Every transaction in the field of business whether a trifling sale or the final agreement in a ten-million-dollar combination of interests passes through an intensely critical stage in which all depends upon how the individual expresses himself, in writing or in the more delicate medium of speech. A moment's reflection must convince anyone of the absolute truth of this statement. Almost in the same thought follows the inevitable conclusion that anyone who expects to handle important affairs should prepare himself for putting his proposals through at this crucial point.



You may think that there are situations where a mastery of the arts of communication are irrelevant, where the facts themselves speak so loudly as to make anything more than the merest whisper unnecessary. If this is the verdict to which you cling, I must inform you that you err. For even when dealing in the indisputable world of facts and figures, there is still latitude for doubt and uncertainty to undo the work you have done. In order to succeed, it is not enough that you are expert in handling figures and facts. You must also learn to handle men and women.

This observation is not mine alone; it was held and professed by the late Mr Brinston (he who launched a thousand powerpoint presentations), who brought so much to our workaday world in the way of business communication. In his famous treatise on the use of graphical means to convey the impact of facts and figures. I reproduce a quote of his work here:

Even after a businessman has collected, collated and analysed his data, with all due diligence and insight, and has made up his own mind on the most germane course of action, his task is yet incomplete. For now, there remains the greater bulk of his labours before him. I speak of the necessity of producing a change of thought in the minds of his colleagues. That spark of insight must be made a blazing torch to shed enlightenment into the shadowy recesses of doubt. He must demonstrate, in the face of objections and indecision, that his proposed course is both sage and necessary. Countless times throughout history, in business and in the destiny of nations, correct courses of action have been neglected or considered with disdain because of the ignorance of others and the inability of the speaker to present intricate details when challenged by a detractor. So often, he has been left to fume and rail powerlessly as obviously incorrect policies have been enforced, to the ultimate detriment of his organisation. Ultimately, this is due to an inability to present the facts in a way that can be understood.

For businesses to thrive and be successful, there must be a fast and reliable exchange of ideas and decisions within the organisation and to the outside world. It is, in some ways, similar to the chemical processes which occur within a living cell. The only way to guarantee the smooth and rapid flow of these ideas is to master and control the communication channels that exist within the concern and between individuals.

Some may speak of money as the determining factor of value, as an index by which the worth of commodities is determined and their exchange guaranteed. In such a manner, I refer to communication as the index of human relations, and as the channel by which human relations in the business place are conducted. Before an idea can be understood and agreed with, it must pass through this channel intact and arrive with all due force.