What is communication,
anyway?
Thinking and acting with
probabilities.
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1. Language is inherently
ambiguous.
• Examples
• Ok, what’s the big deal?
• “If I say something which you understand
fully in this respect, I probably made a
mistake.” - Alan Greenspan
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2. The comm. process can be
described in terms of probabilities.
• The sender typically only sees one
possibility. The receiver may:
– see same same possibility
– see different possibility
– can not determine the correct possibility
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Prop. 2 cont.
• The sender may purposely use language to
promote multiple probabilities
– Equivocate
– Verbal Rorschach
– Examples: Rec. Letter: “I’m pleased to say this
person is a former colleague of mine” or “You
will be very fortunate to get this person to work
for you”
• The receiver may purposely misunderstand
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3. Context building is a dynamic
process
• “Hand it to me”
• Misleading images
• Which exerts most power?
– Context
– Content
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4. Context is “solidified interpretations”
that shape probabilities.
• Unwritten agreements (rules)
• That are not deterministic
• But strongly influential
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5. Context is created dynamically &
individually through interaction with
others.
• Context is different than situation
• Interaction patterns vary from person-toperson
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6. Context is an efficient
mechanism for comm.
• Acronyms
• Coordination mechanism
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7. The context can become so
powerful it acts like a “black hole”.
• Adolf Hitler
• IBM
• When words lose their power, only force
remains.
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Context construction is uniquely
sensitive to time sequencing.
• Noncommutativity A +B = B+ A
• skyscraper, cathedral, temple, prayer
• prayer, temple, cathedral, skyscraper
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9. All comm. carry secondary
messages.
• Intentional
• Unintentional
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10. While interpretations are relative,
the process of creating meaning is not.
• Understanding is not a hopeless task.
• Focus on the process, not the words, not
even the people.
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So what?
• Explore the context of employees (MBWA)
• Check for possible misunderstandings, even
if you think you are understood
• Use the “black out” technique to
communicate messages that are likely to be
misunderstood.
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So what? cont.
• Recognize that law of “large numbers”. As
numbers grow larger, anything can happen.
(Harrier Jets and Pepsi)
• Build contexts with employees.
• Focus on employee interpretations not the
message (What they heard vrs. What you
said)
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So what? Cont.
• Become sensitive to unwitting secondary
messages.
• Frame messages carefully (e.g. Cashman).
• Carefully manage employee expectations
– Silent benchmarks
– “Under-promise over-deliver”
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