Good vs. Effective Communication

I have been transitioning my mindset away from the perspectives of “good” and “bad” communication. These assignments of value are frankly irrelevant and more importantly they hinder us from practical self assessment that can help us improve!

Therefore, I propose we view our communications on the gradient range from effective to ineffective. Are your methods of communicating working for you? Are you getting the results that you desire? If you answered no, there is no reason to tear yourself down or assign a negative “bad” label to your communication. Instead, determine where things went awry.

In many cases, you simply need to clarify your intent. There is a theoretical communications concept called the Intent vs. Impact Gap. What is that? That is the difference between the way you intended your communicative message and the way that the other interpreted that message. Often, a simple clarification of intent can resolve otherwise complicated interactions.

It is more important that your messages have the intended impact than it is to speak eloquently. But, a polished presentation communicates its own message.