AS IT WAS IT STILL IS

"The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings. In the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem; what to say and how to say it."

Edward R. Murrow, 20th century American broadcast journalist.

All the technology you use has little or nothing to do with communication.

You can be as misunderstood using one as another.

To lessen the chance of that happening, whenever possible, talking to and (of greater importance) listening to the other person, gives you the best possibility for real communication.

REAL COMMUNICATION DOESN'T REQUIRE A BATTERY

"Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding."

Louis Gerstner, retired CEO/chairman IBM

Allow me to broaden this a bit.

Computers, mobile phones, tablets, etc., in short, technology, is no replacement for humans and their interaction with each other.

Our texts, emails, phone calls, (this blog) do little to tell you and me who each of us are, what each of us wants the other to know about the other.

Use technology when you must but never when only face-to-face interaction will do what you need and want done.

And while I'm at it, don't text and drive.

THIS BLOG INCLUDED

"The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate."

J. B. Priestley, 20th century English author

Mr. Priestley died long before email, text, IM, blogging, social networks and all the rest, which, today, passes for "communication", came into existence.

Maybe you had to be around, when little or none of that existed, to know the great majority of it, this blog included, has little or nothing to do with communication.

WHAT YOU SAY, HOW YOU SAY IT, BOTH EQUALLY IMPORTANT

"The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum."

Adlai E. Stevenson II, 20th century American politician

In society, at work, in all relationships; you have a right to express your opinion, along with an obligation to do so in an honest, respectful way.

WHAT'D YOU SAY?

"To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well."

John Marshall, fourth Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court

And much more difficult to do, which is why there is so little effective communication in the world.

Ever taken a public speaking course?

Ever even heard of one teaching you to listen?

THE HEART OF MISUNDERSANDING

"The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said."

Peter Drucker

20th century business consultant/teacher/author/speaker

Unless what isn't said isn't even thought.

The best way, the only way, to know what the other person thinks or assumes is to ask them.

"LANGUAGE INFLATION": GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

"The fire which enlightens is the same fire which consumes."

Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821-1881) Swiss writer.

Bad news because, by definition, that you are truly passionate about can ultimately consume you.

Knowingly or not you may devote more of yourself to your passion than you have to give.

The good news is you're not even close to being passionate about most and maybe all you say you are.

"Passion" is simply one more of many "language inflated" words ("awesome", "totally", "amazing", etc.), all of which are used much too often.

Save them all for those few times they really do represent who and what you are.

ABOUT YOUR AD CAMPAIGN . . .

"Cinema, radio, television, magazines are a school of inattention: people look without seeing, listen in without hearing."

Robert Bresson (1901-1999) French film director.

Completely true, possibly understated, certainly so as it pertains to advertising.

Remember the advertising phrase, "reach and frequency"? 

You can only afford so much reach, and in today's hyper social media world, never enough frequency.

I SAY A, YOU HEAR a

"Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people."

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) Irish poet/playwright.

Mr. Yeats is recommending that the words we choose to communicate be understood by those with which we wish to communicate.

I understand that.

WHAT DO YOU HEAR?

"Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak."

Epictetus (50-120) Greek philosopher.

Twice as much!

I'll bet most of us don't listen half as much half the time.

LESS REALLY IS MORE

"The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do."

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Third president of the United States

Disclaimer: I've often been guilty of being anything but to the point, so to some extent this is do as I say, not as I've always done.

But I have tried to follow the "less is more" dictum here in Business Wisdom.

And you?

WHAT AS MUCH AS HOW IT IS SAID

"There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued."

Thomas H. Huxley (1825-1895) English biologist

Not clear? Maybe this will help.

The opinion of a man pointing a gun at you, stuttering "Haaaaaaaannnnndsss  Upppp!", should be every bit as important to you as the same scenario minus the stutter.

Well presented ideas deserve to be thoughtfully considered, but don't be too quick to dismiss those that are not.

LET ME UNDERSTAND YOU

"Words are the money of fools."

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) British philosopher

Like so much money down the drain.

Be careful not to spend more than you can afford.

THE MORE YOU SAY IS OFTEN THE LESS YOU SAY

"No comment is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again."

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British politician

There are many reasons for saying little, sometimes including saying nothing at all.

Maybe the best is when you have a lot to say.

I THOUGHT I HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS

"Far more numerous are those as such; who think too little and talk too much."

John Dryden (1631-1700) British poet/dramatist/critic

A nice thing to say to someone who has much to say while not saying very much.

UNDERSTAND, YOU OFTEN DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND

"Humor is the first gift to perish in a foreign language."

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) British novelist/essayist

Not just with foreign languages and not just with humor; understanding is often a casualty as well.

Just because you understand what the other person is saying doesn't mean you understand what the other person is saying.

PUT UP OR SHUT UP

"We never say so much as when we do not quite know what we want to say. We need few words when we have something to say, but all the words in all the dictionaries will not suffice when we have nothing to say and want desperately to say it."

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American philosopher/author

This being true the title I've selected for today's quote is the advice I believe Mr. Hoffer would have given were he not the gentleman he was.

HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?

"Two nations divided only by a common language."

Unknown

Calling the author of this quote "unknown" may surprise many of you, in that it is most often attributed to Winston Churchill. But as well to George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde just to name two others.

Whoever it was it makes the point that two nations, and I think people as well, can use the same language without understanding each other.

Think about this the next time you find yourself saying, "S(he) just doesn't get it."

You might not either.

LET ME UNDERSTAND

"The word is half his that speaks, and half his that hears it."

Montaigne

16th century French philosopher/essayist

That "word" is communication and the responsibility for it rests as much with the listener as it does the speaker.

UNDERSTAND?

"He had a wonderful talent for packing thought close, and rendering it portable."

Thomas B. Macaulay

19th century English politician/essayist/poet

We often say more the less we say.