In a recent article, I shared that every written or verbal communication needs a structure. Aristotle believed that every poem or theatrical performance should follow a three-act structure. The three-act structure stands the test of time in all forms of writing and performing arts. It is also a straightforward and extremely efficient structure. More importantly, it works subtly but effectively with our human thinking processes.
The three-act structure is alive and well in the series “Communicating with FINESSE” on Accendo Reliability. Act One – the Opening – frames what is to come in Act II and lays the foundation of Systems Thinking needed for effective communications. Check out the building story of Act One in these articles: The One Thing Your Approach to Communication & Facilitation is Missing, Effective Communication Is The #1 Thing That Changes Your Life, and Do You Know These Dirty Secrets of Effective Communication?
Act II is well underway with five articles on Fabulous Facilitation – Pre-Session Exchange Is Essential for Meaningful Outcomes, Are You Asking Powerful Questions?, Are You Asking Powerful Questions?, How Do Engaging Exercises Create Remarkable Results?, and Are You Prepared to Work Through Disruption?
These articles further build the action to the Big Twist of Act II. I will not give away the secret seven articles that eventually lead to the Climax of the “Communicating with FINESSE” series on Accendo Reliability. One hint that I will give is that all seven articles are related specifically to different topics that reliability and risk engineers facilitate in their day-to-day practices.
The dirty secrets of effective communication and facilitation are not illicit or salacious. Effective communication really comes down to the systems thinking that is the foundation of Communicating with FINESSE. And systems thinking includes the structure as well as the content.
The secrets are dirty because they will make your communications dirty. Dirty, if you remember from your urban dictionary, means “something that is praiseworthy or done extremely well; in the same vein as nasty or, in some cases, filthy.”
I hope you want your communications to be dirty, if not outright filthy.
J.D. Solomon, Inc. provides facilitation and communication services related to Strategic Plans, Planning Retreats, FMEA, Root Cause Analysis, Business Case Evaluations, and Capital Programs. Sign-up for regular updates on JD’s new book, Communicating with FINESSE, due for release in September 2022 at the book’s website.
Leave a Reply