What does good communication look like in business?
This was written way back in 2011 and yet resonates as strongly today, as it ever has. Business communication changes in many ways, but there are some essentials that shouldn’t lose their prominence.
Talk more. Type less.
‘The King’s Speech’ and ‘The Social Network’
Between them, these two films have won every award the film industry could possibly bestow. The people involved in their production, direction, along with the actors themselves will need a stack full of Duraglit. Just to maintain the lustre on all the trophies, which must now adorn their mantelpieces.
But here’s the odd thing: neither of these films is what one would call action-packed Hollywood Blockbusters.
No car chases, perilous cliff-hangers, horror, chase scenes. No escaping from life-threatening situations, CGI, 3-D, romance, love interest, break-up and make-up or explosions.
One of them is essentially a film about two men in a room; the other is about some people in a few rooms. That’s it, so why the attraction?
What is it about these two films that grip cinema audiences and film critics alike? Communication is what: people talking to each other and the relationships that develop because of their interaction.
We are enthralled and engaged by nothing more complicated than watching other human beings relating to one another and that’s because we are social animals.
Social Media
In the courses I teach and the coaching I provide, I am constantly banging on about people spending far too much time ‘communicating’ via electronic means. And this happens with people nearby, most of whom are only a few feet apart.
Email, texting, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are all great in their own way. But they are absolutely no substitution for picking up the phone and talking to someone. It doesn’t even come close to the impact of actually getting up off your backside and going to see them!
My son joined Facebook yesterday. This morning he came downstairs to the breakfast table and proudly announced that he had “64 friends.”
A partner I met in a law firm last week told me that she was “connected to 235 people” via Linkedin.
A few months back, someone else I met at a conference, pointed to the keynote speaker and said – in a kind of hushed awe – “He has 7686 followers on Twitter.”
I don’t mean to be rude but my son does not have 64 ‘friends’, he has one close one and 5 other lads he hangs about with at school.
Here’s The Reality Check
The partner probably has the names and addresses of numerous ‘contacts’ but she hasn’t got a relationship with the vast majority of them. Actually, she probably has a handful of people with whom she has a very close working relationship. All of which have taken years to forge over the countless face to face chats, lunches, coffees and the odd glass of wine here and there.
And the keynote speaker may have 7686 people who have ticked a box that links them to his, no-doubt fascinating 140 character-long messages. But you can bet that 7600 don’t actually know the guy, let alone have what one might refer to as a ‘relationship’ with him.
Face to face conversation beats the hell out of anything that can be achieved via a computer or app on a smartphone. The two best movies this year are about people talking to each other. Make sure you are doing more talking in 2011 and less typing – it’s far more interesting.
We talk, walk, and show you how to implement the best way to communicate in your business whether it be with your team or your customers and clients in our Constructive Communication course. You’ll find it in our Fuel My Business app, so CLICK HERE to get started for FREE today.
