Communication happens in the recipient.

If there is no recipient, it is not communication. It is called noise, or as the Irish say: “shouting at the storm”.

Communication can only begin when you understand what the recipient wants, what their goals are, what is missing in their current way of life.  If you don’t know the recipient, you are probably making noise.

Improve your communications by changing your question to answer ratio.  Ask more of these questions:

• “What is already working well?”
• “What is not working so well?”
• “What would you change?”
• “What objectives do you have?”
• “What will show you that you have been successful?”
• “What do you really want to achieve?”

If you don’t know the answers to these questions for each recipient, you are probably making noise rather than communicating.

Moving from Noise to Communication

If your noise is not helping the recipient achieve something in line with their actual values, then they are politely making noises and gestures so that they are not seen as rude – but they will not change because of your noise.

If your communication is entirely concerned with what you want, then it is definitely noise.

What I need from you:

I don’t know if this blog is noise or communication.  I would like to know more about you: What do you like about this blog?  What is not working so well?  What would you change?  What objectives do you have that I could write more about?  I would love if you would take a minute and leave a comment today.  The comments section is here (if you are reading via rss, email, newsletter).