Success Lessons from a Reluctant Cat Owner – Part 5: Communication Matters

(Note: this is part 5 of a 5 part series laying out lessons I learned from my first month owning two cats. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4!)

As a human being who has only recently become a (reluctant) cat owner, I can tell you this: I do not speak the language of Meow.

I don’t. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.

The cats have yet to accept this fact.

I am sure a well versed Catologist would be able to distinguish between all the different meows. But to me, they all sound the same.

On a side note, why is it that cats have positive sounds? Really, the “meow” just sounds sad. Or angry. Or pathetic. Like a sound Jackee would make to complain to Mary about man trouble…

(I suppose cats also hiss on occasion, but that’s not a positive sound either).

The only positive sound a cat ever makes is that low purr, like t thinks it’s an idling Harley. But you can only hear that if you’re right up next to the beast. Like when you’re trying to sleep and it comes and sits on your head. Not positive.

So to me, all the meows are the same. But the cats will look at me and make that same damned sound. I have no idea what they want.

“Meow.”

“What? I just fed you.”

“Meow.”

“Here, I’ll pet you. Is that better?”

“Meow.”

“What is it? What do you want?”

“Meow.”

“What? What can I do to make you stop saying that to me??”

“Meow.”

It is at this point that I employ the age old strategy of “ignoring the problem until it goes away.”

"Meow"? What the *bleep* does that mean??

Wouldn’t life be easier if cats could speak English? Then they could just tell me what they want. Of course, being cats, they would probably than wake me up at 3:00AM to regale me with tales of licking themselves and each other.

I understand that it’s pretty stupid to want the cats to speak English. However, there is a communication lesson in here.

So many of our problems, both personal and professional, come from poor communication. One person believes they are communicating their message clearly (the “meower”) while the other is totally clueless.

This happens in all forms of communication: speaking one on one, emails, memos, phone calls and voicemails, etc.

If you and the person you are communicating with don’t understand each other clearly, how can you get on the same page and accomplish anything?

Here are three simple ways to make your communication more effective:

• Make Sure the Listener is Getting Your Message – If you are the one doing the meowing, pay attention and make sure the person listening (or reading) is actually understanding your message the way you intend. You can do this by asking questions, having them summarize what you said, and, simplest of all, just saying attention to what they do and say as you talk to them.
• Understand the Speaker’s Point of View – We don’t live in a vacuum. If you are the listener, try to remember where the speaker is coming from. If there perspective is different than yours, you need to know that in order to fully appreciate what they are trying to say.
• Ask! – In either position, if you are unsure about the speaker’s intention or whether the listener is understanding your message, then ask! You can head off a lot of future problems by simply taking the time in the present to ask questions and clear up any confusion.

In Conclusion 

Ok, I’ll admit. I like the cats. They’re cute, they’re cuddly, and when they do stupid stuff (which is a lot) they’re fun to watch. Now that we’ve figured out how to sleep through the night without them bothering us, they’re also low maintenance. 

Not the best picture of me, I know, but it shows that the cats and I have accepted each other...

Do I consider myself a “cat guy” now? No way. But I appreciate the little buggers and I’m happy to say that they have taught me and reminded me of some very important life lessons.

Hope you enjoyed the series – ow get out there and find yourself a cat of your own! 

Reminder: This was part 5 of a 5 part series laying out lessons. Read the rest of the series here: 

Part 1: Short Term Discomfort Leads to Long Term Success

Part 2: Don’t Make Things Worse Than They Are

Part 3: Everyone (and Every Cat) is Different

Part 4: Listening to Experts is Important

Have your own “crazy cats” story (whether you learned anything from it or not)? Share it in the comments below!

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By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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