Why you need that communications manager

Many organisations do not see the need to hire a professional communications manager because they do not quite appreciate the distinction between information sharing and communication. The two, though related, are not the same.

Take the example of a man in love with a woman oblivious to his feelings for her. How best can that man communicate to the woman his love for her? Is saying the three magic words—I love you—to her enough? Of course not.

Communication is more than just passing on information—verbal or written—to an audience. It is about exchanging meaning between two people or more. And, although words play a central role in relaying meaning, by themselves, they are not enough.

Going back to the example of the man in love, there are many other things he needs to get right in order for him to effectively communicate his love to the woman. For example, the time he chooses to say the three magic words should aid the woman appreciating the meaning (of love) he wants to convey to her. He needs to speak to the woman when she is available and willing to listen to him, and for that, anytime is not the best time.

As part of his communication, the man also has to ensure that the environment within which he speaks to the woman reinforces the meaning he seeks to share. In consideration of venue, a serene environment by the lakeside would better communicate love than her/his place of work.

In addition to all the above, the man may [still] need to give the woman flowers and other gifts for a period of time before the woman fully appreciates the meaning in his “I love you” statement.

While sharing information may be considered the backbone of communication, ultimately, audiences will only respond to information when they appreciate the meaning in the information shared with them.

Communication is a process that begins with identifying the meaning (not the words) one wants to share with a particular audience. The sender then packages their meaning in a message formatted for best comprehension by the audience. For example, one cannot package messages for children and adults the same way.

After the message has been packaged, the best transmission medium for the message (which will ensure that the target audience receives the sent message unaltered) is identified. For example, radio is a more effective transmission medium for messages to rural farmers in Uganda than social media.

Once the message has been received by the intended audience, the audience decodes the meaning in the message and, if need be, offers feedback to the sender. This is the full communication cycle that enables exchange of meaning to take place.To successfully achieve the above communications cycle takes more than having the ability to gather and share information. 

In addition to time and venue considerations as we saw above, every person everyday receives messages from many sources. And any message that does not effectively communicate to them is regarded as noise and ignored.To be able to get your audience to stop seeing your messages as noise and start paying attention to the meaning you want to share with them through your messages is something you need a skilled communications manager to do for your organisation. 

Communication is the circulatory system of any organisation because nothing can be achieved or sustained therein without it. Get a professional to manage your communications and your organisation will soar.

Reagan Turakira, A student of Journalism and Communication Management (at Uganda Management Institute)