The vestibular system has popped up in my cultural consumption (aka bingeing) a couple of times recently. It’s part of the nervous system that provides us with an awareness of the spatial position and motion of the head and body. Basically, it helps keep us balanced, to know which way is up and how to right ourselves when disoriented.
This system is present in most vertebrates (birds have two of them!), as well as some invertebrates , and in mammals is often located in the inner ear. In humans, this system includes canals which contain a fluid that swishes around as the head is rotated, exerting pressure on sensory receptors. Think of a spirit level. A wonderful piece of fiction by Abraham Verghese explores a genetic ‘Condition’ of extreme water-borne disorientation, leading to a series of strange drowning events within generations of a family living in the watery habitat of Kerala, India. In felines, according to a Netflix documentary, fine hairs rather than fluid inform the incredible balance and agility of cats, enabling them to ‘always land on their feet’.
So whilst we might not think of it much, without this system we can easily lose our sense of balance and direction, with irritating, nauseating (vertigo is one related pathology) and potentially fatal consequences.
Learning about this prompted a reflection on what our business vestibular system may be. What are the structures and mechanisms that tell us when we are off-track?
Following the body’s innate wisdom that places this system in the inner ear – perhaps listening plays a lead role in gaining this kind of critical messaging in our professional worlds. And perhaps the way in which we listen can greatly affect our sense of balance and direction:
How we invite input in meetings and comments on documents
How we ask for customer feedback, reviews and testimonials
How we conduct market research
If we embark on these activities in an offhand or disingenuous way, we may not receive quality data. Even rushing can have an adverse impact. Listening takes time – compared to other sensory systems like sight, touch and sound, vestibular input is perceived with delay.
When approached with attention and care, we can improve the way we listen to better enable us to hear what is important, identify causes of disharmony, and receive greater insights. Even simply being aware of our personal and cultural ‘filters’ may broaden our capacity to hear.