Communication – Page 2

Don't always listen to the Prince. What? Pictures of books are redundant.

What Do You Mean, Communicating Better?

I’ve spent a few months now talking about how to think about social media and communication, with a mind toward exploring how we can communicate better. But I’ve been remiss. I’ve been missing something important that I wasn’t ready to talk about yet, which is what “Better” actually means to me. Depending on your goals, it’s going to mean different things, but in communication, I think there are some things that are universally desirable, and opportunities that social media creates for everyone. These are some of them. (more…)

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March 7, 2013

Social Media

The Birthday Party Theory of Personal Communication

We’re all busy. Our lives are saturated with events, information, and things to do, so many that it’s more common to feel that things are slipping through your fingers like a buttery sponge than that you have nothing to do (side note: If you don’t have anything to do, I can find something for you to do). Your message, whether it’s an event, a vote, a lesson, or an idea, has to penetrate the cloud of tasks and commitments a human carries around with them. Automation does not do that, it just adds to the cloud. It piles one more thing into it, more often an unwelcome intrusion than anything else. If you want to make sure you reach someone, you have to focus on them as a person. One way to do that is to think of it as a birthday party.

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February 28, 2013

Social Media

Social Media in the Academy

You might have been expecting a post about how my week has gone, but don’t be confused, be excited. It’s high time I started writing about the things I’ve been doing, namely communications and social media in academia. You might have guessed that from the title. But before I get into what I do and how to do it yourself, I should talk about who I am and who I’m not. (more…)

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January 17, 2013