Communication

 

     I think that the greatest human challenge is communication. This is true in personal and business relationships. Communication is nuanced and so critical. Lack of communication can destroy relationships. Poor communication can destroy the world that we live in.

     First, it's time for the old person to rant about texting. No, honestly, I text a lot. I love technology. I do not think that it's a substitute for in-person communication. Communication can be broken out by what is said, the tone of how it's said, and the non-verbal communication that accompanies the message. 93% of communication comes from tone and body language. This means that a text is missing both tone and body language and you are only getting 7% of the communication. 

     I do think this is why emojis are popular; they fill in some of those body language gaps. My experience has been that I have on numerous occasions misinterpreted a text or had a text misinterpreted. This is probably why texting is limited in business communication  "Sorry that report isn't done Bob 😜  or for government negotiations "No, we will not withdraw troops 😩". 

  

     In the workplace, the lack of communication among teams is astounding. This is true, even though the average office worker spends many hours in meetings! Discussion is happening, but it isn't always the needed discussion. How to fix this? When you have team critical information, share it. In person is best, but at least on a shared site or through an email. Too much communication is always better than not enough.

     Communication between men and women is as bad or worse than business communication. Men and women may have different things on their minds. Often the actual discussion breaks into petty topics, while leaving really meaningful discussion by the wayside. Why? It's easier not to bring things up. Sadly, taking the more difficult path is so much more rewarding. "Should we talk about the weather? Should we talk about the government?" We should talk about what will build connection and intimacy between us.

      It doesn't matter if it's a new relationship or an established one. In new relationships, the conversation steers toward things like "what sports do you like?" In established relationships, it may be "what are we doing this weekend?" Those are fine topics, but sometimes try to communicate on a deeper level. It will bring you closer.

     No matter who you communicate with, work hard to make it count. Actively listen. Do not multitask. Watch for tone and body language when you can. If you are texting, try to add context to avoid misunderstandings. Be courageous and bring up challenging topics. Be inclusive with your work or organizational teams. Every time you communicate effectively, you add power to your relationships and you make the world a slightly better place.