Would You Describe Yourself as Open?

I was at a communication seminar last year, where the presenter was encouraging open communication, as opposed to closed communication. Open communication meant that a person was transparent with information about work projects and decisions, but also about one’s self and life. They “got things out on the table.” Closed communicators held information close to the chest, built walls around themselves, and made those around them guess/surmise about what they were thinking. There was an uncomfortable aloofness about them.

Openness is a great character trait and is a very healthy style of interaction with others. People who display openness attract others to their leadership and have an easier time building trust. Friends gravitate toward them because there is a humanness about them that makes others feel comfortable.

Of course, everyone needs boundaries, which determine how much of one’s self goes out to the world, but if you have to err on the side of open or closed, I would recommend being that direct communicator who shows humble vulnerability–and you will reap rewards in relationships!

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