We’re drowning in wasteful communication
What’s good communication?
The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
Oxford
It’s the poster that prompts you to do something about your health. The ad that makes you want to buy. The post that inspires you to go glamping. Something your boss says that helps you do a better job.
Good communication inspires action and choice. To learn something. Be part of something. Love something.
What’s wasteful communication?
It wastes time.
Time is the difference between profit and loss. Recommendation and complaint. Looking after yourself and burning out.
Wasteful communication switches off minds. Damages mental health. Drains resources. And burns money.
It’s the poster you read three times. And still don’t understand.
It’s the technical detail when all you want to know is what it can do for you.
It’s the justification when you’re already sold.
It’s jargon.
It’s needless repetition.
It serves no purpose.
How can we avoid it?
If you are communicating
Remember who with. Remove everything that is important to you, leaving what’s important to them.
Your potential customer doesn’t care about the detail. Right now they care about what you can do for them. Tell them as simply as you can.
Your employee needs to know what to do. They’ll love hearing why. But only if it means something to them. Remember, what’s important to you is unlikely to be important to them.
If communicating to groups of people that need different things, do it on an individual basis. If that’s not practical make it easy to find the bits they need.
Trust the experts. Whether in your own team or an external one.
We’re easy to find when you know what to look for.
We use more meaningful words. And fewer of them.
Everyone else
Value your time. You only have so much to give. Give it wisely.
Mixed up makes better: BIG thinking
BIG thinking leads to BIG ideas. So how do you convince people to take this exhilarating leap into the unknown with you?
Mixed up makes better: Internal communications
Internal communication is hiding a trap in plain sight. A sting in its tail for unsuspecting communicators.
The Brave are dead. Long live the Brave.
The definition of brave is to show no fear of dangerous or difficult things. We need to evolve what being brave means when it comes to mental health