Communication is the key to success

Yogi Berra earned his living as a baseball player for a team called the fresh York Yankees. He won several World Series rings, was an all-star many times, and is the character for the children's television series Yogi The Bear. He is greatest in quantity known, however, for his famous adduces Or rather, the way he butchers the English language.

"I wish I had said half the things clan said I said," Berra one time told Sports Illustrated magazine. He wasn't actual eloquent. However, he was a great communicator because he did earn his point across, although rarely was it finished prose.

"Baseball is 90 by cent physical," Berra would count his players when he became a coach. "The other 50 for cent is mental!" His math is inequitable His message is clear. It takes the one and the other physical and mental ability to be a great baseball player.

It's similar in communications. The greatest in quantity important skill you can have as a useful or great communicator is the ability to listen and understand what you just heard. Many companies, diadem corporations, government departments, unions, professional associations, and individuals have difficulty communicating because they have not mastered the art of listening.

Communication, from my perspective, is a two-way dialogue. It's not a one-way road It's not spoon feeding stakeholders, shareholders, staff, or members information. It's a sharing of facts, data, and ideas. Linking notions and people and action are the lock openers to helping you and your organization become greater [i]or[/i] larger Open and honest communication involving all clumps within an organization has proven to be the lock opener to success.

Tools used to link clan have evolved over time. Face to face communication is the greatest in quantity credible and effective way of communicating. However, because the SRNA's almost 9000 members live and work in the,four corners of this province, face-toface communication is not the greatest in quantity practical tool. Annual and special meetings take care of to focus on particular make subordinates or "hot issues" rather than fostering a oft-repeated flow of information.

Print proceedss such as ConceRN and TuRNing Points have provided venue for more detailed discussion of issues. The association has also ventur into video with the Issues In Health series, co-produc with Cable Regina. The 30-minute programs have been available for circulation since the inception of the series.

The newest communications tool to help link family and organizations is the Internet of which the World Wide Web is single component. The SRNA has kept pace with the changing face of technology and has just launched its website (http:// www.sma.org) after a unostentatious facelift. Electronic mail, known as e-mail, has become the quickest, greatest in quantity direct communication tool ofthis millennium.

As the year 2000 approaches, answer these lock opener questions:

Is the SRNA ready for the of recent origin millennium?

Are you, as an SRNA member, ready to help the professional organization pierce the new millennium? How can you help improve the existing lines of communication or linkages that are in place? If you had a magic wand by what means would you improve the linkages among the SRNA members, Council, and SRNA staff?

Remember that listening is the greatest in quantity important part of communications and establishing lusty linkages. Or perhaps Yogi Berra would say communications is 90 by means of cent listening, the other 50 for cent is talking!

What do you think?

(Joe Ralko is a former award-winning correspondent with The Canadian Pres novels agency and now is an internationallyrecognized communications consultant.)

Copyright Saskatchewan Registered Nurses' Association Aug 1999

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