Communication in a Modern

Communication in a
Modern World
The secrets to successful communication
What we communicate and how we communicate has changed. Technology

has changed how we relate to the world and each other, and this has a
critical impact on how we run a business. In this article strategy expert Duncan
Cawdell explains how the need to combine the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ is the
secret for being successful in a rapidly changing world.
Communication in a Modern World

Communication in a
Modern World We need to
recognize
The secrets to successful communication
change
It’s a more instant world. 
The world has become more instant. If you take a New ways of
photograph you don’t have drop it down to Boots, and wait a communicating have
week for the pictures to come back to realise it’s out of focus, a tendency to be
or not what you hoped. You can take a picture (with a highly personal but at
camera, phone, PDA or Mp3 player) and see the result the same time
instantly. You want to talk to someone now, you can do it impersonal – texting,
instantly. If you need help with a problem you can speak to twittering, blogging
someone 24hours a day. Run out of milk? The shops are open means you can easily
all day. If we want to be a star, we go on reality TV and get talk ‘at’ a wide variety
instant ‘success’, and disappear almost as instantly. of people, without
necessarily talk ‘to’ or
If we don’t have to wait for things, does that mean that are
meeting in the flesh.
less worth waiting for?
As a consequence we
There is a whole new Language are becoming much
Language is changing rapidly and new words and
more ‘social’, but a lot
pronunciation are added every year. Twitter has provided an
less sociable!
interesting challenge in getting your message across in less
than 140 characters. Texting has changed what we say, and Even with all this
how we say it… welcome to the OMG and LOL generation. Is change, in the
the speed at which we are communicating altering the business world we still
message or the content? need to talk,
communicate and
Technology means different things to each generation. For
work with each other
some PowerPoint has changed their world, and they feel
to get things done
unable (or unwilling) to turn up to a meeting without some
slides, for others the smartphone is the true enabler allowing
you to phone, text, tweet, e-mail and work anywhere and
everywhere.
Whatever the technology the message is clear, don’t mistake

the tools for outcomes, or assume the tool is the outcome. A
presentation does not ensure a meeting is successful, and an
1

e-mail doesn’t mean you have communicated. Technology enables us, but can hinder us at
the same time.
Some things haven’t changed and we need to recognise this too

Even with all this change, in the business world we still need to talk, communicate and work
with each other to get things done. Personal interactions are still critical. The written and
spoken words have not changed so fundamentally that we need to start again.
Our social skills are more important than ever before. How do we hear the message when the
noise is so much louder? How do we talk and interact with people face to face, when we
spend so much of our time doing this virtually or electronically?
The basic concept of exiting in society has not changed. We meet, we talk, we discuss and
we agree. Whatever the plethora of tools available we have to choose the appropriate ones
for the appropriate occasion.
Ask Questions
Whether you are selling, marketing, negotiating or simple talking, the basic rules remain the
same – ask good questions and listen to the answers.
Key Question types could be:
 Open Questions – Broad and wide, providing the opportunity to gather a range of
information
 Closed Questions – narrow the focus and elicit confirming response of ‘yes’ or ‘no’
 Probing Questions – Use to explore specific points about a particular topic. “Tell me more
about…”
 Leading Questions – Use them to summarise what you may have discovered, and confirm
“So if I understand correctly…”
How well do we plan and prepare our questions, and do we truly probe and engage through
effective questions? For communication to be clear we must confirm or eliminate any and all
assumptions.
Manage the Agenda / Set the Expectations

The average working day is filled with meetings and working sessions, and frequently
managers will find it hard to identify what has actually been ‘done’. Too many meetings that
are simply discussions, objectives are not clear, or meetings run out of time. We witness too
often the inability to set the rules and expectations:
 What is the purpose of the meeting / session?

 What are the decisions required?
 What are the critical outcomes that must be delivered?
2

Because we have a lot of information, and technology has allowed us to process and present
a lot of information, getting to the point is harder. However without a clear expectation or
objective in mind, a meeting easily turns into a ‘talk shop’ with exchanges of opinion, but
limited decision making. PowerPoint has enabled the creation of 100’s of charts – clear
expectations and objectives will enable the production of an appropriate presentation that is
purposeful and pertinent.
Agendas can seem boring…..but without them we get more communication, more noise and
less clarity!
Let’s be High Tech

With basic rules and approaches in place we can harness technology for our purpose, rather
than let technology drive us.
We must though embrace change, it is not just a question of setting up a facebook page, or
asking people to follow you on Twitter, it is about the organisation supporting the whole
community to utilise new technology and use it appropriately.
Video technology and smartphones can save us travel costs and days lost on flights. Skype
can save you money on call costs. But it is not just about money, it is more broadly about
efficiency. Communicate efficiently and the message is received, understood and acted on.
Over communication and the message gets lost, or too much management time is spent
reviewing the style (or the ‘look’ of charts) rather than the story and the message.
3

What can you do about this?
 Start with the message not the vehicle

o Focus on the communication challenge, and then use the appropriate tool (or
vehicle).
o Recognise tools as tools, not outcomes.
 Focus on why and how, rather than just what

o Get commitment to the message, by convincing people why and how, not just
what. If people can buy into why, then what becomes much easier
 Support the emerging business generation with active social skills.

o Embed the ‘old’ skills – questions, listening, personality profiles, planning, making an
agenda. Recognise and reward these behaviours, and have senior management
set the prime example for others to follow
 Support the existing generation by helping them understand the benefits and the
‘why’ of new ways of communication.
o The style and approach should empower rather than alienate those unfamiliar with
emerging approaches.
 Actively encourage the face-to-face engagement

o Practice, practice, practice.
Weben Partners work with the most respected global, regional and local
companies to provide accelerated business results, guaranteed. We are experts
in insight, strategy and learning to drive profitable growth with brilliant execution
of a winning strategy. For further perspectives or information please contact
[email protected] or visit: www.webenpartners.com

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Communication in a

What we communicate and how we communicate has changed. Technology

Whatever the technology the message is clear, don’t mistake

Some things haven’t changed and we need to recognise this too

Key Question types could be:

Manage the Agenda / Set the Expectations

 What is the purpose of the meeting / session?

Let’s be High Tech

What can you do about this?

 Start with the message not the vehicle

 Focus on why and how, rather than just what

 Support the emerging business generation with active social skills.

 Actively encourage the face-to-face engagement

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