Internet notebook about my work: deep listening to facilitate positive change

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Saturday 5 January 2008

Good communication is simple and personal

For Season’s Greetings we carefully select or make a card, write a message and post it. We do not use the internet, its not personal and may irritate the receiver. That is how most of us – me included - think. Yet this year I sent my New Years Greetings by email. It was a – once every 5 years - exercise to clean up my address system. And I wanted to experiment and learn. I made sure the email was simple, personal and meaningful. As visual I used a recent painting of a friend. From the 300 addresses 50 bounced back and could be deleted. From the other addresses I received a 30% response in the first 3 days - when many people are still on holiday. The majority were reflections, images or links triggered by the painting and my message. I share a few.

"Thank you for the inspiring painting. The year in Sofia started with lots of snow. Attached is a picture of this white snow winter”. “The notion of abundance is beautifully (re)framed in this painting. Abundance does not necessarily mean beyond limits…….as it’s often portrayed these days”. “It was good of you think of me in these troubled times. As you know Pakistan is blessed with all the abundance shown in the painting, but also has its abundance of ills. Nevertheless I'm heartened, that even in the aftermath of the terrible violence in Karachi, I've been able to walk into the office most days and have met with nothing but kindness, concern and courtesy en route”. ”I spent the last days of 2007 and first 4 days of 2008 in a forest - tiwai island. Its a place that helps to remind me of exactly the same message”. So Season's Greetings by email can work - QED!

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