Episode 52: When People Don’t Do What You Want Them To: Opening The Door To Meaningful Human Connection with Jack Mason-Goodall
Nov 02, 2020
You’ve just received the email you’ve been waiting for. Earlier in the day, you outlined exactly what you needed from your assistant, and reminded her of the tight deadline. But when you open the document, it feels like a boulder hit. Your cheeks get hot, palms are sweating...it’s nothing like what you had asked for. If this sounds familiar, you’ve no doubt wondered how this kind of thing happens. And your directions were so explicit. Why don’t people do what you’re asking them to do?
In this episode, Karlee welcomes a special guest who will enlightens our understanding of communication, and strengthens our ability to connect. Since he (yep, our first male guest!) was 16 years old, Jack Mason-Goodall has dedicated his life to working alongside people with autism and other developmental differences. After studying psychology in the UK, Jack moved to the USA to train in specialized play therapy, becoming a global play therapy consultant. After a decade in the nonprofit world, he founded Autism Optimism International in 2020, a support organization for families touched by autism all over the world.
It’s really easy to forget that communication is, at minimum, a two-way street, and there’s more than one cognitive being in every equation. Processing information involves a lot more than simply listening and doing. Language travels through a complex web of environments, emotions, and experiences on the road to comprehension and action. It’s time to recognize that we live in a neurodiverse world. When someone's actions don’t match our intentions, we can actually keep the door open by choosing acceptance and curiosity instead of defaulting to judgment.
If you’re ready to become a better communicator, have more open and meaningful interactions with other humans, and create deeper connections with the people in your life, then this episode was made for you.
Some Questions Karlee Asks:
- What drew you towards working with autism? (9:07)
- Where have you noticed judgment show up in your life? (14:17)
- What’s an example of a typical judgment you see in your work? (18:14)
- How does our cultural lack of permission to ask for help show up in the parents you work with? (22:48)
- How do you care for your emotional well-being? (34:49)
In This Episode You'll Learn:
- An example of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes (10:19)
- Why judgment closes the door on connection (13:22)
- Why being a parent is like being a CEO (21:16)
- The relationship between emotional well-being and career success (24:20)
- The magic word that can help you shift from judgment towards acceptance (30:33)
- Why neurodiversity is an invitation (39:32)
- The question you should be asking yourself right now (44:02)
Connect With Jack Mason Goodall:
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Connect With Karlee:
Messy and Magnificent is produced by the folks at Ginni Media.