The Art of Dialogue and Communication

Holidays are the perfect time to take a break from the routine of daily duties and try something new, or return to something that gave satisfaction, but in the hustle and bustle of daily life, we lack the time or enthusiasm for it. I decided to return to writing longer forms, despite the fact that reading is becoming less common nowadays. Perhaps this is due to the aforementioned lack of time and the desire to make the best use of it, or maybe it's simply a lack of valuable and original content? More and more friends are using artificial intelligence to generate texts… I stubbornly try to defend the bastion of traditional content creation and have a real author's contribution to the presented content.

Having a message, it's important to present it in a form digestible for the audience. The art of dialogue and communication, which is the focus of this entry, seems to be becoming obsolete— people have lost the skill of communicating and explaining the reality around us. Moreover, there are often situations where the message is deliberately distorted, and part of it hidden. I'm not talking about typical fake news, but rather about situations I have encountered in various workplaces.

Personally, I am an advocate of transparency in action and honest explanation of the reasons behind specific actions—especially when they require the involvement of others. In the research group I have had the pleasure of leading since early 2023, I introduced a principle adapted to our needs based on the Japanese concept of 報?連?相 (hou?ren?sou): report, communicate, consult. I want my colleagues to understand the challenges we face, to know where they come from, and how we can tackle them together as a team. It's clear that if I require someone to perform a task, I must first provide them with the necessary tools and instructions. An employee who doesn't understand why a task needs to be done and doesn't have a clearly defined hierarchy of priorities cannot meet our expectations.

Interpersonal relationships at work are not analogous to those in partnerships with the mythical "read between the lines." I don't read minds, so if I don't get specific instructions, I perform tasks according to my own vision, which may not necessarily align with the expectations of the person assigning the task. This can lead to frustration and, in the long term, less engagement in completing assigned tasks. This can be avoided by providing clear instructions. Only then can we expect the task to be completed according to our vision. Sometimes, we also understand and define even the most basic concepts differently, so it's always a good practice to check if all parties in a dialogue not only listen but also understand the conveyed information. Some time ago, we tested such a situation where a misunderstanding led to a corrected invoice for a service provided, highlighting how serious the repercussions of a lack of understanding can be. Not to mention latest situation, when lack of quality communication deprived our group of having a chance to fight for c.a. 1 million Euro grant.

The extreme manifestation of insufficient dialogue is creating a "siege mentality," depriving employees of the opportunity to participate in shaping solutions concerning the whole (company or group). This is a quick path to increasing dissatisfaction, decreasing trust, or the emergence of rumors and conspiracy theories.