Bridging Communications

Faster Isn't Necessary Better

How much thought do we really give communication?  It’s one of the most important things we do.  We all communicate, some very well… others not so well.  It doesn’t matter what we do or how we live our lives, we all communicate.  Whether we tweet, blog, text, Facebook, LinkedIn, Skype friends and families, write a note, talk on the phone, etc., it’s all communication.

How we communicate is as important as what we communicate.  Our language is fluid, and so are our communications.  Yesterday on a news show, the commentator talked about texting.  He described how his son had responded to a question with ‘IDK.’  He had to ask what that meant.  For those of us not in the know – it’s ‘I don’t know.’  Sentences are being reduced to letters to facilitate faster communication.  So much of our language is being shortened, and not all of us know the new language.  Contrary to popular belief, shorter is not necessarily faster or better. 

If people are confused or not up on the latest texting or tweeting language, then we aren’t communicating effectively.  We may come across as ‘hip’ or ‘cool,’ but if our audience doesn’t understand, it doesn’t matter how hip or cool we are.  Sometimes it’s better to say what you mean and mean what you say, even if it takes longer.

If you’re interested in getting up- to-date on some of the new ‘language,” here’s a link that should help:  http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp