The Daily Exhorter

For about five years, I’ve been a member of the Toastmaster’s organization, an international professional speaking group. They specialize in teaching people how to communicate and interact through speech-giving and leadership. I’ve learned a great deal while being in the organization. I’ve learned to structure and deliver great speeches. I’ve learned how to lead various departments and clubs in several ways. As a Toastmaster, I’ve gotten the opportunity to speak to businesses that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to except by my association with the organization.

Although I am a big proponent of effective communication, I still see on a daily basis how much is lacking in the communicating department with business people and often, people in general. Whether it’s in business or in the grocery store, people still leave things to the imagination and hope by osmosis the other person gets it. That is not going to work.

Communicating effectively is making sure that your point is well understood AND that you understand the other person. If you’re asked a direct question, don’t you give a direct answer? Or, at least you should give a direct answer. But, what happens all too often is that people allow their minds and imaginations to wander off and then they tend to dream up their own conclusions. Do you know what I’m talking about? Let me give you an example.

If I asked you to send me a proposal to a business acquisition that we had discussed, I’m going to be expecting that material to come to me via email or whichever method we had pre-arranged. Well, if your email has trouble and you can’t send that file to me, that’s fine. But, you should at least communicate that to me so that I won’t be expecting the materials. But in some people’s minds they will reason that since their email is not working, they can’t get that information to you, therefore they don’t have any choice. What that person can do however, is either 1) call you to apprise you of the situation and another resolution to getting the materials to you, or 2) use another method to get the information to you.

It’s not very professional to leave things to chance when it comes to dealing in a business situation. It’s not safe or reasonable to “assume” anything nor is it accurate to think that everyone around you understands your situation and is a part of your world, because they are not.

What have you encountered in a business situation where you see a lack of communication? Do you think that things are better or worse in communicating online? Why or why not?

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