How Important Is Communication?

Kristen Piombino reports that subscribers to the Harvard Business Review rated the ability to communicate “the most important fact in making an executive promotable.” They even ranked in more important than ambition, education, and hard work.

But what exactly does the “ability to communicate” mean?  We have found that most people believe they are communicating, even when they are not getting the kinds of responses they expect.  Rather than consider that there is something off in their own communication, many people believe there is something off in the person (people) they are communicating with.

Clearly the way you deliver a communication matters.  Few us of like to be talked to in a rude manner.  But the types of conversations you use also make a difference.   Well delivered but inappropriate or incomplete conversations will not get you what you want.  Even worse, they will leave you with the impression that you are communicating when you aren’t.

Communication is important.  But like anything else we deliver, it is both the packaging AND the content that matters.