Influence hinges upon relationships. This is my message to the attendees of my Effective Communications workshop at a multinational company in Batangas.

To illustrate, I used these pens as my visual aid. I told them the following story:

You see, my first encounter with a fountain pen was when I was 8 years old. I rummaged through my late father’s office drawer and found a fountain pen that would not write.

In his eagerness to give me the pen, he flushed and cleaned it. Unfortunately, I lost or destroyed it. It was a Parker 51 vacumatic.

When he passed away, he left a nice Charriol Ballpen which I used for some time. It is now nowhere to be found. I’m careless with these little objects.

Though he never had a collection of pens, he was curious about pens, guns, lighters, and desired nice gentlemen’s implements.

Somehow, his presence affected my interest in pens. Like him, I never really got serious about collecting pens. When I say serious, I mean acquiring 4 pens a month.

I have a couple, though, which I bought after college, one for signing a business contract in Singapore and another out of curiosity. But that’s it.

It was Ingrid who rekindled my interest in pens. I have bought a few pieces here and there, mostly to prevent myself from having sleepless nights doing online research.

My takeaway here is this: the people we are close to, those we have relationships with, can strongly influence us, directly or indirectly. Their presence alone is enough to sway our decisions.

Now, I believe that effective communication hinges upon the establishment of rapport between the communicator and their audience, for only through such rapport can one hope to create meaningful change.

Parker 51 and Opus88 demo

A few days ago, on March 9, we celebrated our 25th anniversary as graduates of the University of Asia and the Pacific. The event included a mass and dinner, attended by 40 of my batchmates, along with approximately 12 officials and faculty members of the school. Additionally, there was a school tour showcasing the new developments, followed by a short and lively program that contributed to the cheerful atmosphere of the evening. Dr. Villegas, the premier economist of the Philippines, delivered a message on our role in advancing the country to its first-world status, culminating in a rendition of a song from “The Sound of Music.”

The reunion was not difficult to organize. Last January, during a dinner with my college classmates, I realized that we had been out of college for 25 years. Wanting to seize the opportunity to gather my other schoolmates, I reached out to our alumni office and assisted in the planning process.

Reuniting with long-time friends is always a joy. It’s both fun and challenging to reconnect with individuals you never interacted with in college, especially when you struggle to recall their names. I even had to ask a friend for the name of another batchmate after exchanging greetings and shaking hands.

Though several officials gave brief speeches, it was Father Soria’s words that left a lasting impression on me. He expressed his enjoyment in teaching EM students due to their positive outlook on life, noting that for them, failure is merely another step toward success.

Many of my batchmates have achieved success in their respective industries. While they provide a valuable network, it’s the relationships forged that truly imbue meaning into reunions. After all, whether present or absent, we are all brothers and sisters raised with the same set of values.

Speaking of values, one that resonates strongly is the concept of making work holy.