Consistently Inconsistent

Perhaps one of the most consistent aspects of man's behavior is that we are inconsistent. Do we do everything the exact same way again and again? Given the same or similar set of circumstances, do we make the same choices over and over? I think not, yet even with that answer I need to give a qualifier. It depends upon what we are talking about. For instance, I tend to think people generally go to bed around the same time each night. Generally, they also stick to the same foods rather than try anything that seems too far outside their comfort zone. At least that is how it is with me. But what about matters that are less routine in-nature?  

One example that comes to mind is the professional communicator facing the challenge of  attempting to establish ties with another public on behalf of a client. How consistent are they with strategies they might devise in helping succeed in such a venture? In this case, the response has two faces: one is that the strategies must be consistently creative and flexible to satisfy the comfort level of any external public while inconsistent in terms of what those actual strategies might be. How is that for a confusing answer?

Scholars have identified one particular criteria for being competent at communication is having the ability to manage an interaction with another. This does not necessarily mean controlling the encounter is terms of dictating what each person says or does. Rather, it speaks to how well one achieves the goal or objective they might have going into that interaction. Achieving such an end often requires flexibility and a willingness not to be tied to what has been done in the past - even if what has been done has worked. Thus, for communicators, being consistently inconsistent is not only practical but often-times necessary. After all, communicators deal with people and we all know how inconsistent they are.