Why You Should Communicate Not Message
connect through a two-way conversation vs. a one way radio
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
With the number of channels on which you need to engage, it’s tempting to get caught up in the messages you want to send out into the world.
But with messaging, you can easily fall into the trap of making things about you – as well as blasting the world with a large, one-way megaphone.
That results in most of us tuning you out to eliminate the noise you’re making.
Purpose-driven organizations communicate instead.
As a verb, communicate means “to convey knowledge of or information about.” It also means “to transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood.”
When you shift your focus to communicating with your people, the emphasis is on them understanding whatever it is you’re trying to share.
The shift plays out:
In how you break down information: How can I say this as simply and clearly as possible?
In the order you share information: Am I prioritizing the pieces most relevant to the listener and putting them together in a way that provides context and makes sense?
In what channels you live on: Am I where my people already spend their time?
And even in what words you choose: Am I using the language they use to talk about themselves and their experiences, or am I using a lot of jargon?
Communication is a two-way street. You need the other person to understand. You also need to listen to that other person so you understand them.
By combining listening with communication, you shift your business to be one that’s human-centered.
Listening is what shows you value the other person and genuinely want to understand them. Communication reinforces that you heard them and want to build the relationship because it’s designed to be meaningful.
And back and forth the conversation goes.
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