You don’t need to be a genius or a jack-of-all-trades to be an effective communicator, writes Joyce Bawah Mogtari
You don’t need to be a genius or a jack-of-all-trades to be an effective communicator. While there may be a temptation to showcase one’s extensive knowledge on a subject, true communication is more about clarity, precision and impact.
At times, you may have deep expertise in a topic, while in other instances, you might have little to no knowledge. There will also be moments when organizing your thoughts on the spot may be challenging.
This is normal.
Regardless of the scenario, effective communication hinges on preparation, authenticity and the ability to convey ideas clearly.
Knowledge is power. It is the foundation of meaningful and compelling communication. However, no one can possess absolute knowledge of every subject.
So, when in doubt ask for further information, politely explain why you are not prepared to answer, ask for time to verify or simply admit that you don’t know. It is far better to acknowledge a gap in knowledge, and refuse to bite the bait, rather than to pretend that you know by rambling unnecessarily and displaying your ignorance.
Nothing beats a communicator who knows his or her brief, has strong oratory and language skills and makes salient points from a position of knowledge.
In this respect, people who read widely and draw a deep repository of information make the best communicators. They can with dexterity argue on a wide range of topics and speak to a variety of different subjects.
In talking about knowledge and communication skills, one prime example that comes to mind is President John Dramani Mahama. This is a man able to easily articulate his views on just about most, if not all aspects, of the economy, infrastructure, transportation, energy and many other critical topics.
His depth of knowledge even extends to legal discourse, where he has, on occasion, challenged me on many points of law.
And the foundation is that he reads widely.
Keep in mind: effective communication is not about knowing everything – it is about knowing enough, being prepared and speaking with confidence and clarity.
And you too can be an effective communicator.