Highlights on Structured Communication: A course by Bridge Africa - UReady

In a fast-paced world, where competition is strife, you need to be different for you to remain relevant. Being different also brings with it some risk, of being feared or ignored but depending on how you use your language of fascination, you can turn things around and be sort by many in your field of profession.

This brings me back to a course on structured communication. I must say I have learnt a lot that I never knew and was never taught in my undergraduate communication classes. It is a gem, a precious gift taught to me by Bridge Africa. I have realized why some people excel faster than their peers even though they did the same course and graduated at the same time. I am now able to distinguish various brands by just how people or companies communicate and reveal themselves to their audience.

Having learnt of an Ivy League, a sign of prestige well-kept and cherished by some companies and institutions of higher learning, I have realized and appreciated why they have various test stages to ensure that they get the right candidates in their organizations. The difference is not much, but in communication.

Yes, structured communication is the difference. Learning to be an effective communicator is key to an individual’s success, in any sector or field of profession. With proper communication structure, one can design and tune it to different audience. Different audience need different mode of rendition for them to understand you and how you deliver it will create a big difference on the impact of your message.

Going through the Minto Pyramid Principle, I realized that complex information can be broken down to simple and succinct message. A message when delivered can grab attention even for the busiest executive. It made me learn the language of consultancy. One in which you always must defend a single point every time as the mode of communication is always in response to a question raised by the main point. I must appreciate the works of Barbara Minto to have had such a eureka moment in demystifying complex information. By following the principle, you structure the information up-front before presenting it, which gives the listener a framework to interpret the information given to prevent any wrong decoding of the intended message. In short in brings out logic in thinking and writing.

To become an A-class communicator, I need to be a good communicator to appreciate the mental exercise and not the linguistic aspect of it. It involves logical structuring of thoughts with which you can grasp attention of a busy executive and deliver your elevator pitch without him being distracted. Since in such communication, you need to defeat three enemies of communication starting with distraction.

Distraction is the scissor that cuts the word between you and your listener. It makes it difficult for one to connect with audience. So, this calls for our brand to structure our communication in a unique way as it helps one appear different to combat distraction while communicating. Competition as has been highlighted in the beginning only makes us different and not better as being better may be superseded by some best forms of brand available. To avoid being ignored, your language in communication should be successful enough as your audience expect you to be distinct. Lastly, if you appear like a commodity before your clients you seem vulnerable, this is called commoditization. As such, your personality and language in communication is very important in the success of your career or business.

To wrap up, most employers will always get you on board if you package and brand yourself uniquely. You must be able to communicate well in a structure that will make you stand out among the rest. It is during interviews that a lot is expressed by yourself and understood by the panel. You therefore need to always answer three questions while communicating and giving a response to your audience. The why, what and how. Knowing how best to tackle them will make the difference of being clear and being understood without ambiguity hence being a favorite choice or not.