Communicating Effectively

Effective communication builds a common sense of meaning, a shared understanding. The most powerful influencers are those who generate ideas that travel through a population, and the travelling occurs mind-to-mind as people pass it on through interaction.

Each conversation generates more conversations, exciting others with possibilities of positive change, enrolling them in the cause, lighting the way to contribute, and inspiring action.

If you want your idea to spread, you need to become expert in three areas of effective communication:

1. Leading conversations that engage. These are interactions that weave people into your work, making them collaborators, co-creators of a shared future.

2. Generating cascades of activity. Set off chain reactions of meetings and conversations that are carried from those who experience you firsthand out into their social networks.

3. Conducting strategic engagement. Here you are like the conductor of an orchestra, only you are coordinating events instead of music. You adjust the timing, create emphasis, highlight virtuosos, provide critical.

The importance of communication cannot be understated, to become a master of effective communication, you need to understand a little about communication styles, and how to break through the barriers to communication.

For more information on the best model of effective communication, refer to Getting Change Right, Chapter 1, Creating Rapid, Widespread Engagement.