What is "clutter"?

So, what is the "clutter" that your message has to "break through" in order for it to be heard today? Watch this...

Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

What the...?

Mistakes really do send a message about you, and mistakes in your message really do become a distraction. That’s why it is so critical to the success of your message for it to be flawless. A Midwestern state, which shall remain nameless, mailed out the test sheet for those renewing their driver’s licenses. Instructions at the top of the sheet tells renewers to read the handbook first, tells them how to fill out the test sheet, and reminds them to bring the sheet with them when renewing in order to get their answers graded. It then states, “A passing grade is five errors orgess”. Five errors OR LESS, perhaps?

One wonders how many of these test sheets are printed and mailed out at taxpayer’s expense each month. How many other errors might be on the test sheet? Is the answer to #12 really “C”, or is that just another typo?

Spell check will not always catch your errors, but use it anyway. Take the time to review your voicemail, E-mail, and written messages BEFORE you send them. Anything you can do to make it easier for your receiver to understand what you’re talking about is in your best interests. Strive for zero defects in your communication.

Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

Txting K? NSM

A new study shows that 64% of kids aged 12-17 have used emoticons, text shortcuts and informal language in school assignments. In New Zealand in 2006, they already began accepting answers on national tests that contained shorthand like that. They didn't encourage it, but couldn't really say that the answer was wrong because of it. Here in the US, the head of the advisory board for the National Commission on Writing says basically the same thing you'll learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. In certain contexts, this may be allowable, in others it's not. He says, "The most important thing about writing is to teach audience and purpose." We say, "Picture an actual person in your mind as you compose your message, and write or speak directly to that person."

Particularly when it comes to E-mail, if you, your family and your friends want to use the shortcuts, the emoticons, and the IM abbreviations that are popular now, fine. As long as everyone understands what they mean. But, outside of your family and friends, remember that E-mail IS a letter. And unless you know that your audience is up on the latest shorthand in communication, it's best to use only words and phrases that will mean something to them. If you do that, then effective communication is really NBD.

Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

Simplify, simplify

There's a great t-shirt/bumper sticker going around that says simply, "Eradicate Obfuscation!" If only we would.

Whether it's to sound more important and smarter, to obscure their actual meaning, or some other reason, too many today are using words and phrases that make it very difficult to understand what they're saying. TV meteorologists don't predict that it will snow anymore, instead they issue a "Winter Weather Advisory". Similarly, they no longer say that "a hard rain's gonna fall." Instead, they warn of a "significant precipitation event". Leave it to the Federal government to come up with the topper, though. An annual report that measures Americans access to food used to use the word "hunger" to describe those who can least afford to put food on the table. Now, they describe these people as having "very low food security".

To communicate effectively, remember to use only words, terms and phrases that will mean something to your audience. That's part of the difference between "talking" and "communicating". So instead of executing a nuclear socially and genetically-linked subgroup nutrition and sustenance ingestation event, just enjoy a nice family dinner. And talk to each other in words that actually mean something to others.

Lingo and Jargon

The British are sometimes thought of as being stuffy and proper. It's all a part of being veddy British. Recently, they took great steps toward being less stuffy and more understandable when the British government told their local authorities to stop using management buzzwords like "synergy", "stakeholders", or "sustainable communities". Hooray!

Saying that these terms confuse people and prevent residents from understanding what local governments do, they sent out a list of 100 "non-words" that officials should avoid using if they want to be understood. And they told their officials to not "hide behind impenetrable jargon or phrases."

In the segment of your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar where you learn about the Content of your message, you're cautioned against using lingo or jargon, and even against using "pop talk", trying to sound "hip" or "cool". Particularly when you're addressing a large audience, there's no guarantee that everyone will understand the same technical terms, the same specialized language unique to a certain area of interest or expertise, or the latest street slang. In order to communicate effectively, use only words, terms and phrases that you know will mean something to your receiver(s).

As they used to say in Britain, but don't anymore, it gives empowerment to the synergies of your communication dyads.

Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

The Main Problem

At the National Eligibility Workers Conference in Anaheim last week, a woman asked about the subject of my workshops. When told that they were about communicating effectively, she thought for a bit then said, "If you can get people to actually listen, then you can communicate effectively. That's the hard part, nobody listens anymore." She's right. Mignon McLaughlin summed it up very nicely when she said, "Nobody listens to anyone anymore. Try it for a while, and you'll see why."

In this age of blogs, personal web pages, cell phone cameras and more, people really seem to be talking about themselves. In focusing on being a "sender" all of the time, they are losing the ability to be a "receiver".

This is one of the toughest filters you and your message need to overcome in order to reach people today. You can have as little as three seconds to make an impact with your message. That's why it so critical to practice what you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. That's how you can break through all of those other messages, interest your receivers in actually listening to you since you're focusing your message on them, and continue to reach people with your message. It is simple, but it isn't always easy. And it is more critical today than ever before.

Glad I was listening when she made that comment in Anaheim.

Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.

The words you choose and use...

One of the anchors for the Olympic television coverage spoke of a team "throwing down the gantlet" in their competition. The word he used is pronounced "GANT-let", rhyming with "can't let". He was correct. Most would say "gauntlet" instead of "gantlet". Each is correct. But, if you say "gantlet", someone is likely to correct your pronunciation.

The same is true if you describe one of the things you do well as being your "fort". Most would instead say "FOUR-tay", and may try to correct your pronunciation. However, in this case, they would be wrong. The French word "fort" means "something that you do well" or "a strong point". The Italian word "forte" instead means "something that you do loudly".

The problem comes from people hearing someone else use a word or phrase that they think makes that person sound intelligent, cool, or knowledgeable. So, they start using the word or phrase themselves. This is how non-words like "irregardless" get into common usage. Someone says it, someone else hears it and starts using it, and it spreads like a virus.

One of the keys to you communicating effectively is to be careful that you don't fall into those traps. Before you start using a new word or phrase, find out what it really means and how it should be correctly used. It may seem trivial and unnecessary, but anything you can do to make it easier for the other person to understand what you're talking about is in your best interests.

Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.