Communication – the human connection

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” —George Bernard Shaw

How true those words are. It seems to me, that throughout my life I am continuously reminded of the importance of communication. You would think one would learn by now. Yet, many of us are reminded this message over and over again.

Now I’m sure that many have heard that good communication is the key to a good relationship, yet ‘relationship’ doesn’t just mean a romantic one. It could be a professional relationship or a relationship between family members or friends.

So then how come the lack of good communication is such a constant problem when it is such an important thing?

Personally, I think it is because we take each other for granted and put communication as the last priority. We stop wanting to listen to the other party and instead are more eager to respond with our own opinions. Now, I’m not going to discuss good communication and how it can be accomplished, because I think it’s something people have to figure out for themselves. Instead, I want to discuss why it is important.

I’m sure most people know why communication is important in personal relationships. Yet, I think most people don’t realize the importance of communication in the workplace and any other work-like organizations.  Let’s take clubs; being on an E-Board, and having seen both good and bad E-Boards, I have noticed that the strongest organizations are ones where leaders have open lines of communication with each other. Good communication creates trust between the leaders of an organization, and tasks are accomplished much more smoothly. Everyone is trusted to do their jobs and to be open if things go wrong or if help is needed. These organizations can rely on everyone on getting things done, and the final product doesn’t look thrown together.

Good communication and trust are the foundation for a strong organization and leadership. An organization where the leaders are working behind each other’s backs and not communicating is weakened by the mistrust. It reduces the productivity and quality of the organization. After all, this mistrust and the disorganization that comes with bad communication can be perceived by general members and spread throughout the organization.

I want to stress that this isn’t exclusive to Stevens clubs, The same is true when you join the workforce and when you become a manager. Communication should become a habit not in just personal relationships but also in professional ones. Language is something that we as a species have in common; it is our “human connection” and it is time that we remember to utilize it and not just take it for granted.