Everything is always about communication.

It doesn’t matter what you know. It doesn’t matter how smart you are. If you cannot transmit your knowledge in a useful way it is wasted. If you doubt this, remember the story of Cassandra. She acquired the gift of prophecy – either through her beauty or by having her ears licked clean by the temple snakes (the jury is out). But Apollo placed a curse on her so that no one would believe her predictions. (There is nothing like a little Greek mythology to spice up a Blog.)

Imagine – perfect knowledge but no one believes you. This is said to exemplify the condition of all humankind. We all struggle to be understood, to be believed.

In our personal lives this inability to communicate our inner truths creates grief. Who has not been misunderstood by a loved one?

But in business, this “failure to communicate” can create chaos. And it keeps getting worse. There is so much more to know. Everything is more complex. There isn’t enough time to learn everything and there is a danger of learning nothing. Our environment is constantly shifting – new ideas, new paradigms, new people.

The problem is compounded by a belief that complex information must be disseminated in complex ways. My dad used to call it a $20 word to explain a five cent concept.

There are at least three ways that things go awry.

1. Some communicators, like Cassandra, have important truths to share. But for some reason no one believes them. Maybe they try to tell us everything they know and the audience is overwhelmed. Maybe they have failed to create credibility. While it is possible that they too have been cursed by Apollo it is more likely that they simply fail to engage listeners.
2. Some communicators persist in sharing complex information that they have not understood. This would not be too bad if they would acknowledge that this is beyond their ability and they are only repeating what they have heard. Instead they pretend to understand and often shame the listener into pretending to understand as well.
3. Most damaging are those who grasp one tiny fraction of a complex truth and hold it out as though it were a whole wisdom. Imagine those who tell us that they are in favour of education while assuming a superior pose and a condescending smile. Who do they suppose is opposed to education? Consider those who shut down discussion by intentionally shaming participants with “common sense” comments that begin with: “everyone knows”.

The problem belongs to both the communicator and the listener. Strive for simplicity in the message. Be honest in your reception of information. Expect clarity – ask for explanation. Be brave.