Bring communication to the fore

Unleashing the unbridled power of good communication and storytelling.

- MATTHEW L MOSELEY

Throughout a life spent moving from one organisational challenge to another, I have noticed that one thread has woven the whole experience together: the unbridled power of good communication and storytelling.

But one question persists: if communication is so important, and we are more interconnected than ever before, then why are most managers and leaders so bad at it?

In business, or in any relationship, communication—with team members, investors, customers, vendors, and everyone in between— is everything. Ineffective communication results in lost moments and squandered opportunities.

Back to the beginning

In our bodies, when cells do not communicate properly, it indicate an illness. When nations do not communicate with each other, it can cause war. Not communicating with your spouse can lead to divorce. Communication is the lubricant that keeps the engine of humanity running.

Yuval Harari, author, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, explains how this capacity to think outside ourselves, to create, businesses, constitutions, stories, myths and art, is our X factor. This ability paved the way for humans to organise into large groups and connect by way of a common purpose and meaning. Because we could collaborate for a greater good, we could survive.

Communication is how we relate to our world to build common connections and manage the environment around us. However, as we know from our experience, the art of communication is many times lost.

Breakout: Know where you want to go

Strategies for communication planning: