The importance of communication

Communication is everything. Or as Paul Watzlawik says, "You cannot not communicate." And that is the key point. It is not enough to simply leave a message somewhere—whether in an email, a memo, or elsewhere—and think the job is done. Or, as Paul Simon has pointed out in his song "The Sound of Silence" in 1964: "People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening."

Remember the greatest disaster in the history of space exploration? The Challenger tragedy in 1981 was caused by a communication error. An engineer noticed that a sealing ring was faulty. He reported it, but his concerns were ignored. They still launched the Challenger flight, which ended 73 seconds later. Many years of investigation confirmed that the sealing ring was the proven and clear cause of the explosion.

Is there a single most important factor for success? Throughout business discussions, we often hear about a variety of factors that make companies successful or help people excel. Clear strategic direction, goal-oriented leadership, customer focus, change management, and a high degree of innovation are just a few. At the end of the day, success is usually the result of a perfect combination of many factors. Yet one fundamental question remains: "What is the foundation of success?" or "What is the element that must overlay everything to ensure these factors work together and bring success?"

As simple as it may sound: it is communication! Communication is not just the lubricant of every relationship but its engine and fuel at the same time. Whether two or more people are involved in a relationship of any kind—be it between a man and a woman, friends, or a boss and an employee—communication plays a decisive role in shaping over 80% of the interaction. In other words, the quality of these relationships is more than 80% dependent on good communication.

Whether in companies or among individuals, innovation, change, sales, marketing, leadership processes, or strategies will never function without communication! So, it is fair to say that communication forms the foundation of all creative action. Speaking of creation: Even the Bible teaches us in the beginning of the fourth Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word." Can that be a coincidence? Hardly! Communication is the source and basis of all success. The enormous importance of language and words in our daily lives further highlights their critical role: The average person—whether man or woman—speaks about 15,000 words per day.

And it is not only about speaking. We need to have the desire to understand one another.

Communication, much like a relationship, thrives on continuous learning and mutual adaptation between participants. The transition often feels seamless. It is essential, however, to first understand ourselves—what defines and shapes our culture, how we communicate, and what language we use. This self-awareness is crucial to truly getting to know others, recognizing differences, and being able to accept them. At the same time, it allows us to identify and emphasize shared commonalities.

We can and must work on these shared elements to foster understanding in our conversations, rather than talking past one another—a far too common occurrence that can have serious consequences. However, this doesn’t mean anyone should feel pressured to change themselves or behave like the other person. It’s simply about understanding the other—understanding their concerns, their way of expressing themselves, their goals, values, and attitudes.

This approach takes a significant step forward in building meaningful and effective communication.