Tiger by the Tale

Communication is a powerful force. It causes people to change their mind. It inspires action. It builds a person's self esteem. It energizes entire populations. It unites. It divides. It triggers emotion. It clarifies. It confuses. The list of its capabilities is limitless. Its potential for having direct and tangible impact on individuals and entities is also limitless. Because of its power, persons considered to be good at communicating are viewed as having power as well. This is because of a perception they are are able to influence others. Whether the influence is positive or negative, the effective communicator is a recognized potential gamer changer, a person who can actually control a tiger - in the guise of communication - by its tale. As a result, they are viewed in ways other are not.

One interesting characteristic of what we communicate is that it is not always visible. At times, what message we give out occurs without being seen, announced or even recognized. While effective communicators know this to be true, not even they are always aware that communication happens when it does. Take the public relations executive who launches a massive advertising campaign that focuses on a key aspect of an organization. This may thrill that one part of the organization is being given visibility, but others who were not highlighted may take offense. They may feel slighted for not being featured in the ad campaign. Thus, the communication they received from the PR executive's actions was not expected or foreseen. Thus, one lesson from this is that not only is communication powerful, it is also unpredictable.

Communication is our constant companion, our eternal flame. We are never not communicating whether we are alone or with others. This, then, is all the more reason we need to take our own actions, words and signals seriously. If it is true that we as individuals are defined by our actions, then a significant part of that definition lies in what and how we communicate with others. The two cannot be separated. Thus, the powerful force that is communication is found in all of us, not just the so-called professionals. Given that we all have our own personal tiger that we try to control each day, is it any wonder why connecting with others on a constant basis remains a constant challenge?