This is the third and final part of my three part series of blog posts about communication. Thanks for reading, and feel free to weigh in at the comments sections of these posts, or on Twitter.
Divide? What Divide?
You may have heard the term “digital divide” before, in fact, you may be quite familiar with it. For those who are not, it is the concept that there are certain generations and age groups who are more familiar with things like cell phones, texting, Twitter, Facebook, etc, and there are some who are not familiar with them at all. Hence, there is a “divide” of sorts between the two groups who are using to vastly different methods of communication, with a variety of things potentially getting lost in the process.
It Really Exists
It is in a many ways hard to understand that this exists. After all, texting is the preferred form of communication for almost everyone now. Twitter is being used so actively on major outlets such as ESPN that it is almost mind boggling, and everyone has a Facebook. We all have the dad or perhaps uncle who has a Facebook profile, but has absolutely no idea how to use it. The most their friends on Facebook can expect out of them is a post once in a while that is probably in all capital letters. For some of us, that is our parents.
For people who aren’t on Twitter, they don’t get it at all. Popular culture doesn’t seem to help these cases, as well…
While Jon Stewart’s sketch might be funny, this is unfortunately how many people view Twitter, and in fact, many new, social, communicative services. The fact is, these services in many ways wind up deciding for themselves whether they are, or will remain the “next big thing.” Ask anyone under 30 to recall a social network or profile-type service of some sort that they’re no longer on, or no longer active on, and I assure you, they will be able to recall at least one. At the rate they die out, the new concepts are studied, and new services and features are added.
The Divide; Coming to a City Near You
The fact is, while my generation feels more connected than it ever has, the divide is coming for us. Rest assured, Gen X, there will be a day that Twitter integrates something that we don’t get, or a new product does something we don’t understand. If you need an example, just take a look at the number of people that still don’t have Facebook’s new Timeline feature, or watch how many people gripe when Facebook changes the slightest thing. Rest assured, we won’t always be as connected and understanding of society and culture as we are today.
This is the second in a three part series on my blog about communication. This post will briefly cover ten ways to communicate more effectively, not just online and digitally speaking, but throughout life in a variety of avenues.
Be Honest
Be Yourself
This might seem a little (or a lot) like the first post in this series. This concept is so important that it deserves mentioning here. This is the fundamental concept that will make (and keep) you a communicator. The bottom line when it comes to communication is this; no one wants to be lied to. That is as simple as it gets. People want what you genuinely have to say, and that is what they will come back for.
Stop Talking
Stop Talking
The reality of any form of communication is that we all want to say something. There is nothing wrong with this per se, but it is crucial that we take time out of the talking routine in order to listen. Communication is a two-way street, and oftentimes we only want to travel the one way. It’s simple; everyone wants to be heard. But to truly communicate, you have to listen, and cooperatively share ideas.
Interact
Do not be afraid to interact with people. Beyond simple talking/listening, communication consists of many facets. Take for example a dating relationship. If a guy finds out that a girl likes a particular sports team, or genre of movie that they happen to share in common, he takes her to the movie. They interact, and ultimately communicate on that subject. It’s not as simple as verbally communicated thoughts and ideas, but it is not much more complex. Interacting is taking the next step beyond just verbal communication.
That extra touch can add another layer of your personality to your communication
Break the Touch Barrier
This might sound like an awkward bit of advice to some, especially in a professional sense. This is simpler than it seems, however. A simple gesture beyond the common handshake can add another level of interactivity to your communication that will ensure you are remembered as a personable, interactive person. Sometimes something as simple as gently touching someone’s elbow during a handshake, or even just using two hands to shake someone’s hand can make a world of difference in how you come across.
Be Real
While this might seem synonymous with being honest, it is not in a lot of ways. One can be honest without being real. Being real is the true challenge that most people face. Generally speaking, people do not go through life lying to people day in and day out. However, rarely is anyone themselves. When you are real with your audience no matter who it might be, your words, thoughts, and ideas are in some ways automatically validated as a result. One’s actions when lined up with one’s words are many times more effective than the “do as I do, not as I say” routine that people so often tread.
If you’ve been around my website very often, or you have any knowledge of me and my personality at all, you know that I am passionate about a few different things; and one of those is communicating with people. As a result, I am writing a three part blog series about communication, and different aspects that I have considered relating to communication.
Photo: Boondock Saints Veritas Tattoo - Vertias: Latin for "truth"
Truth
The definition of Truth that I have always let hold the most importance to me is the following;
“
conformity with fact or reality;
verity: the truth of a statement.“
The thing about truth is that as much as it is disputed, argued over, etc, it does not change. For those who are Christians, there is a Truth that is an all encompassing Truth that extends beyond the human interactions and interpretations of truth. If truth is subject, as so many people seem to think and act like they believe it is, then it does not exist. The concrete unchanging truth, again, is that which conforms to reality. Calling the sky green or the sun dark is no more truth than one’s wanting it to be so. Statements do not give truth the nature very nature of itself. It’s conformity to reality gives truth it’s…truth.
Integrity in Communication
Have you ever been in a relationship where there was no honesty? One can usually tell from the very beginning whether a relationship will be honest. That is not to say that over time, people might make mistakes, and information between one another might be withheld or falsified at some point. We all make mistakes. When one is in a relationship that is dishonest, it is fairly clear from the beginning. There is a pain in communication that is not based in honesty and openness. I am of the mindset that one should be honest at all costs, and let the “chips fall where they may” as the saying goes. My foundational belief system that I adhere to tells me the following:
“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32
Truth in Society
The ironic thing is that people cannot escape the truth. In a society where a plethora of moral viewpoints spot our intellectual fields on a daily basis, this one thing remains constant. People have opinions, politically or philosophically speaking, but everyone at some point admits the truth. There is always that moment where the “rubber meets the road” and people only seek the truth. When celebrities cheat on their spouses or businessmen make crooked decisions, the inevitable event that almost always occurs is an apology. That moment when a teary-eyed sports superstar or indicted business high roller stumbles through a speech admitting that he or she was wrong, and owns up to the facts. Hurt though the parties involved might be, they all seek that moment, when someone is faced with the truth of situation, and is confronted by their lack of integrity.
Without honesty and integrity in communication, everything else is lost. The most brilliant liars are still just that; liars. Speaking creatively and beautifully loses all it’s show when there is not integrity.
Latest from Twitter
