31 Aug How Adults Speak
Two 6 year olds overheard at their workplace – the playground:
Chris: C’mon, we’ll play with my new ball.
Pat: I’m not doing that- it’s dumb. I’m climbing that slide.
Chris: It’s not dumb. Climbing is dumb. I’m playing with the ball.
Pat: You’re an idiot. That’s all you want to do is play with that ball.
Chris: I’m playing with the ball. Climbing is dumb and you’re the idiot for doing it.
Kids, right? Of course adults don’t speak that way in their workplaces.
Or do they? Do you hear adults speaking in the grown-up, slightly refined version of this kind of exchange?
Name-calling? Expressing ideas as statements? Ignoring the ideas of others? Sticking to one’s position? Being inflexibile? Showing no curiosity about the interests of others? Making accusations? Demeaning the choices that others make?
Hmmmmmm.
Call us at 202-298-7700 if you have adult six year olds in your workplace.