Communication Is Everything

You might have heard the adage that “communication is everything”. It might have been something you heard on a podcast, a quote card, or from someone most likely in passing. Today, I want to break this very simple quote down.

Communication is everything. What does that really mean? Who is it everything to? Is it everything to everybody?

Also, side note – the reason I ask questions is to get answers. So if you have something that you just can’t figure out, ask different questions. Typically when I start going down the list of questions to ask I start to find answers, or at least paths I can travel.

Okay, so let’s get this defined. Let’s start with communication. Communication as defined in the Oxford dictionary is the imparting or?exchanging?of information or news. Interesting that they segment “news” from information when news is a type of information. News by the way is defined as newly received or?noteworthy?information, especially about recent or important events.

Bottom line here – talk to people. That is communication. But it’s not just talking, it’s receiving information back. It’s a dialogue. We need to talk and we need to listen and solicit feedback.

So what about “Everything”? Everything is all-encompassing because it leaves nothing out. What do we really mean by everything? How I interpret this is that if you don’t know you can’t do anything about it. If you do ask, the worst they can say is no.

Communication is what makes a company. It’s what makes a relationship. It’s is the core of what you do and who you are. How you communicate with people tells them what you’re thinking. Since we aren’t a world of mind-readers, we have to speak or write our communication. Does body language convey information? Absolutely, however, each person interprets body language differently. Making the communication unclear.

Spoken communication is also unclear sometimes because we haven’t gathered our thoughts. It’s why speeches are typically prepared. They aren’t off the cuff. Because we want to make sure we say the right words at the right time, in the right order, for the right audience.

Understand that there is a lot of noise going on in the world. Being clear is important and finding ways to break through the external noise is some of the most important work you can do. It’s being clear. It’s making your point. It’s being passionate. All those things matter.

Sometimes we think they don’t or we are worried about what someone else might think. Truth is, the more we hold it inside, the harder it becomes to do anything about it. Learning to be an effective communicator is one of the most valuable skills you can work on. I have a long way to go, but it’s something that when I get good enough, it will be “everything”.

You can do it too.

Oh and PS – ask questions. Who, what, when, where, why, and how are some of the most important words you can use.