What is it about communicators that make them seem so expendable to others? I mean, sometimes these communication specialists perform tirelessly to say the right thing at the right time to the right people. Yet, when it comes down to it, some people seem to think that, even without experience, they can do just as well. Not this person!
A good communicator has to convey something to some audience at a certain time and date in an exact way so that the message is clear, concise and appropriate. Not an easy task, if you ask me. People with degrees in communications and the like pursued them because of their passion for it, have a natural gift or both. They have honed their craft through years of training on how best to share any given message in any given circumstance. They use the right colors and graphics. Their words are chosen ever so carefully. Their sentence structure is impeccable. The message is clear. All combine to form a message that all can understand.
I marveled at a recent debate of late which was the discontinuation of the University Style Guide. I followed the discussion closely, respecting both sides of the argument. Frankly, I had never heard of this manual, but was impressed at the knowledge held by the professionals and their differing, but clear way of conveying each side of the debate. Please remember here that I am an Office Manager with a Bachelors of Music degree. I can chime in when motets, contrapuntal lines or Baroque is the topic. When it comes to the U Style Manual vs. AP vs. Chicago, I defer to the experts!
All debates aside, where do these people go when they are no longer deemed necessary? Who can adequately convey the message in their stead? I guess you can say this about any profession... career... trade that, hopefully, there are individuals around who were able to glean some skill set from the expert. After all, hasn't this been done for millennia? It's called apprenticeship. I wonder, though, if the communicators of old had interns at their disposal like carpenters, blacksmiths and seamstresses. Although, if the phrase "don't kill the messenger" is any indication of a communicator's fate, no wonder they were hard-pressed to find replacements!
I digress. Sorry. Having never been formally trained in writing or graphic design or communication, for that matter, I don't know if there is a term for my way of writing. I'm sure there is a fancy phrase that includes such words as "rambling" and "nonsense" and ...
Again, I digress. I guess that's what you get when I write at 2:00 a.m.
Being on the Communicators Forum board this past year has been so rewarding and enjoyable. I have marveled at how well everything seems to come together because, as communicators, everyone on the board and committees has this great passion for communicating effectively. As such, (most of the time), everyone involved in any given part of the program knows exactly what his or her part is! Remember, these are professional communicators! They COMMUNICATE!
I applaud each and every OFFICIAL communicator who continues to convey what needs to be said in the most appropriate of ways. Not being an official communicator, I still need to communicate both internally and externally. I have learned so much from the membership and board. Though I am not an apprentice, I only hope that I have gained some knowledge and developed some insight into what it takes to perform these all-important tasks of making sure people know what is going on and when!
I am proud to be a Communicators Forum member and encourage people - official communicators and not - to consider joining. For $40 per year, the value is unsurpassed. Programs, information sharing, networking... It's great!
I do not claim to be a communicator. I humbly and proudly defer to the experts. Thank you for your continued guidance.
Respectfully,
The one and only Non-Official Communicator on the Communicators Forum Board
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