Asking Questions: A Lost Art?

02 Apr 23:

Communication. We're not capitalizing on the art of communication. The World Wide Web has potential for folks to efficiently exchange knowledge, but right now it is stuck in Web 1.0, a static Broadcast Only mode. In the aviation world we call that "All Transmit, No Receive," sometimes in reference to a fellow pilot who clobbers a radio frequency. I'm sure Channel 16 also has a few of those sailors.

In the photo above Skipper is posing for the camera while simultaneously telling me that the three loop bridle for the main sheet was crap, and for me to replace it. I heard, and I did.

Fortunately for Skipper and me, we still have Old School art of communication skills to optimize knowledge exchange. Note the nuance, exchange vs share. Knowledge vs information. Effective communications need to be circular: Message sent to stimulate a desired action, message received, message understood, desired action accomplished and monitoring by the original message sender to see if original message had the desired effect. REPEAT.  Also known as Readback-Hearback in the pilot-controller communication world.

If I don't know, I will find out. If I wanted to know about oystering on Chesapeake Bay, I'd maybe ask the Old Salt who brought this boat in vs assembling a team of consultants who have never been salty. 

KNOWLEDGE: Organizations have gotten very good at using computers and the webernet to collect data. With that data they create information. And then we get bombarded with useless information by the web. In a high reliability organization, information only becomes useful if we place it into user context at the right time and in the right space. When we can provide timely, accurate and reliable information to a user (aviator, mariner) then we have created useful KNOWLEDGE. 

EXCHANGE: Information, transmitted, received and understood, in both directions, at the right time and in the right space, becomes knowledge. If the recipient has a question, the communication channel has to be open to not only feedback and also feed forward. 

A website that has a responsive chat or feedback section has moved towards Web 2.0. A website that organizes, stores, allows access and retrieval of information with a friendly user interface has moved towards Web 2.0. 

If you haven't figured it out yet, we're talking semiotics, semantics, the Sign and the Signified. The International Code of Signals is one example, shapes and colors have meaning in the maritime world.

Aviation has similar signals, signs and markings. Colors also have significance and a hierarchy, Red = Warning, Amber = Caution. On the Primary Flight Display below, blue = sky and brown = dirt. Warning: Keep the blue side up.

Skipper and I grew up naturally curious, lifelong learners. We ask why? And this was reinforced for me in Marine Boot Camp, if we were asked something and we didn't know the answer, the proper response was "This Private does not know, but will find out."

Fortunately for us, we have a clan of friends who graciously answer questions, exchanging knowledge. Alan, Diana, Doug, Graham, Jeanne, Jennifer, Linda, Maynard, Murray, Nat, Scott, Steve, Teri, Webb......we missed a few hundred. 

Your friends,

Clark and Skipper