Communication skills

With Derek Satnik, Vice President of Technology, Smart Communities, s2e Technologies Developments Inc.

Communication builds understanding, which snowballs into healthy relationships full of trust, respect, patience, confidence and believing the best in others.  Learning to communicate better reinforces that we’re on the same team, which keeps us focused on things that matter, not fighting each other but solving problems together. It literally increases efficiency and productivity, simplifies processes, creates synergies that add one person or team’s strengths on top of another’s, and drives progress.

Derek’s Story: Growing up in a Christian home, Derek remembers asking God a question: “what does it mean to be salt and light?”  As a child he attended a secular high school in Sydenham, north of Kingston, Ontario, and later attended Waterloo University’s electrical engineering program.  Arriving on campus, Derek recalls connecting almost immediately with an Intervarsity Christian group, and fellowshipping with others, discussing intellectual Christian topics for the next five years.

What is communication? Derek defines it as “the shaping and exchange of ideas”. After graduation he apprenticed at Stantec Inc, joining the Technical Committee, where during lunch hours he had opportunity to brainstorm with others about “things to make life easier” and “how to do work better”.  These technically creative discussions both inspired and challenged him, reinforcing his understanding that business is a tool that can be used to serve God. 

Why? Getting things done is all about relationship building. It’s about people! In fact, Derek goes so far as to say, “business is people!”  He adds, “if someone is a man of God, through business, he can become salt and light in the world, while not being of the world!”

Derek illustrates this by sharing a story. As a supervisor he once overheard his employee telling off a client on the phone; so, he took the phone away, talked the client down, apologized for how they were disrespected, listened to their concern and committed to find a solution and get back to them with a solution. 

Then he debriefed with his employee. “Don’t you want me to be honest with everyone?” his employee asked, while justifying his emotional reaction.  Derek clarified that as a professional engineer he never has the right to get upset with others for sharing their concerns. “We must listen, try to understand what can be done to resolve the concern, and then offer the client options,” he added. 

In our business world, we often face opposition. Sometimes others will have a totally different way of looking at a situation. This requires us to set aside our personal views and actively listen to others, with respect and humility.  Prayer helps. Choosing to love, encourage and treat others always with love and respect is essential.

Derek talked about Paul’s impressive but “uniquely Paul” impact on the first century church.  No one else can do what Paul did. But the good news is that we don’t have to! We each have our own personal unique calling to fulfill.  What is Derek’s shape likely to be?  Not the same as Paul’s! Not the same as yours or mine, either.

Derek recommends Michael E. Gerber’s book E-Myth, recognizing differences in attitudes, skills and abilities between various team members. Gerber advises that a team is much stronger through embracing these unique talents and differences.

• Be humble. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 NIV
• Obey commandments. Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 3-40 NIV
• Love always. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-6 NIV

In conclusion, relationships of all kinds thrive or fail for the same reasons: motives and attitudes.  Our communications must honour and respect others.  We must seek to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Remember this:  if it’s hard to communicate, start by trying to understand and respect someone, seeing the situation through another’s eyes.  After all, everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses that are different from our own.  Active listening is essential.  In other words, communication is both an art and a science, and all of us need God’s grace to communicate effectively.

“Connecting your Sunday Faith to your Monday Work” The Canadian Christian Business Federation exists to support business leaders in the study and application of Biblical Leadership Principles with peers, in order to transform lives, strengthen businesses, and positively influence and impact our world. www.ccbf.org