The Difficulty of Success

Who determines whether we have communicated effectively? On the surface, such a question seems easy enough. The answer is "us." Surely, we know whether or not we have communicated well. Did I speak and/or write in a coherent style? Did we frame our message in a way that best relates to the needs and concerns of our audience? Did we actively listen to the audience's response? If the answer to each of these fundamental questions is "yes," then all is good. Any miscommunication is on the shoulders of the audience. Not us. If the desired results of our outreach fall short of their intended goal, then that, too, is more about the audience than us. Right?

Not necessarily. Perhaps a good analogy is a batter in baseball. The batter can be holding the bat properly, have a sturdy stance and a smooth swing, but all that does not mean they are going get a hit or even make contact with the pitch. Doing things as they should does not guarantee success. That is one of the frustrating and challenging aspects of communication. The audience has a definitive say in the matter. Thus, the answer to the question asked at the beginning of this entry is both the sender and receiver. And even then, a thumbs-up from both entities does not automatically equate with success. For that to occur, "success" must be defined with both parties agreeing upon the definition. 

For myself, I define "success" as two-fold: mutual understanding and ongoing dialog. I understand such a definition might not ring the bell of a client who wants to boost sales and has hired you to orchestrate a communication campaign to make that happen. The execution of your campaign can be flawless but that does not mean sales will increase. There are far too many variables driving the audience's response that one cannot always control. The playing field on which the act of communicating occurs is ever-shifting. As part of this, success often remain elusive, hard to grasp and hold onto - a goal not easily achieved.