If you only learn one thing today, make it “Osmo Wiio.”
Wiio was a Finnish economics professor, member of the Finnish Parliament, journalist and just for fun, an amateur radio enthusiast.
For the purposes of this post, he was also the author of many books and articles about communications, particularly his facetious “Wiio’s Laws,”a set of humourous maxims how communication, particularly in organisations, goes hilariously wrong.
His pointed barbs often illustrate some of the problems of using the Shannon-Weaver transmission model. My simplified version of this model is here, as the Communications Equation.
Here’s some of his best lines.
Communication usually fails, except by accident.
If communication can fail, it will fail.
If communication cannot fail, it still usually fails.
If communication seems to succeed in the way you intend – someone’s misunderstood.
If you are content with your message, the communication is certainly failing.
If a message can be interpreted in several ways, it will be interpreted in a manner that maximizes the damage.
There is always someone who knows better than you what your message means.
The more we communicate, the more communication fails.
The more we communicate, the faster misunderstandings occur.
The more important the situation, the more probable you have forgotten the essential thing you remembered a moment ago.
And, a particular favourite of mine, given the current situation.
In mass communications, the important thing is not how things are … but how they seem to be.
Or, as the Wizard states in Wicked: For Good: The truth is not a thing of fact or reason, the truth is just what ev’ryone agrees on.”
Do you have a favourite Wiio line? How many of these are true for you? Please add your thoughts and comments below!
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