Communications, this is a word that causes more than a few angst in some people, am I using the right language, do my actions match my words, followed by is anyone listening, and so it goes.
I have often heard the importance of ‘getting the message out there’, that just as readily applies to Rotary, our Churches, Councils, any number of groups or organisations. I am going to say that most groups or organisations work hard on getting a message out there, but I have come to believe that if the message is not the one you want to hear it is far easier to ignore it than to engage with it.
I am also going to say communications is a two way street, nobody works well in a vacuum, take some responsibility and if is important enough for you to know something ask, If I can tell you I will, or better still get involved. If you don’t ask, don’t assume I will know you have a question, and don’t assume I have all the answers. If you see a problem own it, become a part of the solution.
Organisations like Rotary, Inner Wheel, Lions, Men’s Shed, Probus, churches and so on all tend to have an ethos of some form of service through fellowship, a meeting of likeminded people. Yet all of these groups seem to be shrinking in numbers. I struggle with the idea that all of these diverse groups have got their communications or their messages so wrong. Instead I think as a Westernised community we are becoming more self-centred, more individualistic, ‘what is in it for me’. Some of that is related to increasing workloads (why do we accept 50 – 60 hour weeks), some to do with so many more opportunities, so rather than make choices we have to do it all, we just run ourselves out of time.
An interesting comment is that Rotary is growing as fast in developing nations as it is shrinking in Western Nations, I think the question there is ‘why’? Theoretically it is the same message.
So back to communications, in the words of the song by Mike and the Mechanics “I just wish we could listen as well as we hear”. If you want something different, say so and if it suits enough people it can usually be done, don’t just grumble in the background.
We don’t have to sing in unison, harmonies are fine but unresolved discords just don’t work.
Remember ‘we are all in this together’, so let us do Rotary.
President Richard
