{"id":4164,"date":"2023-10-30T15:03:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T21:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:10043\/?p=4164"},"modified":"2024-02-13T09:33:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:33:24","slug":"in-business-allow-silence-and-space-thats-the-communication-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atiba.com\/in-business-allow-silence-and-space-thats-the-communication-magic\/","title":{"rendered":"In business, allow silence and space – that’s the communication magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in\u00a0The Tennessean<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big music fan. Rock, country, jazz, soul\u2014I pretty much like it all.<\/p>\n

But my favorite style of music is one that\u2019s less popular, but for those who are into it, has an almost religious appeal.<\/p>\n

I found myself last weekend in Louisiana for the first annual \u201cNew Orleans Funk Festival.\u201d\u00a0 Three solid days of funk, the music I love the most, was in the air. For die-hard funk fans like me, we often claim that you can not only hear funk, but when a great funk band is jamming you can feel it (and even smell it.)<\/p>\n

Funk fans are hard core. We worship artists like James Brown, The Meters, Sly and the Family Stone, and Parliament Funkadelic.\u00a0 And we will travel great distances to gather around a pulpit with our fellow followers to nod our heads to irresistible beats.<\/p>\n

It was a great weekend with artists like Ivan Neville, Big Sam\u2019s Funky Nation, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band to name a few. Great weather, great food, and a great vibe\u2014it felt like funk heaven.<\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s so special about this music style?<\/p>\n

For me, funk is unique because the notes that aren\u2019t played are equally as important as the one\u2019s that you hear.<\/p>\n

Musicians often refer to it as the \u201cspace between the notes.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s the split second pauses that are both unexpected and satisfying. This subtle spacing makes a funk song funky and keeps band members from playing over each other. \u00a0The spacing allows every instrument to be heard.<\/p>\n

I was thinking about this when I returned to the real world Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving space,\u201d as simple as it sounds, is a concept that\u2019s often undervalued in a work setting.<\/p>\n

Unlike a funk tune, staying silent in the workplace is often perceived as not contributing. Even if you have nothing to add, either in a meeting or on an email chain, staying silent at work carries with it the risk of being deemed irrelevant.<\/p>\n

But, like a great funk band, teams that give each other \u201cspace between the notes\u201d not only communicate better, but ultimately can help an entire company.<\/p>\n

What does this mean exactly?<\/p>\n

In the workplace, giving space requires everyone to be comfortable allowing a co-worker to take the glory (or the solo in musical terms) when it helps the team reach its goals.\u00a0 It means establishing a culture where there\u2019s no shame for those who keep quiet when they don\u2019t have anything to add.\u00a0 And, it means communicating in a way that allows everyone who does have an opinion the space to share it.<\/p>\n

At its core, leaving space between the notes is about valuing listening as much as talking.\u00a0 It\u2019s about communicating in a healthy way.<\/p>\n

Good communication, whether on stage, in a conference room, or on a Zoom call, is critical in work endeavors. Whenever I\u2019m in a conversation or meeting that\u2019s funky, it feels like I am collaborating in a fun and respectful way that resolves the issues at hand as a team.<\/p>\n

Work may be the last place most people think of as \u201cfunky.\u201d But embracing funk music\u2019s principals can change that for any company. For me when the funk groove happens at work, as the great funkster James Brown says, \u201cI feel good!\u201d<\/p>\n