Communicator with respect to Innovative mindset

History’s greatest orators were always a communicator with respect to innovative mindset.

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” – William Butler Yeats. As a communicator, convey your thoughts and opinions in a language understandable by all. 

Communication is the greatest tool for individuals in all professions. Often when something goes wrong, it can be traced back to misled communication. Most right things can be attributed to successful communicators.

While the best communicators command respect, trust and are considered as leaders, poor communicators undergo frustration and distrust.

History is filled with examples of scientists, companies and inventors who’ve been excellent communicators with the most innovative mindsets.

Leaders such as Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King and Bill Clinton are among history’s greatest communicators.

Michael Faraday, the father of electricity was an excellent communicator along with being the greatest scientist of the 19^th century. In their book “Faraday, Maxwell and the Electromagnetic Field”, authors Nancy Forbes and Basil Mahon have written “His scientific genius lay not simply in producing experimental results that had eluded everyone else but in explaining them too”. He worked painstakingly hard at taking notes of others lectures, preparing his own notes and taking regular guest lectures. Every Christmas he’d take special lectures for children.

It is said, “A rare few magicians share their tricks”. Nobel laureate for physics Richard Feynman was a pioneer in quantum mechanics besides making essential contributions to biology. He was considered as a magician by the elite scientists of his time. He used to teach the undergraduate class where his humor, ability to explain things in the simplest practical way and Brooklyn accent made him the student’s favorite. How rarely have you come across top caliber scientists being academicians?

In his lectures, Feynman was known to start with a basic question and end up talking about nanotechnology, all in the span of less than an hour.

Here we’ve listed 6 ways to be a communicator with an innovative mindset:

• Connecting to the audience – It is said, when Bill Clinton talks, the listener feels that he’s the only person on this earth. People only listen when they connect to the communicator emotionally or intellectually. Innovative communicators know what resonated with the audience and connect to them on common perspectives.

• Engaging with the listener – The most boring conversations are those where the communicator does all the talking. Communicators with innovative mindset give the other person a chance to respond and reciprocate. They portray understanding and respect of the other’s opinion, encourage others to participate while being learned at the same time.
• They’re likable – Being authentic, vulnerable and humble is the sign of an excellent communicator. They’re comfortable in their own skin and use humor to make the other person comfortable. Even if they’re manipulative, they often lower their defenses to raise the likability quotient.
• Ability to talk in simple language – President Reagan was known to talk in clear and simple language. Even scientists like Faraday and Feynman explained complex topics in the simplest way. Every innovative yet effective communicator has the ability come up with interesting conversations involving everyone.
• Being dynamic – We remember only 10% of what we’ve heard. Historical communicator Martin Luther King used storytelling and repetition to make the audience remember that he said. Going into the depth of the topic using storytelling ensures that the listener has a contextual understanding.

• Practicing – Excellent and innovative communicators are not born with the talent of good communication. They learn it from others, practice and master the art.

With these tips everyone can be the best communicator with respect to an innovative mindset.

References –

1. http://www.creativitypost.com/technology/how_communication_drives_innovation
2. http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2015/12/17/communicate-to-innovate-tips-from-the-world-of-improvisation/
3. http://www.amazon.com/The-Innovative-Mindset-Accelerating-Breakthroughs/dp/1119161282
4. http://batescreative.com/blog/strategy/creating-innovative-communication-strategies/
5. http://www.industryweek.com/companies-amp-executives/book-notes-innovative-communicator
6. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/723411_3
7. http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/7-things-really-amazing-communicators-do.html