Communication, the key to being understood
Communication is at the heart of everything we do with each other and our ability to be able to do it well is critical however we often find communicating in our modern world challenging. The channels available to us are now numerous and we are bombarded with information and often feel overwhelmed. If you think about your own week you may be able to count a dozen different communication methods you used or people used to communicate with you. They can range from top down messaging like emails, newsletters, adverts, videos, town hall meetings, presentations, to collaborative messaging such as meetings, surveys, group messaging, video calls. There is an expectation that we are able to master all on these methods and more with our ability to be understood tied directly to our effectiveness.
I think it’s a constant journey for all of us to continually develop ourselves for me last week I learnt how to ‘communicate’ with my body in a wellness program to build my resilience. I learnt how to make an information video to upload onto social media (watch out for this venture hopefully it’ll be informative but at the very least it could be entertaining watching me make a tit out of myself). I also revisited my speaker skills as although I have been a presenter at a couple of conferences a few years ago I haven’t done so recently, so was the MC for AHRI Perth State Conference.
Our ability to communicate is what sets us apart as a species with our first communication in the form of cave paintings 40,000 years ago to the Sumerian writing in 3400 BC allowing us to pass on information to many people indirectly and past our lifetimes. With the advent of technology the ability to find out information is now instant (no more trips to the library or ploughing though encyclopaedias, again showing my age) and we are constantly being bombarded with information which can feel overwhelming. There is a new advent of reconnecting with nature and ‘switching off’ to help destress and escape from the constant bombardment. However it remains a fact that we need to master our communication to be effective so I want to explore what that means over my next few articles, sharing some ideas and personal learnings with you.
I wanted to start with a look at the many channels that are available to us and help you chose the best one for your purpose. In order to do this I think we firstly need to consider if you are wanting to pass on information so your communication is ‘top down’ or if you are wanting feedback ‘collaborative’. The second dimension I feel we need to consider is if you are providing that information to or getting the feedback from people at a time to suit them ‘passive’ or if you it is more urgent and time based ‘invasive’. Which method you choose will depend on your purpose and need. The diagram below maps out where I feel different communication channels fit (it’s not scientific) and over the next 4 weeks I will explore each quadrant.
