Ideal Communication Method: Part 2
Ideal Communication Method: Part 2
Previous Note:
Why do we communicate? Here are some reasons:
Let us extend this beyond the human realm:
Despite a plethora of communications methods available today, we struggle in three areas:
How do we reduce these problems? What should an ideal communication method achieve? And what should it look like? My next note looks at these questions.
Next Note:
Why do we communicate? Here are some reasons:
- Discovering Others: Knowledge is comfort. And that includes knowing the good and not-so-good about someone or something. When we move into a new environment, we have a desire to understand the people around us and the dynamics.
- Completing Tasks: Over 80% of what we do every day is small tasks. Deep thinking seems to have taken a backseat. To get things done, we need to request or tell someone.
- Influencing Others: Persuasion and building loyalty have persisted since the earliest days. It takes energy, but we love to do it. It is how we align a group of people towards a singular vision. Or motivate someone.
- Expressing Ourselves: Most humans are social by nature. Even the most introverted people wish to express their thoughts and feelings. We need to share our grief. And celebrate our happiness. Debate our viewpoints.
- Sharing Information: Our desire for knowledge and awareness drives this. Teachers sharing knowledge about a specific topic with students. Military officers sharing mission logistics and planning with the squad. Business leaders sharing goals and deadlines with their teams.
- Building Relationships: This one is a by-product of all the above. We derive comfort from having the companionship and loyalty of others. It is a subtle way to feel powerful over life.
Let us extend this beyond the human realm:
- Animals: Animals communicate for similar reasons. Their manner has slight differences and variations to ours. Dogs scratch you with their paws when they want something. Or look at you with those cute eyes when they need you to open the doggie door. And wag their tail when they are happy. Birds use varying sounds to warn their group of danger. Orcas use clicks, whistles and pulsed calls to locate food and coordinate movement.
- Machines: Machine-to-machine communication is an invisible part of our daily lives. Their communication reasons and methods are a subset of ours. Waking up and asking our devices for weather and traffic. Connecting our phones to the car as we drive to work. Building elevators communicating with each other to decide the sequence. Thermostats communicating with air-conditioning devices. Air-traffic-control communicating with planes as we travel.
Despite a plethora of communications methods available today, we struggle in three areas:
- Understanding Others
- Communicating Well
- Managing Overload
How do we reduce these problems? What should an ideal communication method achieve? And what should it look like? My next note looks at these questions.
Next Note:
- Ideal Communication Method: Part 3
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