Ill Communication

I have been frustrated by poor communication. How hard is it to get information to one group? Usually, if you are the holder of the information, you know who wants it. And if you know who wants it, you should know various ways to give it to them. For basic information, such as time and location of events, this should be a no-brainer. Obviously, things get screwed up. E-mail addresses are typed incorrectly, people get left off of lists, etc. But these are things that should be remedied immediately and checked often.

Now, more complicated information, such as concepts, ideas and group questions, are harder to communicate. They need feedback. They also need to be communicated clearly and precisely. There is also a lot riding on perception. The receivers need to be taken in consideration as their point of view affects how they interpret and use the information. For basic information, it is easy to send a message to say "meet here at this time" and everyone should have a good idea of what is happening. However, when there is more information with depth, communication needs to be well thought out and given well in advance to allow for questions and issues.

The long and short of this is that I am frustrated with communication around me and in my life. I fail so often to be pro-active and inclusive with all involved. Here is what I want to do with communication in my life:

1. Be clear
2. Be honest
3. Be inclusive
4. Get to the point

Obviously, this is a much more complicated part of life that requires more than these four things. And most of my issues concern communicating information to a group. I have a lot more work to do on my communication skills with individuals. But it's a start.

This weekend: Leadership, team hangout, pool party, grocery shopping, church, help out at Roots, Father's Day fun. Sox play the Braves.