These thoughts started with an observation:
Why is Generation Z, who cannot survive without their smartphone, very reluctant to actually make phone calls?
Like all generalisations, there are exceptions, but the basic observation is undeniably true.
Why is this? Does it matter?
This blog will take the position that it does matter – in fact, it is a small example of a much bigger and very serious problem – our unwillingness (inability, lack of concern??) to engage with other people. The only way to truly engage with people is through effective communication.
And we, as a society, have forgotten how to communicate.
We can’t just blame the Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), because Millennials, Gen X and the Baby Boomers all display these characteristics.
How did we come to this?
To put things into perspective, let’s go back to ancient Greece in about 1350 BCE. Mycenae (in NE Peloponnese and about 120 km SW of modern-day Athens), the most important centre, was at its peak – politically, militarily, culturally and they had one of the first written languages. In about 1200 BCE, this Mycenaean civilisation collapsed for reasons we don’t fully understand, but serious earthquakes were a contributing factor. Then Greece went into its dark ages – the art of writing was lost for several hundred years (are there lessons here for us today?). During these dark ages, the famous oral cultures developed fully. The most famous are the epics of Homer. Just taking the Iliad as an example: this incredible epic of nearly 16,000 lines of poetry was delivered orally to its audience – probably over some 4-5 days. Today we cannot even conceive of how Homer (or anyone else) could deliver such a monumental tale from memory – remember, the art of writing had been lost! Nor can we conceive of an audience willing to sit through such a performance! But these performances were apparently not only common, but totally central to the creation of what is now Western culture (admittedly the Iliad was probably the extreme example). At some stage, when the art of writing was re-invented (about 700 BCE?), the Homer epics were written down. Even today, the Iliad and the Odyssey remain best sellers – new translations come out almost every year.
The point here is that the method of presentation must have been critical. Lots of action, humour, relatable characters, clever turns of phrase (all of which had to be relevant to the audience) must all have been important (the Iliad has all these features). This was a perfect example of effective communications.
Eventually, written languages developed widely and in 1440 the Gutenberg printing press was invented, and written documents became very widely available.
But throughout this period, oral communications remained central to all cultures. Stories, legends and knowledge were passed down through generations – written documentation enabled the retention, and hence development, of all this culture.
Then the telegraph was invented in 1837, the telephone in 1876, radio and television came in the early 20th century, the internet and emails in the late 20th century, and social media in the early 21st century. The claim of this blog is that, contrary to all logic, the introduction of each of these technologies led to reduced effectiveness in communications. Does this mean that the easier it becomes to communicate, the less effectively we manage to do it? This blog suggests that this is exactly what is happening.
Right into the early 20th century, conversation was critical. People got together at home, in offices, in public venues to discuss issues important to them. Public presentations were universal and extremely popular. For all this to work, everyone had to understand and practise the basics of communication – after all, societies had been doing this for thousands of years (certainly since well before Homer’s time) – it seemed to come “naturally”. But as this ability declined, one of the most common complaints 100 years ago was – whatever happened to the art of conversation? People genuinely missed it!
It seems that with the introduction of each new technological innovation, we lost some of our ability to communicate.
We have become used to sitting back and letting the communications come to us – via firstly the telegraph, then radio, then television, then the internet, etc. We don’t even have to read anymore – we can get almost everything delivered orally. And with the growth in AI, we may not have to write anymore either! Even when we have to react, the various formats encouraged very brief responses (remember when SMSs were limited to a few words?). And remember, SMSs and email are almost never effective ways to communicate anyway. So over time we quite literally forgot how to communicate effectively.
Social media seems to be making things even worse for the younger generations – now that everything they say is visible to everyone, they are afraid to say too much in case they are criticised, bullied or taken advantage of.
Ironically, right when societies are becoming more and more fragmented, we have lost our ability to communicate with different groups (or even among our own group) – much less understand them! Or is it the other way around – because we cannot communicate and thereby understand each other, we have become more and more fragmented?
From a business perspective, effective communications are absolutely essential – especially in the realms of marketing, sales, and management. For all these functions, crafting compelling narratives and telling stories that resonate with the chosen audience is akin to casting a spell that captivates hearts and minds.
But let’s not kid ourselves, effective communication is hard work. It is no longer a “natural” response we have. Prepare what you plan to say, practice how to say it, and deliver it convincingly. As we twirl through the intricate steps of communication, let’s not forget the essence of leaving a positive impact – not just in a business context, but also in our private lives. If we can leave behind a trail of meaningful conversations, they will echo the desire to make the world a better place.
