Philip Crosby’s Reflections on Quality — January 8th, 2021

8. Being understood is hard work.

It is tempting to simply allow this reflection to stand on its own. I believe it is a universal experience; unless you are willing to invest time and effort into ensuring that your meaning comes across as you intend, odds are it will be lost at some point. It is also remarkably applicable to the events of this week. A system that is based solely on competition, where the only objectives are winning and power rather than presenting alternative visions and finding compromise, puts us in a position where minimal work is being put into being understood, and even less into understanding. It is time to commit to putting in the work of understanding and being understood.