A Mixed Bag

Suppose today we all received notice that the world would be coming to an end a year from now. My guess is a lot of us would be tempted to go out and take all our credit cards to the max. Others would probably finally muster up enough courage to tell our bosses what we really think of them. And then others would take a step back and begin reflecting on our history as a species - the good, bad and ugly; all that we accomplished, all that we ignored and/or harmed, etc. If nothing else, we are a species that places high value on achieving greater understanding of what goes on around us even if conclusions we sometimes draw do not make much sense or are way off-base.

What would we say about communication? What conclusions would we draw from how well we as living beings communicated in our thousands of years of existence? Did we do well? Could we have done better? Any regrets? How would the pluses and minuses stack-up? I do not have any specific answers to this questions other than to suggest such questions are worth addressing even though, as far as I know, this time next year the world will be continuing to spin on its axis and revolve around the sun. Reflection is a valuable exercise, one that should be carried out periodically no matter how positive or negative the conclusions.  

From my perspective, at present, the scorecard regarding our efforts to communicate shows a fairly close match. Without question, the technological advances regarding communication have been amazing. The fact that we have advanced to the point of each of us having the ability to connect with others throughout the world almost instantly is a remarkable achievement. But then there is the matter of how effectively we communicate with each other. After all these years, are we connecting with each other as well as we should? How good of a job are we doing at interacting in ways that foster respect and greater understanding and appreciation? Communication-wise, I see our history as a mixed-bag. Lots to build on. Lot to improve upon.

Little League Communication

The other day I was watching two teams competing in the little league World Series tournament. For me, without question, one of the most charming aspects of little league play is the imperfection. Missed throws. Grounders between the legs. Running the bases in the wrong direction. At that level, I see all the misplays representing pure effort without the needed skill to give each the precision we are used to seeing when professionals are on the field. Yes, it can be comical but far more than that I enjoy the budding intensity that punctuates the effort of each of these young player. Will any of them ever make it to the pros or even want to? Who knows? But for now, their play is a gift to us all.

By definition, little league represents an organized entity designed to provide structure for children wishing to learn baseball and take advantage of what many view as a fun physical outlet. It is also universally recognized as a structure where imperfection is the rule of thumb. No one is expecting any of those kids to be Willie Mays or Warren Spahn (names from the past). Their imperfect play provides little league play with an element of fun that helps differentiate it from the minor and major leagues.

This brings me to communication. No matter a communicator's age or level of experience, imperfection rules the day. Unlike the little league players who are expected to improve as they play in higher leagues, this is not the case in the communication arena. Just as young children do not always phrase things as well as they should, neither do adults. Unfortunately, adult communicators are usually expected to communicate with the same precision as professional baseball players play baseball. This is unfair. Yes, generally, adults communicate more effectively than children, But this is not to say the two do not make a ton of errors. When it comes to communicating, perhaps we all would be better served if we interacted each other as if we were all little leaguers.

Which Direction to Choose?

There is a new biography of P. T. Barnum out called "Barnum, An American Life." While I have not yet read it, I have read several reviews and they have been positive. In the world of public relations Barnum is a notable figure due to his ability to promote himself and his shows despite the fact much of what he was pitching was, to use a word often associated with him, "humbug." In defining what they viewed as the key categories of public relations, scholars James Grunig and Todd Hunt came up with one they labeled "press agentry." In doing so, they attributed Barnum as the inspiration for this category, one, they noted, that remains quite popular among practitioners even in these modern times.

In the book, author Robert Wilson puts forth a very intriguing and insightful observation from his subject: "The public appears disposed to be amused even when they are conscious of being deceived." One would have to be totally oblivious to our world today, particular in the areas of pop culture and politics, to not recognize the applicability of Barnum's quote. In the world of pop culture, for instance, so much of what we are exposed to, including advertising, motion pictures, books, television shows and even performers themselves, is promoted with a great deal of questionable bombast on a regular basis. Regarding politics, to give the most obvious example, the United States, sadly, is being led by a president, in office since January, 2017, who, according to The Washington Post, has told over 1,200 lies in efforts to promote his popularity and agenda.

We are now unaware of this onslaught of deceit. Is this because, as Barnum suggested, we find it to be amusing? I sure hope not. At the same time, if it has any element of truth in it, then the question is what role, if any, should professional communicators, including educators, play in striving to dampen the public's tolerance of blatant dishonesty? Or should those same professionals simply carry on in supporting the Barnum tradition and continue to perpetuate exaggeration and truth-stretching for the sake of profit and power? The profession stands at this crossroad. Which direction will it choose?

Milestones

I like milestones. In fact, one might even say I collect them. Birthdays and anniversaries are easy ones. So, too, are holidays. I take note of all of them, of course, but I also tend to make special note of other, less notable days on the calendar. For instance, I view the beginning of a new month as a milestone. The same goes for the start of a new week and, to a lesser extent, the start of a new day. This particular day, by itself, is not all unique to me other then it represents a block of time that has never happened before. Consequently, I see it is a milestone. Most anything that represents a beginning falls under my broad definition of "milestone."

I understand others may view this as silly and the musings of a person with a lot of time on their hands. Maybe. But even with that, I am sucker for most anything that represents the turning of a new page or metaphoric stepping into a new room. One never really knows what is behind the curtain. For me, that unknown represents the possibility of something positive. Turn the corner and something wonderful may be waiting with open arms. There are few things in life greater than the anticipation of that possibility. Possibly that is why I find the concept of purchasing lottery tickets - something I do not do all that often - so understandable.

Most every day most of us interact with folks that we connect with on a daily basis. My guess is the conversation we have is nearly a repeat of the one we had with them the day before. The result is a boring or less than stimulating exchange that has all the energy of a badly dehydrated person who has spent all day outside in the hot sun. But what if we view those regular conversations as mini-milestone? What if we see them as opportunities to experience a happy moment?  What if we take that to a higher level and put forth the energy that comes with, say, opening a present under the Christmas tree or receiving a letter from a long lost friend? Doing that, I believe, would add positive spice to our communication efforts.

So Much Beauty!

Over the past year I have had the good fortunate of doing a great deal of traveling. Abroad, I have been to South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the countries within the United Kingdom. Here in the Unites States, I have been to Alabama, Mississippi, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, Delaware, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, Alaska, and, of course, my home state of Virginia . As I write this, I confess I am in no mood to even look at another suitcase, never mind trying to fill one with a bunch of clothes and toiletries. Still, it has been fun and a genuine privilege to see so much beyond my backyard.

My one big take-away from all of what I have seen has been how much beauty there is in our country and in the world. One can argue that one state is more beautiful than another or that one country is more picturesque. But there can little disagreement in the fact that within each boundary much beauty resides. How lucky are we to have the opportunity to enjoy it! It reminds me of Studs Terkel's classic, "Working," and many of his other oral histories. His works remind are a profound reminder that all of us, particularly non-celebrities and non-public folks - have a story tell and the ability to tell it in a heartfelt, straightforward and even poetic way.

Despite our missteps and verbal and writing imperfections, I see much beauty in so many of our communication efforts. We seek to be understood, to be heard, reach-out, connect with others. That is a very good thing. I understand the problem in that reality is often found in what motivate the efforts of some and how they may go about executing their outreach. While that is no small thing, it does not negate what drives all of us every time we pound away on a key board, take to pen, pick up a cell phone, or approach another. There is much beauty in the act of communicating even taking into account the possible negative aspects of it. I treasure that about communication.    

"Instanicity"

As much as I have watched professional tennis over the years, I never cease to be awe-struck at the power of the players' serves and at how quickly the ball moves back and forth over the net. The fact that the players manage to return anything hit at them is equally amazing. (I know one thing that distinguishes professional athletes from the rest of us ordinary mortals is the fact they make what is so challenging to us seem easy. Still, even professional tennis appear to struggle with returning 95 mile-per-hour serves and cross-court returns. I confess to taking some comfort in that.) To says tennis is a rapid-fire game is a great understatement.

Thanks to today's technology, another rapid-fire game that virtually all of us play is communication. With the arrival of such communication tools as emails, tweets and text messages, we have the capability of creating and sending out a communique to multiple receivers at a moment's notice. In an article in the August, 2019, edition of "The Atlantic," author Jonathan Rauch raises the important question: Is this a good thing? Rauch writes, "Instanticity, if you will, is turning out to be a bug of online life and internet architecture, not a feature." He notes, early users of this technology assumed that faster must be better when it came to our ability to receive and send messages. He concludes this may not be the case. I agree.

There is something to be said for taking a step back and giving thought to new information or a comment from a friend or colleague before responding. While "shooting from the hip" may have a certain romantic appeal, using one's noggin before reacting impulsively is a wiser path to travel. A snap response is often misguided and requires some degree of back-pedaling. While using one's cognitive abilities may be slower, often times it protects us from misstatements and, more importantly, ourselves. Also, it helps us keep our relationships on rather than off-track.

"Team Truth"

Much these days has been written on falsehoods and lying. While that is not the most enjoyable of topics, it is certainly understandable since purposeful deception seems to be so prevalent in many public forums. As part of that, the impact that lying has on societies and individuals alike is very much at the forefront of public commentary and various conversations. As much as it pains me to give lying it's due, there is no doubt it can and does cast a giant shadow. This is particularly true in our age of social media and the Internet. Regretfully, I do not see that changing any time soon. Bottom line: lying will remain a powerful force.

That reality cannot be stated, however, without acknowledging another powerful entity: the truth. While it may not always make it out of the starting block as quickly as lying, truth for one thing is built for endurance. Lying is more like a sprinter while truth is built for long-distance. While lying may be back in the locker room congratulating itself on triggering misconception and ignorance, truth is still out on the track running lap after lap after lap. That is a good thing, of course, but such a reality does not guarantee greater enlightenment or wiser actions on the part of those on the receiving end of it. Despite its power, truth needs non-stop care and help.

Professional communicators have a major role to play here. They can be proponents and practitioners of it as they represent highly influential business, organizations and individuals throughout the world. Additionally, they can also sway the rest of us "regular folk" to be active members of "Team Truth" in our daily interactions with our peers. Collectively, this is no small thing. But it is also difficult because telling a lie is easy. Telling the truth requires patience, tact, knowledge and a level of articulation - either in writing or orally - that lying often does not. Rarely has there been a more important time to join "Team Truth." This applies equally to communication pros and amateurs.