From my Dutch father I inherited a direct, honest style of communication that’s rare in the UK. It gets me into trouble sometimes, but it also sets me apart. In this country, cutting to the chase can be rare and refreshing. Many successful teams are built on a culture of challenging each other to do better, so we can learn a lot from the honest Dutch communication style. In the UK we sometimes go out of our way to avoid discussing the truth.
However, brutal honesty only gets me so far: through my mistakes I’ve realised that I could be more considerate to others. I’ve been learning Non-violent communication (NVC), which has shown me that it’s possible to stay considerate while speaking my truth.
NVC helps us pay attention to the needs and feelings of others. I’ll talk about how it’s a useful lens for my life and work, and how I think it can help others—especially geeks!