The Importance of Effective Communication
No matter how brilliant and invaluable your idea, it is
worthless unless you can share it with others. For this reason,
effective communication is crucial at every level of an
organization. However, the ability to communicate effectively
does not come easily to many people, and it is a skill that
requires practice.
We begin practicing our communication skills even before we
learn to walk. A newborn child communicates by crying, but it
slowly learns to mimic its parents' speech. Eventually, the
child discovers that certain speech patterns elicit different
responses; one of the joys of parenting is trying to decipher
the meaning behind certain "words." Does "baaaaaw" mean that the
baby wants his ball, his bottle, or his blanket? Slowly, through
trial and error, the child learns to manipulate sounds to get
what it wants, and as the child develops, this active oral
practice leads to more nuanced and fluid conversations. In
short, the child learns effective communication.
To effectively communicate a complex idea, however, requires
skills beyond elementary conversation. There are two golden
rules to remember and follow.
Golden Rule #1: Organize thoughts in your mind before sharing
them with others.
One idea often prompts a torrent of others. In order to share
your ideas, you must first shape them coherently. Organization
is important, because it creates a pattern for your listener,
allowing him or her to grasp the larger picture intuitively.
This allows the listener to focus on the details of your
message, without struggling to understand how you went from
Point A to Point B.
As a thought experiment, imagine that a colleague has asked you
for directions to the airport. Write them down. Your directions
will probably look something like:
* Drive west half a mile on Aurora. * Take a left on Madison. *
At the third light, turn right and follow Dexter for 2-3 miles.
* Get on the interstate, heading south. * Etc.
Now, with
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In the storytelling series <em>Mortified,</em> performers dig through old diaries and love notes to find a glimpse of their ridiculous, self-centered, pathetic and comical adolescent lives. Then they get onstage and share it with an audience of complete strangers.
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Antoine Dodson of Huntsville, Ala., found overnight stardom after he appeared on a local news report to talk about the alleged attempted assault of his sister. The video of his remarks has scored millions of hits on YouTube, and so has a song that's based on his story. Dodson reflects on the attempted assault, and his own efforts to capitalize on his fame.
a pair of scissors, cut each line of instructions into
a small strip of paper. Jumble the strips up and arrange them in
a completely random order, then give them to your colleague.
Even with mixed-up directions, s/he should have no trouble
reaching the airport, right? After all, your directions are
complete and accurate. Not a single step is missing.
The problem, of course, is that your directions are also
completely unorganized, rendering them useless. Your colleague
will find it impossible to focus on your message itself, because
he or she will struggle to follow your message's structure (or
lack thereof).
Golden Rule #2: Communication is collaborative, not
competitive.
Thrusting your idea on others mars the beauty and integrity of
conversation. Communication is in some ways like a dance; each
partner plays off the other, basing his or her steps on the
other person's, while simultaneously maintaining a certain
amount of individuality.
Communication is a two-way process involving an exchange of
ideas. If you try to make it one-way, you prevent this exchange
and will eventually frustrate the other person. You may also
frustrate yourself, if you read the other person's lack of
verbosity as disinterest in the conversation, rather than an
inability to get a word in.
The hallmark of effective communication is the coherent verbal
projection of your ideas, so that your listener receives the
message that you intend to send. By observing these two rules,
you will reduce miscommunication and misunderstandings.
About the author:
Barbara
Stennes, CSP, is president of Resources Unlimited. She
is an expert on team building, customer service, and innovation.
To learn how Barbara can help your organization, please visit
Resources
Unlimited or de Bono Online.
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