Just Sayin’…

C.E. Grundler

It’s unfortunate, but these days of high-speed, digital, texting and tweeting, eloquence is becoming a lost art. We’re more connected than any time through history, but so much of that falls short of truly communicating. Words have been reduced to a digital shorthand of letters, symbols and smileys, ideas are stuffed into 140 character snippets or sound-bites squeezed between blaring commercials and filler news items. Communication has become something that must be condensed and rushed in order to capture the audience’s fleeting and easily distracted attention. Sadly, something has been lost along the way, and that’s more unfortunate than many realize.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of all relationships, both in the business world and personal life. Communication skills play a critical role in reaching out and connecting with people, whether individually, as a group, business entity, gathering, or entire population. A vast majority of what we do in any given day involves communication, and those with weak communication skills are at a distinct disadvantage. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you might be. If you can’t present that knowledge in a way others can follow and relate to, you can’t share that information in a way that benefits others. While you may have a clear understanding of the concepts you’re trying to convey, if your audience can’t identify with what you’re  trying to say and the way you present it, it’s unlikely they’ll be receptive to your message. Misunderstandings arise, time is lost, and no one moves forward.

As writers, communication is our tool. It is our art, and one we can’t afford to lose. We work in words and concept, and it’s our job to create an entire reality within our readers’ minds. We must do that without the aid of tone or body-language, and we must do it well if we hope to retain those readers and build our audience. And in the end, it’s a tough job, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Just sayin’.

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