Thirty years ago, in an introductory course of a large company, it was said that COMMUNICATION in that company was problem number 1.......... IT STILL IS!

Communication problems are here to stay because:

We do not like to show that on certain subjects we are beginners and therefore are afraid to ask. This is particularly true in meetings.

PLEASE: If you do not understand then ASK. There is not such a thing as a "stupid question". After coming back from a meeting where half of the participants did not say a word one always wonders why they attended the meeting.

We think we are so smart that we are the only one that knows enough about that particular problem, so why bother to ask somebody else?

PLEASE: Realize that these days everything is team work and that there is a lot of know-how around you can use, therefore check with colleagues!

We do reinvent matters and do not talk about it in an early stage because we like to show that we have so many new ideas (even if it is the invention of another wheel.)

PLEASE: Check in an early stage with older colleagues whether your new idea has been tried before.

Some of us communicate too much. Verbose stories without good summaries are killing effective communication.

PLEASE: Be concise as time is always in short supply.

One sort of communication, vital to the efficient functioning of an organization is the communication between departments that are dependent on each others work. As an example, in planning for-, designing of-, operating and maintaining of factories or large jobs, the PLANNER, the ENGINEER, the OPERATOR and the MAINTAINER must work close together all the time. The PLANNER lives with the project may be only a few months, the ENGINEER two years but the users (the OPERATORS and MAINTAINERS) have to live twenty five years with the creation. The work of the PLANNER and the ENGINEER be better in concord with the user's wishes.

PLEASE: Talk to the USERS in an early stage.

The DATA GATHERING for the development of a project requires a sort of communication that asks for discipline from the data supplier and the data user. The supplier has little good data to start with but gets more and better basic data as time goes by and the user needs more and better data when he proceeds with his study.

PLEASE: Update each other continuously.

In multi-disciplinary jobs where different departments work at the same time on a job in parallel you have to inform the others regularly on what you have done and what your results are.

PLEASE: Always ask yourself the question:
"Who should I inform and who did get a copy of that telex?"

Never think twice if you want to praise somebody for doing a good job but wait till next day if you want to let somebody know you do not like him, his work or the wording in the telex he sent to you that morning. The next day you see matters in another and better perspective. Too quick a reaction may do a lot of harm (also to you as you may need the other person later for advice, help or a favour.)

PLEASE: Wait a day before sending the angry telex you wrote, then rewrite and give the other the benefit of the doubt.