Words are cheap - communication is EVERYTHING

Words are cheap – action is what matters

Working with individual and organizational performance and growth – ONE thing stands out

as key. Communication – related to action.

Jurgen Habermas (look him up yourself) talked about “communication actions”. In short –

you communicate with more than only your words. My interpretation of his point –

communication is what you do as a WHOLE person. So – if you say something but your

other “communicative actions”, things like, behavior, listening skills, body language – it the

words don’t match those other communication actions – you are in trouble. Or – more, the

other part of the communication are. Because they don’t know what to do, to believe – based

on the TOTAL communication.

Talk is cheap – action matters.

So – I have a saying, a motto if you may, a goal – when coaching people on communication.

- Communicate = “together”!

You know - Integrity is a thing (the thing being – what you say and do match up). That`s it –

communication comes together – in a total package – in which people are smart enough to

see.

So – when you want to perform and share a message – try to set it up, optimally, with

integrity. And, maybe, the higher up in an organization you are, the less words and the more

action – is the way to grow?

I really don’t know – but based on what I see – working with the higher ups, they want that,

they even plan for that

BUT – when they step up on stage, in front of the camera – the slip up (or as I am thinking

when it happens) the fuck up.

BUT – again – fuck up is only feedback – but you have to be awake and humble.

WHAT to do? Reflect – work – improve, here is an example.

What do you want – with your TOTAL communication?

What is your ONE point?

And we reflect on what “total” mean for them – and we land on a goal for the messaging you

do – with all types of communication actions.

Here are five different kinds of communication actions that could, well – should, match.

- Verbal (talking being one example)

- Written

- Non-verbal (body language being example)

- Listening (do you care about others being example)

- Visual (pictures being another example)

My POINT – when a “big CEO” of a company – has a global townhall – speaking to

everyone, saying something like this

We are doing great – and going into the new year it is even more important to work even

better together – delivering for our customers.

At the same time – there was a lay off – people was fired somewhere in the world..

I talked to the people in the organization – what they say, great, a townhall, I will have

homeoffice that they – the garden needs seeing to, I will cut the grass then

Words + actions = together.

So words being cheap - is about communication is about EVERYTHING :-D