Dr. Bridget Jones
Scribbles Software
Many things can be said about 2020; but, upon reflection, it has offered us opportunities to learn new ways to communicate. People throughout the world were challenged with the task of communicating in different and creative ways due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As a wife, mom, and professional I have learned that no matter the forum or platform, people appreciate consistent, clear, and concise communication.
George Bernard Shaw says it best; “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” When I was a teacher, I would say “I taught this, how are they getting it wrong?”. Well, I might have taught it, but did they hear it? What does one do when the message was sent but it was not heard? — Reflect and investigate.
How to start? — Do the people you communicate with know how they will get your message? Are there multiple communication tools you utilize? How often are messages going out? Are all messages (large and small) being sent in the same way? On reflection, we can see that communicating and receiving those communications can be overwhelming — Simplifying and prioritizing messaging is important.
As a kid I remember watching the news in the morning to see if bad weather would cancel school. I did that because I knew the source of truth and had an expectation that I would receive the most relevant and useful information from the radio or TV. In today’s multi-channel information world, important messaging comes at us many ways and in many media types. We know that real-time, data-driven decisions are critical at this time. If we have a message that needs to be relayed it is important to build trust and expectation ahead of time. The delivery of that communication is just as important as the message. Have you analyzed your strategy lately?
We all have an opportunity to help students succeed. We are lucky to partner with school districts like Union County Public Schools to help fulfill their mission of “Preparing All Students to Succeed.” Working together we can use the opportunity of this time of uncertainty to our advantage and communicate in a more consistent, clear, and concise way.
