Tips for Effective Communication
On this page 4 headings
Start here Anamika described the drawing well. Everyone listened. Yet ten students made ten different drawings. Where did the message break? Let’s find out.
After the describe-and-draw activity, students shared what they learned.
What the students noticed
1. Detail is lost at every step. The message passes through four steps:
- The speaker understands the task.
- The speaker describes it.
- The listeners listen.
- The listeners act (draw).
A little detail is lost at each step.
2. Everyone imagines it differently. The description was the same. But each person made their own version, like the leaves.
3. Small details change the meaning. The big picture can be the same. But a few small details can make the message wrong.
4. We assume things. Anamika said “left” and “right” correctly. But listeners assumed whose left and whose right.
5. The mind cannot hold long descriptions. Without seeing a picture, the mind fills in shapes from past experience. After a few sentences, it cannot keep up. Repeating the description helped.
6. Clear while listening, confused later. Some felt clear while she spoke. But when drawing, they forgot: was the smiley on the left or the right?
7. More instructions, less imagination. - If you want an exact copy, give more instructions. - If you want creative ideas, give fewer instructions. Leave it to people’s imagination.
8. Asking questions helps. No questions were allowed. With a few questions, the drawings would be much better.
9. The devil is in the details. The stars were at a slight angle. The smiley faces were at different levels. Tiny details like these matter.
10. Using hands helps. One student remembered a chemistry teacher. He used his hands to show where each atom was. Students followed his hands and made a clear picture in their minds.
In one line: Messages break because of lost details, assumptions, weak memory and no chance to ask questions. Exam words: interpretation, assumptions, details, repetition, asking questions, gestures.
The professor’s lesson: the ABCs
All these points come down to the ABCs of communication:
| Letter | Meaning | In simple words |
|---|---|---|
| A | Accuracy | Give correct and exact details. |
| B | Brevity | Keep it short. |
| C | Clarity | Make it easy to understand. |
A good description should be so clear that people need to ask very few questions.
Give size and scale
The professor shows a better way to describe the drawing:
- Give the total size first: “The whole figure is about 4 cm long.”
- Give distances: “Come down 1 cm from the top. There is a leaf on the left.”
- Give directions using a clock: “One point of the star is at the two o’clock direction.”
- Describe part by part, from top to bottom.
Scale is very important for engineers, architects, artists and painters. Look at any map. At the bottom, it shows a scale like 1:50,000, or “1 cm = 1 km”. Engineering drawing also depends on scale.
Everyday example You tell a friend, “My house is near the medical shop.” He gets lost. Instead: “From the main gate, walk 200 metres straight. Turn left at the blue medical shop. Mine is the third house on the right.” He reaches easily. That is accuracy, brevity and clarity.
In one line: Be accurate, brief and clear — and use size, distance and direction. Exam words: ABCs, accuracy, brevity, clarity, scale.