Making a Mission of Clear Communication
“I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no, no, no
And this is what I should have said
Well I thought it, but I kept it hid”
I don’t often get knocked sideways by pop music. Especially on a Sunday morning. Sure, it is poppy, danceable, singable, and easy to play in the background. Unless you have serious music snobs in the room.
But this morning, as I listened again AND AGAIN to Elton John and Dua Lipa’s "Cold Heart", which is actually a remix of 'Kiss The Bride' from Too Low For Zero, 'Where's the Shoorah?' from Blue Moves, 'Sacrifice' from Healing Hands, and 'Rocketman' from Honky Chateau it took on a whole new meaning for me. Yes, it’s about the obvious and classic “relationship gone wrong” scenario between two people because of miscommunication. But at its fundamentals, the song is really about “noncommunication”. And the human tendency as John writes in the original “Sacrifice” of “two hearts to slip into separate worlds” rather than clearly communicate the truth.
For many years now, I’ve grappled with the gray areas of personal communication too. Despite a 20+year career in it. And it really hit home the other day, when a very close friend said she didn’t know what my personal mission was. I had always thought it was OBVIOUS what my mission is and has always been from birth:
To improve the lives of others while finding happiness within myself.
That may seem gray and non-specific, but in my mind, it was really not. And that’s where the noncommunication and lack of explicit direction towards others come into play.
We often assume, mistakenly that because it is in our minds, and we intended to demonstrate it in some way, that others “get it” and “get us”. I know the “5 love languages” is often held up as a good tool to use when it comes to couples, but in the “real world” with colleagues, friends, family members and even ourselves, we can hide our real thoughts and desires.
So, I spent some time really thinking about how my mission manifests beyond myself.
Who are the “others” I’m “improving the lives of”?
What does “finding happiness within myself” really mean?
And I had to dig into my mental database of life experiences to answer them. To do this, I leveraged a tool IPEC grads learn in the coaching process, but I’d never actually asked myself. When, if ever, had I truly felt that I was living my mission? I mean, I’ve set up my Charitable Trust and Will fully committed to Climate solutions, I’ve had a career of working on brands, with clients and on projects focused on Diversity initiatives, and Climate Solutions.
And today, the answer came shouting back at me. Every fulfilling experience of my life has given rise to a younger, more diverse, more socially-conscious, service-oriented and rebellious generation’s benefit. Dove, Harvard’s commitment to eradicating its carbon footprint, Toyota’s hybrid technology, and my own consulting company working directly with the next generation of diverse and socially conscious entrepreneurs, enabling them and myself to communicate their demands more clearly, in their own words, and their own ways, OUT LOUD. Rather than quietly follow rules of a previous generation.
And now that clear cancer scans, and covid have cut me loose from my own rules, I’m ready to take my personal mission right out into the world. Searching for a brave and global collaborative looking to do the same.
So, I’m going to as you: What is your Personal Mission? Can you Communicate it Clearly?
Do you want help? Or better yet, do you want to come along with me?
Holly Lynch is a 20+ year communications veteran and life-long social impact advocate and strategist who has helped individuals, educational leaders, and companies tackle the toughest challenges in their worlds.
Having survived countless life setbacks and two rounds with terminal cancer, while seeing the country-wide collapse of the systems and safety nets for the most vulnerable in and outside our communities, she is now shifting her life and career trajectories to focus on coaching those facing down fundamental shifts and transitions as they try to navigate and rebuild their lives, institutions and businesses during these unprecedented times.