope. As John Maxwell said, “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.”