Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Jazz and Communication

I like jazz. I like how it forces people to listen creatively. I like how it calls upon its players to be innovative in terms of trying to communicate their message, yet in a way that it both reflects their vision and attempts to resonate with others. I like how it gives musicians a starting point - notes and, at times, lyrics - to work from and then challenges them to make those fundamental starting points their own. Take the great Rodgers and Hart standard "It Never Entered My Mind" and listen to what Miles Davis does with it. The well known melody is ever-present, yet so, too, is the imprint of the interpreter. Miles Davis was a great musician and, not coincidently, a great communicator. Another great jazz musician-communicator was Eleanor Roosevelt. (At this point, I would like to challenge anyone to name another blog that links Miles Davis and this former first lady of our nation.)

How in the world can a comparison between these these two icons be made? To me, it is easy. Just as Davis did, Mrs. Roosevelt communicated quite profoundly with broad publics. Starting with the foundation of the federal government and its laws and regulations, this brave lady placed her own stamp on reinterpreting them in a way that bettered our society. She may never have tried her hand at anything written by Rodgers and Hart, but she was one of a kind in her call for greater social justice in America, her fight for integration, and her commitment to the rights of women. Though they may have worked in different areas, this particular man and this particular woman shared many of the right moves as communicators.

Building bridges between various publics is what effective communication is all about. It comes from having a sense of your audience, being creative, possessing a solid knowledge of the facts and guidelines from which you are working, believing in yourself enough to tell the truth in a manner that connects with all who listen, and encouraging continuous feedback. Good communication, much like good jazz, does this.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Tension in Organizational Communication

The more I look at organizational communication the more I view it as a tough nut to crack. I say this because it is not as simple or straight forward as it appears to be. Communication, ideally, is an ongoing, two-way exchange between various entities. The parties are part of a partnership in which they work together to exchange or share information, work toward a common goal or interest, or simply achieve a satisfying or mutually beneficial existence. Their relationship, generally, is based on a premise of equality in which decisions are based on consensus, compromise, discussion, collaboration, and power-sharing.

In a traditional organization, however, equality does not exist. There are the supervisors or management and the subordinates or workers. One has power and the other does not. Any meaningful power or responsibilities the subordinates have beyond their own duties are given them by the people in-charge. Can meaningful communication occur in the context of this kind of imbalance? Is it realistic to even think that a two-way dialogue can occur on an ongoing basis in which the members of an organization actually talk with each other? Or, given the distinct layers between management and labor, can communication within an organization ever go beyond the superiors talking at the subordinates?

My initial sense is, yes, meaningful dialogue within an organization can occur though not in the sense of the kind of openness that one might experience with an equal partner. Much as it often is between a parent and child, organizational communication can and does occur but not always without tension. By initiating effective strategies, both parties can neutralize this tension in several ways. First, they can recognize that tension is present because each has their own perspective and strengths. Secondly, each much give the other respect as free-standing individuals who possess their own skills and abilities. Thirdly, they must acknowledge that the organization itself cannot and will not exist without the active support and buy-in of the other. Thus, each must treat the other with regard. And, finally, the two must not lose sight of the overriding goal that connects them: the organization's sustained success. Communication between any publics or entities is hardly ever without complication. But it is doable. Always.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Communication and Crossroads

Crossroads are funny things. They can be challenging, a bit intimidating, and pretty imposing. Which way do we go? Left or right? Door number one or door number two? Poet Robert Frost suggested we take "the road not taken" while many others, in less celebrated ways, have said to take the path that is more tried and true or even the one of least resistence. There is wisdom in each of these. The point is we all face crossroads in our lives. As a result, we are all faced with making decisions - big and small - that impact our days and even our lives. The trick is to be as well equipped as possible to make a sound choice when we do find ourselves at times when these kind of decisions are made.

Communication can help give us those tools. An example is what will be happening at colleges and universities throughout the country over the next two months: graduation ceremonies. Young men and women will be receiving their well-earned diplomas. Many will find themselves at a crossroads as what direction they should proceed in the next phase of their lives. Of those people, however, this choice will be easier than it is for others. In large part, it is because of the information they have collected over their years in college.

By working with faculty and other students and collecting and digesting information from an array of sources - all aspects of communication - these individuals have a sense of which choice they wish to make. They feel fortified. They feel ready to make a choice. Often times making decisions can be a lonely experience. But connecting with others and gathering experience by working with others can go a long way toward transforming crossroads from dilemmas into opportunities.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

A Singing Message

I am one of millions over the past few days who viewed the surprising and moving performance of Susan Boyle on a recent installment of the "American Idol series. This unknown songstress literally blew everyone away with the quality and strength of her singing No question, it was a rare, genuine moment of magic on television. But talent aside, why and how did this seemingly ordinary person resonate so profoundly with so many people? The answer can be found, at least in part, in one of the key ingredients of successful communication: identifying with an audience.

A message, no matter how slick or polished, will fall flat on its face if it does not speak to something of relevance to the audience to which it is directed. If people can not readily understand or see "what's in it for me," then they will very likely not tune into the words or power point presentation before them. To connect with others, communication efforts need to be formulated in ways that speak to the needs, wishes and/or interests of others. One reason I feel reality television continues to maintain such a high level of popularity is that it places ordinary people in not-so-ordinary situations. Then, regular folk like me have a chance to tune in to see how some one "just like me" will do. I will never sing or dance in public, have a chance to become a super model, go to a deserted island and live off grubs, or be pursued by a dozen beautiful women because they think I am a millionaire. But it is fun to see how a person with whom I can relate will do. Thus, as the communicators in this scenario, the producers of these programs are able to connect with their audience.

This, then, takes us back to Susan Boyle. Whether she will ever become as famous as she wishes, is anyone's guess. Personally, I hope she does. The program's producers used her as a message and it was a bull's-eye because this lady is exactly the kind of person with whom the rest of us, on a gut level, can relate. It is a communicator's dream. It is also entertainment. And what's better than communication that enlightens as well as entertains?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Death, Taxes and Communication

It is an old saying that there are two guarantees in life: death and taxes. This being tax season, it is possible that there are some who might be experiencing both of those right now. Still, I would like to make that duo a trio by adding communication to the mix. Is there ever a time when we are not communicating something? This is an act we do every moment of every day even when we do not mean or intend to. For instance, you are home alone and the phone rings, but you do not want to be disturbed. So, you let the phone ring. By doing this, of course, what you are communicating is loud and clear. On the other end of the spectrum, you are at a party and making everyone laugh with funny stories and clever comments. This, too, is a very definite act of communication.

Given this, the question then becomes not whether each of us is one big non-stop communication machine, but rather what is it we do with this reality. Do we use our communication energies to build, tear down, create harmony, better our own lot in life, reach out, spurn, or keep others away? We are all communicators even though we may not call ourselves that or be labeled that by others. Take the profession of public relations. In recent years, scholars have begun calling professionals in this growing field relationship managers. The responsibilities of many in it have progressed beyond serving as publicists or hucksters in some way. They seek to bring publics together for the purpose of working in unison on to address or support a shared problem, cause, or even product.

Make no mistake, when it comes to communication, those not in the profession and those who are share similar responsibilities. Just because a public relations professional may be able to write a better press release than someone not in the profession does mean their challenge to build relationships is any greater than that of everyone else. As it is with death and taxes, communication is with us every day. It is what we do with it that counts.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Demands of Communication

As I was leaving a neighborhood grocery store the other day I noticed a woman drive up and let her three children off. I heard her say she was going to park the car and be back right back, but this did not seem to pacify the youngest whose cries for her not to leave him suggested he did not realize her abandonment was probably not going to last more than 60-90 seconds. This little scene got me to wondering how many of us react in mistaken or even inappropriate ways simply because we either misunderstand what has been communicated to us or because what was explained to us was not done in a way we adequately understood. My sense is this happens quite frequently.

There are, of course, many reasons why messages that come our way do not always resonate with us. Maybe we are distracted. Maybe we are not paying attention. Maybe we think we know what the other person is telling us, so we "hear" that even though it turns out the person is actually saying something else. Maybe the sender of the message has little credibility, so we have already decided to ignore any sound that comes from their mouth. The list of reasons goes on and on. And what about the sender of a message? Perhaps they have pre-judged their message to be so clear and straightforward that they make no effort to explain what it is they are saying. Perhaps they are in a hurry and do not have time to speak in a well-thought out manner. Perhaps they do not have a full appreciation of their audience and end up delivering a message that is beyond or below the audience's level of comprehension. The list of reasons in this case also goes on and on.

Successful, day-to-day communication can do much to reduce the amount of unwanted action and misdirected behavior in our own lives and even throughout the world. For this to happen, however, the responsibilities fall on the shoulder of all who send messages and all who receive them. In other words, that challenge belongs to us all. Granted, this is not always easy. Sometimes circumstances get in the way and make effective communication difficult. Take that Mom who simply wanted to park her car. Telling the kids "I'll be right back" was obviously not clear to her youngest. It just goes to show that communication demands constant viglience much like all else that is important in our lives.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Unbeatable Ingredients

There has been much chatter in some aspects of the media regarding President Obama's recent trip abroad. Specifically, some commentators have been very critical of Obama's assessment of recent behavior by our nation that we have been less-than-perfect in how we have behaved and acted toward other nations. (In the same set of remarks, he also noted that that imperfection has worked both ways at times. But, unfortunately, these same critics of the media have chosen to ignore this.) The critics claim that Obama's comments put America in a bad light and to publicly concede or admit to any missteps illustrates a contempt for our country that only serves to invigorate and validate our nation's critics and enemies. All of this, of course, is hogwash.

From a communication standpoint, there are few, if any, things that strengthen a relationship better than honesty and listening. Together, in many ways, they constitute an unbeatable combo. Looking at day-to-day relationships all of us have, only the ones where trust is present are the steadiest and strongest and likely to withstand any ups and downs that may come along. One thing that feeds this trust is being honest when we or either one of the parties involved makes a mistake or behaves in a less-than-acceptable way. None of us are perfect. We all mess up simply because we are not programmed to do otherwise. But a giant turn-off is when we do err and then either try to cover it up, lie about it, or refuse to take responsibility for our actions. Not only does this compound the mistake, it also erodes the relationship.

Listening is another nutrient for trust. It demonstrates respect and a desire to want to keep making a relationship stronger. It also motivates your partner to tune-in to you as work to remain tuned-in to them. While we all like to be heard, it is my contention that even more than that we like building successful connections with others - personal or professional. Being in sync with another validates our own sense of self-worth and need to be the best we can be as we strive to obtain our own life goals. Sustained listening can do just this.

As individuals, all of us can learn from Obama's recent behavior while abroad. Honesty and listening are ingredients that apply to nations, world leaders and the rest of us.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Building on Our Commonalities

Is there any one who does not have a pet peeve? I think not. In fact, I bet it would be hard to find any one who has only one. One of mine is a driver who tailgates. It does not matter if it is on an open highway or a small road in the neighborhood. I do not like it. Never have and never will. Another one is when people say about another, "We have nothing in common" or "We are nothing alike." On the one hand, this is hogwash. The fact is all of us have far more in common than not. For instance, we all like to smile, be liked, be listened to, need oxygen, and appreciate Louis Armstrong. (Ok. Maybe that last one is a bit of stretch, but the fact is I have yet to meet any one who does not.) And on the other hand, this statement creates an artificial or false barrier that makes communication much more difficult than is necessary.

Communication is built on expanding commonalities. While at first they may not seem quite so apparent, commonalities are ever-present nevertheless. Here's a quick example: Particularly in the last decade, interest in the issue of global warming has escalated. More and more people are accepting the notion that this ecological phenomenon is beyond theory, is actually real, and must be addressed. A group that has emerged as a major proponent of this movement is the religious right. Upon first glance, the coupling of environmentalists and right wing conservatives is not one that quickly comes to mind. But their mutual interest in helping preserve our planet has brought them together.

Communication helped facilitate this connection and is helping keep it alive. This, of course, is not to say groups or individuals do not have differences that do help distinguish them. How boring would it be if we were all alike? But those differences, no matter how small or seemingly complex, derive from the many similarities we all share. All of us enjoy a good meal. While I may I love spaghetti and you may enjoy salmon, it should not keep us from going out to dinner together.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Communication Lite

Communication is not without its heavy lifting. There are the sender of a message and the receiver of it. Mixed in with that fundamental dynamic are deliberations on how best and in what format to send the message and then, ultimately, the interpretation of it. Once done, what follows is the response or feedback that follows the same steps except in reverse. This continues and before you know it there is ongoing communication that hopefully results in a meaningful connection between entities or publics. (Not to mislead any one, that party pooper called "noise"also inserts itself into this flow from time to time. Its presence can and does interfere with or, at times, sabotages the process.

That, in a nutshell, is how communication works. Simple. Right? Well, yes and no. The challenge is to be able to successfully repeat this process and take the right measure to make sure nothing gets in the way. But if it is so straightforward, how come so often communication missteps occur? To answer that, I will use an analogy that involves my favorite sport: baseball. What's could be less complicated than hitting a baseball? The pitcher throws the ball and the batter swings the bat and hits it. Right? The truth is if the execution were really that easy, then everyone would end up in the hall of fame.

Successful communication, like hitting a baseball, requires sustained concentration and follow-through. It is no accident that since its inception, the measure of a good hitter has been anyone with a batting average of at least 300. That's three hits out of every ten times at bat. In other words, good hitters fail to get a hit seven out of every ten times. Would you believe good communicators have an average that's even lower? The trick, then is for all of us to keep practicing and working hard at making a solid connection.