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For Knowledge to be Power it Must be Good Knowledge.
“Knowledge is Power”
-- Sir Francis Bacon
“What gets us into trouble are the things we know for sure that just ain’t so.”
-- Mark Twain
“The Facts Mamm, Just the Facts”
-- Sgt. Joe Friday on Dragnet
We all have experienced at one time or another, or multiple times, a decision we made that turned out to be disastrous. In trying to figure out just what went wrong, we come to the conclusion that the information we used to make that decision was faulty, or just plain wrong. Sometimes we look for facts that will support our decision and ignore those that don’t . I would like to concentrate on the situation we all share at Alaron in that we want good accurate data on which to make decisions. There is no difference between the importance of the decisions that I make as the President and the importance of the decisions that you make in doing the real work. We both need good data on which to make those decisions. Good data comes from good communication. So just what is good communication? Whether written or spoken, good communication is characterized by the five “C”s. Clear, such that is it understood by all. Concise, in that there are no extras. Complete, in that there are no omissions. (omissions are just as detrimental as inaccurate data) Cogent, in that it has bearing on the issue at hand. Certain, in that it is true. When you are communicating, check your writing or your speech against these criteria. Make sure they meet all of them.
If you don’t know, say so. There can be little more important in good communication than this mantra. Some people are afraid that they will appear incompetent or ignorant if they cannot answer a question posed to them. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you practice this mantra you will be much respected. When you do answer, your answer will be believed. If you don’t practice this mantra, you will cease to be asked anything since your answers will always be suspect. There is a vast difference between fact and opinion or intuition, but they are both just as important in running the business together. I like the word intuition much better than opinion. When communicating be absolutely sure to make a demarcation between what is fact and what is your intuition. Since we never really have all the facts we need to make a decision, we must rely on our intuition to guide us. I need your intuition. Without it we would be in a state of paralysis. When you communicate your intuition about something state the facts that support it and then state what relationships you are basing your intuition on. The five “C”s are just as important in communicating your intuition. Think about how easy it is to make a decision when you hear the facts and the intuition especially from several persons on the same issue. The facts can be checked, the risks recognized, and intuitions compared.
For knowledge to be power it must be good knowledge. Good knowledge comes from good communication of the facts Ma’am. If we ignore this we will be constantly reminded of what we were sure that just wasn’t so.
09/24/08 08:05:24 am, by Joe Harverson 
, 550 words,
Categories: Uncategorized ,
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There are barriers that always exist between the two, and when the communication is between two people, the barriers can be numerous and complex. Often called filters, they reside mostly in the form of a bias or prejudice toward something. We can be bias toward the messenger, the topic, or even the environment in which the communication is taking place. Many of which are turned on and off involuntarily without either party knowing. They can also be voluntary; it could be due to past experience either with the person or the situation, or a predetermined mindset prior to the communication.
It is important to recognize our bias, and be able to think critically when on either side of the communication, but it is most important when we are the ones asking the questions about information from which decisions are made. We can invoke a clear, concise, and accurate response, or we can get what we want to hear based on how we present ourselves as receivers. In an imperfect, but better world, we must try to eliminate bias in our questions, and our responses in order to improve the quality of the data being communicated.