Feeling the readiness around!

I watched this Bulbul on the cable in our courtyard at dawn yesterday,  before it commenced its usual flight journey for the day!

It kept looking around in all directions, to get a sense of the environment. Its visual search and body posture conveyed vigilance and intent to see and hear! Usually birds break into bird calls when they know that there are other flight movements of birds. Or when it is wanting to call out for reciprocal bird calls. The male birds make their bird calls tunefully to convey meaning, which other birds can discern. 

Birds do no not seem to waste their bird calls. They sing to fulfil a purpose. 

While watching this behaviour of this Bulbul, taking time before it broke into bird calls (last photo), I became conscious of the need of sensing the readiness around, before a Bulbul breaks out into its bird calls. 

I took time to look into my social and communication behaviour. Do I sense before I speak, whether the other person is ready to hear me! Do I modulate what I want to say by reading the face of the listener! Am I willing to wait to speak till I get a message from the listener of his or her readiness to listen and consider!

There are more occasions when I force others to hear me! They hear in order to accommodate me or be polite to me! Thus a lot of conversations are words thrown into the air, when the other person is not yet ready to hear!

Do I take permission to speak or convey a hurry to speak and unreadiness to hear!

While I was immersed in my thoughts, I noticed movement of leaves in the adjacent bush, below the cable. It was another Bulbul arriving there in response to the bird call!

The interest and responsive look of this Bulbul, to the bird calls of the other Bulbul caught my attention. Till the Bulbul flew away from the cable, this other Bulbul stayed in the vicinity attentively and engagingly. 

I saw first hand, how when a Bulbul broke forth in to its bird call, when it sensed the readiness of the environment, another Bulbul arrived in response. Its bird call had an inviting tone and tune!

To so speak to invite attention and response is the way for communication. For this to happen,  speak only when the other person is ready to receive. Let the manner of speaking be gentle in the listener's ears! 

It occurred to me that this is even more important when others are forced to listen, while speaking in a meeting! One can talk down to others or one can speak respectfully of the listeners, knowing that they too are people with thoughts and opinions. On such occasions, it is even more important to speak by presenting facts and information in a way that it calls for consideration! A listener would consider another opinion, when the language and manner of speaking used, is inviting and engaging! I come across in meetings when some speakers belittle others, listeners, or even other ideas! 

The Bulbul knew when to give away its bird call! It received the attention of another Bulbul. 

In one sense speaking is like sowing! When we sow in the prepared ground, the seeds are sure to sprout!

The skill of speaking is in getting the listeners to hear to consider and engage! The effect of communication, is when the listeners go away engaged with the thoughts heard!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)