What we have here is a failure to communicate…

Posted by Hugh at 6:13 pm 1 Comment

A friend once told me that he learned in a college business class, “Don’t communicate to be understood. Rather, communicate so you won’t be misunderstood”. This quote in one form or another is generally credited to WWII General Douglas MacArthur. However, regardless of its source, it’s great advice.  Another quote by MacArthur is “Never give an order that can’t be obeyed”.

As a history buff, I have repeatedly read how some battles were won or lost over poor communication. The order given was understood to mean something different. Especially in the Civil War, orders that were worded too politely often left too much discretion to the receiving officer, and resulted in a delay of action that gave the enemy the upper-hand. Phrases like, “When you think it prudent” or, “At the time of your choosing” gave too much room for poor interpretation of the message.

I think of these quotes often. I think of them when I am having trouble comprehending what someone else wants. I think of them when I am trying to communicate my wishes to someone else. After years of reflecting on it, I have concluded that it is not the responsibility of the hearer to parse together what might be said, but rather the job of he speaker to be very clear in what they say. It’s ironic that in this day of multiple forms of communication (twitter, facebook, SMS, etc.) misunderstandings seem to happen as much as ever.

Now think of this in terms of your branding and marketing. Should your reader or hearer be responsible for figuring out what you are trying to say to them? Or is it your responsibility to make a clear declaration to them about your products or services? Is trying to be cute and hoping that they “get” the clever (but often vague) message worth the risk of being misunderstood? My guess is probably not. I hearken back to the Monday after each Superbowl when everyone talks about the funny ads- but can’t remember what product they were attempting to promote.

So, when it comes to communicating the virtues of our business or organization, I think we should take the advice of another “officer”- Dragnet’s Detective Joe Friday, and stick with “just the facts…”.