I saw this sign in a Tokyo subway station. I could totally relate to the message. It is customary for people to not talk on their cell phones in public, but texting and looking at their phones while walking and standing is still a problem. Everywhere you go in public places people of all ages are on the phone, staring at the screen. What I appreciate in this poster is that someone saw the need and communicated it very clearly. The Japanese express many ideas and concepts via cartoons. It is a playful and fun way to get across tough messages. It makes people think and spreads the word without being too confrontational. They are also getting ready for the 2020 summer olympics, so buldings, train stations, bridges and roads are all under construction. The hard work of communicating to the masses has already begun.
One of the challenges of life is communicating your message so people understand. We get it , so we think that other people get it. We think we have expressed our idea and needs fully, only to be left in confusion or some wide array of emotions. We send emails or write what we think is a clear message, which assumes people read the message. If they don’t get it, we write another message. Or we send a different email to clear things up…which again assumes they read the email.
Great communicators are the ones who figure out how to relay their message so the audience can understand it. Who cares if you get, you are the one sending the message – of course you get it. But does the other person understand your message enough to act on it? And act on it with confidence? Can they do what you want them to do or what they want to do with what you have communicated? How do you know if people understand the message? You could ask them!
Wait a minute, you mean you want me to talk to people? Can’t they read? I sent an email, a text, a slide deck or maybe even wrote them a letter…of course they get it. I sent all that and there is no way they do not get it. But they are still not doing what you want, suggested, told them to do…so what’s going wrong? Communicate with the audience in a way that they audience wants, not the way you want. If the message is important enough for you then deliver it in a way that the audience clearly understands what you are communicating. That may mean you have to do something different to get your point across, or soemthing that makes you uncomfortable. It may mean that you as the communicator need to change instead of only asking your audience to change. If the message is important, it is worth the effort.
So what method will you employ today to get your point across? A poster? An email, or something in between? If your message is one that will change things, then employ every method possible. The results are worth it.
Ann Art Gallery Blog 