The Complex World of the Writer

In the field of communication, everyone has a tough and challenging job. Achieving the goal of communicating successfully with others is no small feat. In the hectic climate in which we all live, getting a range of people such as a public to take any similar action or reach agreement on most anything is a time consuming and often complex undertaking that requires constant nurturing and sometimes overwhelming attention to detail. Having acknowledged this truism, I believe one member of the so-called family of communication professionals that deserves a shout out is the writer, the worker responsible for authoring the messages that sets change and actions in-motion.

The writer is one of those unsung communciation heroes who, upon being given the assignment of writing a communique, must contend with the challenge of doing far more than what they appear to be - at least on paper. To begin, they must conduct thorough research on the topic of their assignment as often what they are given is sketchy and incomplete. This usually entails talking to several sources in order to collect the appropriate information from which to write their article. There is also the matter of determing the ultimate destinations of the pieces. These could range from local media and a brochure to a social media outlet or a speech. Often, it should be noted, with multiple outlets comes the need to rework the original article to fit the style utilized by each.

Often what is written must be reviewed and approved by a number of individuals, including the writer's boss, the source or sources of information and possibley a press representative. It does not matter how well written a piece is. In fact, in all likelihood what the writer has composed is of high quality. Nevertheless, the other players in the mix still want to give that article a close look-see to ensure it is accurate, understandable and properly reflects the values of the client. If you are thinking jumping through this many hoops could take the writer a long time to complete their assignment. Perhaps. But sometimes they have to move quickly, thus adding to the challenge of their task at-hand. It is not always easy being a professional public relations writer, but few jobs in this field are more important. 

Bee in the Hand

One of my favorite memories of my late father goes back to one summer day when he collected a bunch of us neighborhood kids in our backyard and had us gather around a small beehive. My father slowly extended one of his hands toward the hive until several of the bees landed on his open palm. All of us stared in amazement as until that moment we likened bees to crazed kamikaze fighters whose only purpose for existence was to sting people like us. While I do not remember exactly what my father said to all of us, I do recall walking away from that experience with a respect for those critters and appreciation for their existence.

It was a magical moment for me and one of several that convinced me my father had magical powers. Now that I am older, I recognize he did not. However, at the same time, there remains a small part of me that is not so sure. My point here is that sometimes what appears to be an act of magic is really little more than an act of intellect, patience, steadiness and respect. Those were qualities my father had, particularly at that moment, and ones one finds in successful acts of sustained communication. Professional communicators do not strive to establish a meaningful or lasting connection with another public in a haphazard manner. Instead, they produce strategies based on solid research and planning.

The fact is professional communicators need to exhibit and practice these qualities because they are not magicians either. Granted, putting together a comprehensive outreach program that helps generate greater profits for a company, record-breaking ticket sales, or increases in membership may seem magical, but it is not. More than anything, it involves an array of not-so-fun tasks, including sweating over how best to phrases various messages, determining what specific publics to approach, coordinating the efforts of a supportive team, and putting together an appropriate budget to pay for everything. Come to think of it, maybe being able to do those things well is a bit magical after all.   

Greater Discipline

Make no mistake, good writing does not come easy. As someone who does a lot of it and who I readily admit am not the most naturally talented person when it comes to putting pen to paper, I can personally attest to the reality that every sentence is a challenge. Sure, every so often I will knock out several coherent sentences in a row - perhaps even a paragraph or two - without having to go back and rewrite any of it. But that is rare for me and, I suspect, others as well. Sustained proper word choice is important simply because all of us are so dependent upon it. Not one day passes when we are not called upon to read something. They could be instructions from a manual, directions to a restaurant or the news on the Internet.      

Presently, I teach several writing classes to a number of students who are looking to eventually gain employment in public relations or the communication industry. Feedback I have received from a number of persons who currently work in that profession and who are in positions to hire students like the ones I teach. They are eager to meet up-and-comers and even hire as many as they can. However, their concern is that these prospective hires do not write as well as they should, particularly for persons who either have graduated or are about to graduate from college. That means people like me and the students we teach have our work cut out for us.   

Working with my current crop of students, I am struck at how innately talented so many of them are when it comes to writing. They show flare, sparks of creativity, and keen insight into how topics should be showcased. This, of course, is all good. But what many of them are not showing is the one ingredient that is as necessary to good writing as any: discipline. Far too many times they seem to race through a writing assignment without taking the needed time to properly clean up awkward word choices or grammatical errors. Consequently, their work is not as strong as it could or should be. I am convinced that instilling within them a deeper commitment to writing is as important to helping them become better writers than is the actual writing.   

Herd of Buffalo

Over the past few years I have developed a real fondness for hiking. Hiking is good exercise and represents a great opportunity to see some beautiful parts of the country in an up close and personal way. Earlier this year, for instance, my cousin and I traveled to Wyoming where we hiked to the top of Mountain Bow Peak, which boasts an elevation of  slightly more than 12,000 feet. Even though we did this in July, there was still snow on the ground at the top. I never thought I'd get to throw a snowball in July. Something else I never thought I would do is see a live herd of buffalo. Thanks to the beautiful state of Wyoming, I can now say I have done that.

Seeing those buffalo was a great thrill and a surprise. I remember turning and suddenly there they were. It is a memory I continue to cherish. Such a moment is not unlike connecting with someone you do not know very well. You meet and without warning you feel the two of you are in sync. Of course, when those "like-at-first-sight" moments occur, the trick comes in doing what is needed to sustain the good feeling. That takes effort. And this effort includes implementing solid communication strategies. While I appreciate how that makes establishing a friendship sound so mechanical, the reality is that creating a lasting connection with any one requires work.

Meeting another person and liking them requires little effort. That, I believe, is part of the thrill. Seeing the buffalo was a similar thrill because it was so unexpected and demanded very little of me. But if I want to educate myself about those beasts, then that is going to take some real effort. The same is true for any of us if we meet someone we like. Learning their interests, preferences, history, strengths and weaknesses, etc. takes time and commitment. But if that initial connection is going to last, then those are exactly the pieces of information we need to collect and learn. The more research we do, the better able we will be to devise communication strategies that help turn that initial moment into something more meaningful and lasting.

A Spectator's Sport

Communication is all about relationships. Every time we say and/or do something another person is affected. This reality is all too obvious to think otherwise. Recently, for instance, a friend came to me to complain about an issue having nothing to do with me. But he knew I would be a "safe" audience as what he had to say would only be between the two of us. He talked and I listened. At the end of our time together he felt better about getting things off his chest. As for me, I felt better about giving him an opportunity to release some pent-up feelings that had been weighing on him for a good while. In that sense, he made me feel better. But I also feel troubled because he has a problem that has yet to be resolved.

So, even though the topic of this conversation had and has nothing to do with me, when it was over my thoughts and mood were altered. That occurrence is not unlike driving down the road and seeing the driver in the car ahead throw trash out their window. That action is about them but it definitely affects others. I mention these incidents because they illustrate how important it is to communicate with a strong dose of sensitvity. More often than we realize, people do pay attention to what goes on around them. Thus, to be unmindful that all we say and do affects others is to be insensitive, selfish and a poor communicator. Communication is not an act of isolation any more than it is an act without consequence.

For professionals, communication is an act of deliberation and purpose. Strategies are calculated. Publics are targeted. Communiques representing the overall strategy are enacted within economic parameters. But for the rest of us in our day-to-day lives, we tend to communicate in ways that do not reflect those qualitries. Unintended consequences are often one result. Should we "amateur communicators" now start being as precise as professionals try to be? Of course not. But it would not be a bad idea if we at least reminded ourselves from time to time that communication is, at the very least, a spectator's sport.

Standing the Test of Time

We humans do not have the best track record when it comes to determining what pieces of work or ideas will stand the test of time. Also, we do not always do that well in judging quality when it first appears. For instance, I recently started rereading Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." When that was first published well over one hundred years ago, it was judged to be of low quality. The same is true of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World."  President Lincoln's now classic Gettysburg Address was initially determined to be of little importance. The paintings of Vincent Van Gogh were ignored by the general public until years after his death. And these are just a few examples.

Collectively, these and other examples remind me of that great song by George and Ira Gershwin, "They All Laughed." In it, the authors wrote of such milestones as Rockefeller Center, the invention of the cotton gin and the initial flight of the Wright brothers as being acts first judged to be batty. The fact we as people were so wrong on these achievements and works, yet came to embrace them for being not only memorable but revolutionary reinforces the notion that eventually great quality cannot be denied. It does reveal itself. The power of great words, strokes of the brush or unique ingenuity is unstoppable. Thank goodness.

The same, I  believe, is true of good communicators: people who actively engage in acts of communication based on sincerity, accuracy, sensitivity, and respect. True, they may not always get that pay raise or job promotion, but these men and women do elicit the regard of others.  Further, they become the recipients of good will and trust. Further, while books may not be written about them, they do gain a wide reputation among their peers as being persons of integrity. My point is that those who communicate honorably should not be deterred by what I label flash-in-the-pan communicators who follow less than honorable paths to reach their goals. They do not and will not stand the test of time.  



     

Being Grateful

Earlier in the summer our area was hit with a giant storm, leaving us and thousands of others home owners without power for days. To say the least, being without air conditioning during a very hot time of the year was not fun. About a month later our hot water heater went on the fritz, leaving us without hot water. The result was several days of quick but cold showers. that was not fun either. Electricity and hot water are two of the nicest niceties of life. Prior to this summer, I had taken them for granted because they were fixtures that seemed ever-present. But as a result of what happened, I no longer do that. Now every time I turn on a light switch or step into the shower under a stream of warm water, I whisper a quiet thanks. Shame on me for having to go without them before I started giving them the appreciation they deserve.

I mention these incidents as a lead-in to another "fixture" of life that I believe many of us take for granted: our ability to communicate. No, my ability to communicate verbally and in-writing has not disappeared. Thank goodness. But I live with someone who is rapidly losing theis ability to perform this most fundamental of skills. This person has Alzheimer's disease. Presently, she cannot write and has to struggle to put together even one complete sentence. Most tragically, she is still of sound-enough mind to know her communication skills are a shadow of what they used to be. Consequently, each day she feels an enormous amount of frustration and sadness at her current state.

The ability to sit down and write someone - anyone - an email, a posit-note or a letter is no small thing. At the same time, being able to physically connect with another person and exchange thoughts, information, and feelings adds a quality to our lives that, in my view, can only be matched by having air to breath. What would our lives be like without the ability to do either one of these things? For me, the word "unlivable" comes to mind. As I watch this person struggle every day to remain connected and engaged with the world around her, I find myself giving deeper thanks for still having the ability to do what she will soon no longer be able to do. It makes me want to better at it. 

Fact Checkers

Of all the groups in the news lately, probably the last one I thought I would be reading about these days is fact checkers. Traditionally, this group of men and women view themselves as being loyal only to what is true. Their desire is not to lead the news but rather help keep it honest. Additionally, their focus is on the nation's two major political parties, their primary spokespeople and major candidates. The fact checkers review information distributed to voters by the two parties, statements being made by their leading spokespeople, and speeches and interviews featuring their main candidates. The fact checkers then report to the public what information being disseminatd bythe two parties and their people is true, false or somewhere in-between.

At least on the surface, if ever there was a group that is pure of heart and neutral in intent, it is the fact checkers. These individuals, who primarily work for the media, only wish to keep the record straight and provide a needed service to the public so those of us who follow politics are not mislead regarding "the truth" about the issues of the day. After all, it is essential to the well being of our nation that we the people be a well-informed electorate. Who better to ensure that than objective fact checkers? These days, however, fact checkers are being criticized by elements of both parties as well as other members of the media for being either not-so objective or not as thorough and accurate as they are supposed to be. What's an electorate to do?

In concept, having fact checkers is a good idea. I have always believed having responsible media watch dogs is a good thing to have. On the other hand, isn't that what good reporters are supposed to do? If a politican lies, then should not that be noted in any news report on the official's speech or interview? Why do we need this extra layer of media bureaucracy?  Further, does the general public have any responsibility in this? By that I mean if we take our responsibility of being an informed electorate seriously, then shouldn't we be educated enough to know if a politician is lieing or giving out incorrect information? And then there's the matter of who fact checks the fact checkers? I confess to not having any meaningful solution to this any of this, but I can not believe I am the only who is uneasy about the state of our public discourse and the reporting of it. Where's the trust?