Lost in Translation
Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 by Frank Roche
This is a cautionary tale.
You know why survey after survey reveals that three-quarters of employees think they don’t get enough communication? It’s because what they get too often is a variation on “Translate Server Error.”
Somebody with the best of intentions tries to take material and translate it into “language that employees will understand.” Unfortunately, some of those people wouldn’t know good communication if it snuck up and bit them on the hiney.
Here’s a communication hint: If you’re not fluent in Simplicity, ask the native speakers. Don’t try to translate what you don’t know.
[Hat tip to Vince Ferrari]
Scott McArthur
Jul 20th, 2008
Reminds me of the “tappers and listeners” idea from Covey.
This is a great way of getting the point you make over to people Frank.
Here is a shorhand version for a workshop
Take a senior person from the group – give them a tune everyone knows (happy birthday etc) and ask them to tap out the melody on a table with a pen.
Then ask the group to “name that tune”. I have never met a group yet that gets it right. The good bit is when you ask the tapper how they felt – “frustrated” “isn’t it obvious?” is what normally comes back – ah ha so communication isn’t as easy as you thought!