Consider for a moment Van Gogh’s, Starry Night. When looking at the picture, what do you think he was trying to communicate? Was it the night sky, the city skyline, or the mountain? Would any one part be as important as the whole of the painting? We see Starry Night as a whole, with individual parts constructing a whole painting.
Paint Like Communication Skills?
Communication skills work much the same way. In business, it is a key element for success. This is obvious, even for a beginner. From the first day of business school to the first day of work every individual is required to exercise their communication skills. Students of business read communications – called textbooks – to study their arena of business. Their professors communicate the core of each lesson and relate it back to the textbook. Group projects are designed to test the interpersonal communication skills of each participant, from the onset of the assignment to deciding roles for each individual. The principles of this education are then communicated within the specific career chosen by the student, who then becomes the newly placed professional. Within their career, each professional is required to communicate relationally, both to solve problems and create successes. Communicating with staff, co-workers, and other project team members is essential. Additionally, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes are examples of written communications used by professionals to learn more about their prospective vocation. Without proper communication, the professional will be limited in their ability to serve the purposes for which they were hired.
Every aspect of communication inherently reflects back onto itself, allowing the user to employ the proper methods of management and articulation to reach his/her goals. Given this fact, it is surprising how many professionals either refuse to utilize the learned communication tools, or fall back onto the bad habits of “silence” and thoughts like, “I’ll do it my way.”
The purpose of this blog is to enhance communication skills, to supply the needed, in-depth information which the professional can use to further their knowledge base for the advancement of their career or business objectives. While other business sites seek to report stories, this blog will focus on the information behind the stories, linking each event in the world of business news into a clear picture of understanding. In doing this, I hope to present this picture for you, the reader, to analyze and take the information needed for your own purposes, whether those purposes be personal or professional.
Like Van Gogh’s, Starry Night, proper communication – written, verbal, etc. – between all distinct parts, constructs a complete picture. The end result is a work of art.