Is your company's internal communication a waterfall or a water fountain?

Communication, in its most basic form, occurs when information leaves a source, in this case you, and is received, comprehended, and acted upon at a destination, in this case the recipient.

If you've been to Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, or Murchison Falls, this sight will literary take your breath away. Even from a safe distance, you can feel the ground beneath your feet tremble as the water rushes over the edge.

That water cannot flow back up once it has passed over the edge. The same is true for an organization experiencing a waterfall communication style. Information flowing from the highest levels of management all the way down to the lowest operational ranks can only be classified as effective communication if there is a reverse flow, which we call a water fountain style of communication. It should be bidirectional, or two-way, and not one-way; otherwise, you would be talking to yourself.

The Bellagio Hotel Water Fountain in Las Vegas and the Dubai Mall Water Fountain in the United Arab Emirates are excellent contrasts to the waterfall analogy. To create a stunning misty ballet, water is stored in a reservoir and pumped high into the air at varied pressures, angles, and patterns. This goes back into the pool, and the seemingly endless cycle continues. There has to be a continuous flow of water for this, spectacular show to continue.

At a minimum, five components make up effective communication:

1. Think about the intended outcome of your communication before sending it.
2. Absolute clarity is needed in the message. That which you wish to convey, presented in an easily understandable format and vocabulary.
3. The origin - You: The tone of your speech (verbal and nonverbal) will influence the outcome.
4. The destination - Recipient: They can get your message since you chose a channel that is easily accessible to them and talked clearly and in an expected tone.
5. The response - The recipient acknowledged receiving the message, shown that they understood what you were saying or asking, and indicated that they felt confident enough to proactively contact you with comments or queries.

So here's an excellent gym workout for your company's internal communication:

• Set yourself a daily reminder to stop, think, and evaluate the quality of the communications you've had throughout the day, as well as where you can improve.?
• Identify what felt like a Las Vegas Bellagio Water Fountain moment with you enjoying every bit of it or what felt like Niagara Falls—water falling over you or you at the top of the water fall.
• Observe the data closely at the end of the week to see if there are any patterns that suggest how you might improve the company's chances of attracting new "Bellagio Water Fountains."

An A-Team, like a well-oiled machine runs on effective communication. Each component has its own distinct purpose and output, but when these disparate elements are joined to form a comprehensive unit, their aggregate yield is far more than the sum of their separate outputs.