What do a bad haircut and poor communication with hearing loss have in common?
In a recent FaceBook reel, Mo Barrett, a humorist, corporate strategist, and author, spoke about the terrible haircut she had just endured. I thought it looked fine, although I would not have chosen that particular highly spiked, crispy-gelled look.
Neither did she, apparently. The cut was her stylist’s choice. Yet her video wasn’t so much about the haircut – hats are apparently working well until the hair grows out – but the experience. Her stylist didn’t listen to her or appreciate her requests, before, during or after. The stylist defended her decision to cut and style the hair in a particular way, because she considered it the best course of action.
Mo felt she wasn’t seen, heard, understood, appreciated or connected. These words form SHUAC (pronounced shwack), a framework for human-centric leadership and connection created by Mo Barrett herself. SHUAC focuses on fostering genuine human interaction, particularly in workplace, leadership, and event scenarios, often opposing “autopilot” interactions. (Wikipedia). While SHUAC is generally used in leadership and workplace situations, its focus on fostering ‘genuine human interaction’ is what Mo, on her Bad Hair Day felt was missing with her stylist.
The same principles of being seen, heard, understood, appreciated, and connected are necessary for people with hearing loss who strive for more effective and enjoyable communication with others. It might look like this:
- Seen. We are acknowledged as contributors to the conversation and deserve to be:
- Heard. When we express our needs to engage in the conversation, we are actively listened to and are:
- Understood. The accommodations we are asking for – speaking up, seating change, a request for something to be repeated – make sense and are:
- Appreciated. Honoring our needs also benefits our communication partners, because human interaction is a two-way action. We are in this conversation for a reason, making us:
- Connected. Our conversation becomes more purposeful and inclusive.
Communication success starts with accepting our right to participate and to be heard, but there is another, just-as-important step. We can’t be seen, heard, understood, appreciated or connected until we say, “This is what I need in order to participate in and enjoy this conversation.”
Thank you, Mo Barrett, for showing how a Bad Haircut Experience has much in common with poor hearing loss-related communication – and for your stated mission to SHUAC the world!
