Message Meanings Are In People

That sensitivity is especially vital when it comes to aligning the meanings that people inside and outside the organization have for the words and symbols that organizations use to communicate. It's common practice to do focus groups with customers to test promotional messages for interpretation and impact before rolling out a big advertising campaign. However, you rarely see the same attention given to assessing how employees inside the organization interpret those promotional words and symbols. What's more, the implications are seldom considered for how employees need to perform in order to deliver on the promises being made in the marketplace.

Inside or out, with one person or many, here are some guidelines to help you avoid the "meanings trap". . .

• Don't ask what a word means - because IT doesn't mean anything. Instead, ask what people mean by the words they use.
• Don't assume people know what you mean when you tell them something or send out a message. Check to make sure they've interpreted it the way it was intended.
• Don't ask people if they understand what you mean if you want to make sure they understand something important. Ask them to repeat what you've said until you're satisfied you share the same meaning.
• Don't expect to find common ground in a debate about the meaning of a word, but rather in a conversation committed to a common understanding of what is meant by the people using it. As the famed communication theorist, Marshall McLuhan, once said, "Propaganda ends where dialogue begins."

Louis Beh ®