Whenever things go wrong, most of the time it’s still about communication.
- Is that what they said, or is that what they meant to say?
- Is that what they told you, or what you heard?
- Is that what SIRI heard, or what they told her to write?
- Is that what you know and therefore, you have no idea what they are talking about, like ever?
- Is that in the fine print*, or in the terms and conditions that is 23 pages long?
*You know, the 4 point font that no one over the age of 40 can read without a special pair of glasses, or at least a 9 year old to read it to them – you know, the one who doesn’t yet understand the “big” words?
From teenagers talking to parents (and vice versa), co-workers speaking to each other via e-mail, consultants speaking to clients who respond with a cryptic text, and people at the retail store trying to explain what this new gadget really does and why that makes the machine cost so much more than the others – everyone has problems. Politicians are no exception. Clearly. They have no idea what they are saying…or, do they?
From here, to there and everywhere in between:
- Take the time to listen.
- Take the time to speak clearly.
- Take the time to explain.
- Take the time to actually tell each and every person you need to tell (rather than telling 3 of 4 and forgetting to tell that last person who actually needs to know it more than the others…)
In the end it’s still about communication. If it isn’t clear, it’s just noise.