What makes great communication?

That is a pretty broad questions. To some extent it depends on the context--a salesperson talking to a client over lunch, a board meeting, a social gathering, a keynote presentation, a presidential campaign debate or a blog post. But there are a few things that are fundamental to all effective communication.

1. Passion - If the person speaking or writing doesn't really care enough to communicate with passion, why should I put in the time and energy to hear or read. Passion covers up a lot of other deficits, unfortunately sometimes in a negative sense. If I am drawn in only by how a person speaks or writes without attention to what is said, I can be badly misled. Passion certainly is not sufficient, but is necessary. The best points often are missed when there is no passion.


2. Listening - It may be hard to get passionate about listening because it seems like the passive part of communication. But ask yourself, who are the people you know who are the best listeners and how do you feel about those individuals? Effective speaking and writing follows focused listening, whether it is a social setting or sales presentation or editorial column--are there still editorial columns? Listening may involve attention to the other person in the moment of the exchange or it may be attention to and understanding of the needs of broader audience you are addressing. In either context, it is fundamental to great communication.


3. Argument - Argument may seem like the opposite of effective communication, but all great communication has a point, even in a social context. Some would point out, or should I say argue, that all communication is persuasive and that argument is how we learn. Argument can take many forms. It can be subtle or aggressive, but it always is aimed at moving a person or audience to agree with my position, or to accept and maybe even like or love me, or to take a particular desired action. All great communication has a desired outcome.


4. Authenticity - Communication can be passionate, grounded in attention to the other person or audience, and have a clear point, but if it is not authentic, it will fall flat. This means that great communication will be different for each person. We cannot copy another person and be a great communicator. Great acting is just that--acting. Great communication must be you and perceived as you.
   

While in some respects, communication is very complex, the fundamentals are pretty simple--passion, listening, argument and authenticity.

Why Are You Writing a Blog on Communication?

I find communication to be absolutely fascinating. With all the technology and new media, it is even more fascinating today than it was a number of years ago when I did my academic work in communication.



The concept of one person having a thought and somehow getting one or multiple other people to have a similar thought with all the associated images and feelings just blows my mind. And we wonder why there are so many "communication failures." I am amazed that there are not more. I am amazed that we are as effective in relating to other human beings as we are.



So this blog will be devoted to addressing questions related to communicating, primarily in a business or organizational setting. We will address everything from one on one communication, to communicating in meetings, to communicating to large groups and across organizations. And we will consider topics such as conflict management and the impact of new media on communication.



I come at this subject with an theoretical grounding, having earned a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, with a focus on organizational communication. But I also bring a practical perspective, having both worked in and consulted with a variety of organizations over a number of years.



I would love for you to join me in this exploration of Frequently Asked Questions on the subject of communication.