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Why Communication Is Important

Communications are the building blocks of relationships.

Jerry Silfwer
by Jerry Silfwer

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer

tl:dr;
Strategic communications are the building blocks of relationships. Without successful relationships, organisations will die.

Table of contents [hide]

Let’s explore why com­mu­nic­a­tion is import­ant.

In recog­nising the role of com­mu­nic­a­tion, organ­isa­tions can unlock their full poten­tial, cre­at­ing an envir­on­ment where innov­a­tion flour­ishes, goals are achieved, and chal­lenges are met with confidence.

Here we go:

Why Communication Is Important

Strategic com­mu­nic­a­tion is the delib­er­ate and pur­pose­ful exchange of inform­a­tion designed to achieve spe­cif­ic object­ives. It involves care­ful plan­ning, mes­sage tail­or­ing, chan­nel selec­tion, and feed­back mech­an­isms to ensure the inten­ded mes­sage is received, under­stood, and acted upon effectively. 

“Effective com­mu­nic­a­tion involves cog­nit­ive com­plex­ity and social per­spect­ive-tak­ing, which are related to adapt­ing per­suas­ive mes­sages to recip­i­ents.”
Source: Human Communication Research 1Clark, R., & Delia, J. (1977). Cognitive Complexity, Social Perspective-Taking, and Functional Persuasive Skills in Second- to Ninth-Grade Children. Human Communication Research, 3, 128 – 134. … Continue read­ing

Communication is pivotal across all levels and sec­tors of an organ­isa­tion, from lead­er­ship to front­line employ­ees, mar­ket­ing to cus­tom­er ser­vice, and intern­al oper­a­tions to extern­al relations.

  • Leadership and decision-mak­ing. At the lead­er­ship level, stra­tegic com­mu­nic­a­tion is essen­tial for artic­u­lat­ing vis­ion, set­ting dir­ec­tion, and mak­ing informed decisions. Leaders must com­mu­nic­ate with clar­ity and con­vic­tion to inspire and guide their teams. Equally, open chan­nels for upward com­mu­nic­a­tion are vital for lead­ers to receive feed­back, under­stand ground-level chal­lenges, and adjust strategies accordingly.
  • Team-col­lab­or­a­tion and mor­ale. Strategic com­mu­nic­a­tion fosters col­lab­or­a­tion, innov­a­tion, and a pos­it­ive work cul­ture. It ensures all team mem­bers are aligned with their goals, under­stand their roles, and feel val­ued and heard. This align­ment is crit­ic­al for main­tain­ing high mor­ale and motiv­a­tion, which drives pro­ductiv­ity and job satisfaction.
  • Customer engage­ment and repu­ta­tion man­age­ment. Externally, stra­tegic com­mu­nic­a­tion shapes the organ­isa­tion’s inter­ac­tions with cus­tom­ers, stake­hold­ers, and the pub­lic. It is instru­ment­al in build­ing brand iden­tity, man­aging repu­ta­tion, and enga­ging with cus­tom­ers mean­ing­fully. In today’s digit­al age, where inform­a­tion spreads rap­idly, effect­ive com­mu­nic­a­tion can dif­fer­en­ti­ate between a loy­al cus­tom­er base and a pub­lic rela­tions crisis.
  • Overcoming chal­lenges and embra­cing oppor­tun­it­ies. Organisations face an ever-evolving land­scape of chal­lenges and oppor­tun­it­ies. Strategic com­mu­nic­a­tion equips them to nav­ig­ate these with agil­ity and resi­li­ence. Whether respond­ing to crises, man­aging change, or cap­it­al­ising on new oppor­tun­it­ies, com­mu­nic­a­tion ensures that all parts of the organ­isa­tion are informed, pre­pared, and united in their approach.

Communication is not just about speak­ing or writ­ing; it’s about con­nect­ing, under­stand­ing, and achiev­ing togeth­er. That’s why com­mu­nic­a­tion is not just import­ant; it’s imperative.

Communications are the build­ing blocks of relationships.

Learn more: Why Communication Is Important

The Communication Definition

Based on the Shannon-Weaver mod­el of com­mu­nic­a­tion, this is the defin­i­tion of com­mu­nic­a­tion: 2Silfwer, J. (2022, February 18). The Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://​doc​tor​spin​.net/​s​h​a​n​n​o​n​-​w​e​a​v​e​r​-​m​o​d​e​l​-​o​f​-​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​on/

Communication = the pro­cess of encod­ing a mes­sage from an inform­a­tion source and trans­mit­ting it through a channel/​medium to be decoded by a receiv­er. 3Silfwer, J. (2020, February 18). The Communication Definition. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://​doc​tor​spin​.net/​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​-​d​e​f​i​n​i​t​i​on/

Strategic Communication Definition

From a pub­lic rela­tions (PR) per­spect­ive, the inten­tion­al dis­sem­in­a­tion of inform­a­tion to influ­ence and per­suade is added to the con­text, provid­ing us with this defin­i­tion of stra­tegic communication:

Strategic com­mu­nic­a­tion = the delib­er­ate pro­cess of encod­ing an optim­ised mes­sage from an inform­a­tion source, trans­mit­ting it through a chosen channel/​medium while min­im­ising noise and ensur­ing that a receiv­er accur­ately decodes it. 4Silfwer, J. (2020, February 18). The Communication Definition. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://​doc​tor​spin​.net/​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​-​d​e​f​i​n​i​t​i​on/

Please note: “Strategic com­mu­nic­a­tions” is syn­onym­ous with “pub­lic rela­tions” (i.e. using com­mu­nic­at­ive means to achieve com­pet­it­ive objectives).

Everything Communicates

As a stark remind­er of the import­ance of con­text, and the fact that “no com­mu­nic­a­tion” also tells us some­thing, PR pro­fes­sion­als often repeat this pop­u­lar mantra:

Everything com­mu­nic­ates.

Learn more: Communication Definition

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Annotations
Annotations
1 Clark, R., & Delia, J. (1977). Cognitive Complexity, Social Perspective-Taking, and Functional Persuasive Skills in Second- to Ninth-Grade Children. Human Communication Research, 3, 128 – 134. https://​doi​.org/​1​0​.​1​1​1​1​/​J​.​1​468 – 2958.1977.TB00511.X
2 Silfwer, J. (2022, February 18). The Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://​doc​tor​spin​.net/​s​h​a​n​n​o​n​-​w​e​a​v​e​r​-​m​o​d​e​l​-​o​f​-​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​on/
3, 4 Silfwer, J. (2020, February 18). The Communication Definition. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://​doc​tor​spin​.net/​c​o​m​m​u​n​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​-​d​e​f​i​n​i​t​i​on/
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Whispr Group NYC, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

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The cover photo has

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A bleak sunset in the rear view mirror of a black car.

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