Communications Is a Science, Not an Art
Term: Communications Is a Science, Not an Art | Book: Lipstick on a Pig (the no-spin era): book profile and conceptual summary
Definition and main idea
The title of the sixth chapter implies that communication can be planned, tested, measured and learned from systematically; success does not depend only on inspiration or individual skill.
Explanation and elaboration
A practical cycle might be: define the goal, understand the audience, draft the message, choose the channel, execute, monitor feedback and adjust. Data such as reach, message comprehension, quality of questions, behaviour change or trust each show one aspect of the result and should be chosen to fit the goal. This approach does not mean there is a definitive formula for all communication situations.
Notes and limits of interpretation
Source versus analysis
Because the underlying summary did not cover the detailed content of this chapter, this note is a conceptual reading of the chapter title and must be checked against the book’s text before it is finalised.
Relations to other concepts
Review questions
- What communication problem does this principle solve?
- Is the message consistent with the reality of the organisation’s performance?
- What exactly should the audience know, understand or do?
- What evidence exists to evaluate the result?