Finding Wonderful Bussiness Communications
Communication lies at the heart of any business. There is a simple thing that can be done to improve any businesses communications and yet few businesses ever pay any attention to it. This did not mean believing they were stupid (something business people often wrongly assume about those who read their communications) but that they just knew nothing about what I was trying to get across. If it is true that experts are people who have made lots of mistakes then I am a super expert.
You should never write as though you were having a conversation. When you have a conversation it usually means that part of the message is assumed. You should be conversational (e.g. write using the kind of words you might use if you were having a conversation) but not as though you were having a conversation. Writing is far more complex than this.
A little while ago I was involved in a project where we had to redevelop part of a web site. I had assumed from the beginning that we were working on one part of the site (the part I thought needed the most work) but the person employing me thought it was another part of the site. This continued for about two weeks. It was only because I said something that immediately made the other person see we were talking about different things that suddenly we started making sense to each other.
The real trick is to write in such a way that you communicate your message without overdoing the detail. So use few words but don’t assume that the other person knows what you are talking about. Many entrepreneurs and leaders will admit that some information needs to be available on a need to know basis to prevent that information from slipping into the hands of the media, competition or enemy. Of course, on the flip side is the dirty word of secrets and many folks who are not privy to secrets feel disrespected because they are not trusted and therefore, do not give their 100% at work.
Is it true that not everyone can be trusted with information? Many people would agree, some would go so far as to say that humans cannot be trusted with information, but why? For instance, many folks have a lot of knowledge, experience, observations, insight and original thoughts.
But, like water it does flow, information, like living organisms want to be free. Sometimes, even the folks who have the information do not even trust themselves with the information they have because it’s too easy to make a mistake. As the saying goes; lose lips sink ships.
There is little doubt that the business world locally, nationally and globally has been forever changed by the information age. The future of communication will show us more of the same, just as “The Road Ahead” predicted over a decade ago. But, what will these new technologies be that increase business communications speed of transmission and bandwidth be like? Well, there will be light-speed communication around the globe using satellites and what we might perceive as infinite bandwidth.
Soon, we will have super small devices that operate by voice and eventually by thought. The storage capacity will be better than the library of congress even for a device the size of a mini-cell phone. Well, think about it for a second, you can collaborate on designs. It’s time to start planning ahead for your business communication future.
Tags: business communication