Communication Is Key

You know why  I killed him? He didn’t call when I told him to come in.  

John Gotti

When we communicate we do more than exchange information. Communication also provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution others make to our well being. When we make the time and effort to call, email or send a card, we let others know we value the relationship we have with them.

Sincere face-to-face communication, open and accepting, is especially valued by some, since it is less likely to leave a messy paper trail or end up marked as “People’s exhibit 12.”

Van Morrison once said that if you didn’t hear from him, it just meant he didn’t call. Philosopher and therapist Paul Watzlawick took a different position. He believed we cannot not communicate and failing to communicate is in itself a statement on the status of a relationship. Mr. Gotti, a successful plumbing supply salesman from Queens, seemed to concur when he expressed his disappointment that a colleague had failed to take the time to get in touch.

If fact, there are those who contend Mr. Gotti later reached out to the person in question and expressed his disappointment in a manner that was clear, concise and for which there is no emoji.

Wiseguy Wisdom is a guide to personal growth based on books, movies and government tapes.