Communication
Dr. Richard Bothel feels the road to success in the 21st Century is a focus on "connecting people, information and learning." Effective relationships with and between people are the foundation for almost any achievement. The global information environment accelerates us to an never-ending pursuit of the horizon unless we develop the proper information retrieval and management skills. Perpetual learning is the enabler to allow us to meet this challenge. It is effective communication that connects people, information and learning and enables us to meet these challenges.
The challenge of communication has always been with us. Communication difficulties are among the largest problems people face daily. A women does not get a job because she cannot made an effective sales presentation. Employees go on strike because their manager does not listen to their needs and build a team environment. The boy next-door is too shy to ask for a date and sits home alone. The globalization of society and the increased usage of electronic communication have made this situation even more challenging. Intercultural communication and the use of electronic communication is entering the communications arena for everyone. Success in communication in our society now requires understanding and skills in more areas than ever before:
Face-to-Face
Communication
Communication is key to our existence in this world. Even the
most solitary existence, requires some type of effective communication
with the environment and its various creatures. Human communication has
always been a challenge with some people being more effective than other,
but even the most effective communicators need to be continually proactive
and work on their communication skills. Many people suffer difficulties
in communicating. The typical problem leaves some people having difficulty
just correctly expressing themselves. Others feel uncomfortable in various
social situations. It may be that others are just too shy to initiate
a conversation, and unfortunately some do not know how or when to end
a conversation.
I have been active in Toastmasters International for the past several being the President of several clubs and Area Governor in Southeast Texas and Louisiana. I helped with the founding of the Trojan Orators, The Lumber River Toastmasters, and the Lamar University Toastmasters. I can honestly say that joining Toastmasters will be one of the best steps you take to develop and maintain your skills in communication and leadership.
Electronic
communication
Knowledge of proper use of all new media today is imperative. The
Internet and network interfaces of all types are becoming dominate forces
in our lives. Every day the Internet becomes a more pervasive portion
of our lives. Thousands of new Internet users throughout the world enter
the world of electronic communication daily unprepared for many of the
new challenges email, discussion board, and other forms of electronic
communication provide. Communication and speech experts say that 70 to
90 percent of our human communication comes from nonverbal cues. Yet with
email, we find that we rely 100 percent on that verbal communication.
This opens a new range of communication challenges to use whether we are
in business, the classroom or just sending email to our friends. And an
important characteristic of electronic communication is its speed. We
learn about events as they are happening forming an immediate opinion
with little opportunity to reflect on their meaning or significance.
Intercultural
communication
The globalization process is forcing organizations to rethink
their strategies. Intercultural communication, skills assume an ever larger
role in global marketing strategies. Consequently, language programs need
to respond to these changes. Future managers must acquire effective intercultural
competence. The "one world" market has forced organizations
to think global, act local, and integrate. Intercultural communication
serves a vital role in that it can forestall miscommunication, prevent
misunderstandings, and avert mistakes.
Writing
Writing is presented last on this page, but the verbal skills
developed in learning to write effectively provide the foundation for
all forms of communication. Writing provides the letters or symbols written
that represent the sounds or words of language. It is then language that
provides the framing for the window to our inner thoughts and even our
souls.
Richard
Thomas Bothel
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