Just keep talking…

Making our written and verbal communications understandable and effective.

Making communication effective

Communicating is hard… watching young children interact reminds us how communication has to be learned, that we have to constantly alter our approach depending on whom we are talking to, and that despite years of practice, we are not always successful!

 

Our role in EU projects, which currently includes LongITools, Bump2Baby and Me, Obelisk and STAGE, involves communication to ensure that everyone understands the project activities and results and to support our researchers in doing this. Successful communication is about people interacting with one another; the more we connect and build relationships, the more effectively we can communicate.

 

We have a number of different stakeholders who have an interest in our projects, policymakers being a key group. They are an important audience for maximising the impact of the research. Of course, it is always important to understand that the needs of each of our stakeholder groups will be different, but the principle of good communication remains, whichever audience you are talking to. Policymakers are people too and people engage best with people who are personable, people they like and can relate to.

 

With this in mind, here are some thoughts on ways we can make our written and verbal communications understandable and effective:

 

  • Sharing something personal can help break down barriers, it does not have to be too personal, maybe just something about your journey to work, your weekend activities, a local custom, or the weather, the latter is a UK pastime!
  • Be concise and resist using lots of text and acronyms/technical words.
  • Use an analogy to explain, or give an example.
  • Simple diagrams are a great way of explaining something much more succinctly.
  • Try offering an explanation in more than one way (e.g. verbally, visually) and repeat your key points in case they are not captured the first time.
  • Try repeating what someone says to show your understanding, or to give them a chance to refine your understanding.
  • Ask people for their view.
  • If you are asked for clarification, try asking them what their understanding is first (if they already understand and can correctly articulate it, there is no need to confuse them).
  • Do not be afraid to ask questions and say if you do not know, most people are very happy to share their knowledge, and being honest establishes trust.
  • Remember, developing relationships with others takes time, and repeated shared experiences may help to develop these relationships.
  • A friendly smile always helps!

 

To maintain dialogue with our stakeholders, including policymakers, we hold regular workshops and events for our projects. Here are some examples from Bump2Baby and Me and LongITools.

Find out more

If you want to find out more about our EU project activities or how Beta can support your organisation with communication, please get in touch with Claire Webster.