Communicate this!

It's been absolutely non stop this week with all the leadership training and Orientation Week preparations for all the new and innocent young kiddies heading to university. While the training has been great, and there is a lot to be done, organized and facilitated, I feel like tonight I need to just take a little bit of time out.  And I don't even care that its monday. 

Communication is the big thing we have learnt about in the past week or so, as student leaders. We need to be able to communicate effectively in a number of different ways and situations. We needed to learn about open and closed body language. We needed to learn to use the SMEAC and GROW communication models. The thing is though, what I feel, is that all these things, as interesting as they are, are a little self contradicting. On the one hand, it has overcomplicated what is usually subconscious. I already use all the methods of communication that were drilled into us on a day to day basis. On the other hand it simplifies what is an extremely delicate art form. 

One of the leaders at our camp told us that leadership is an art. My personal opinion is that leadership is not the art. It is the communication skills of a leader which are the art. There are so many things to remember, so many different ways of approaching things. So many ways even, of communicating. Even the people who are considered bad communicators, are still good at communicating. They might not be able to speak well, but they have facial expressions and body language that clearly express a point. They might not be very good at listening, but they are really good at showing that they arn't listening. This is a circular issue. It could go on forever.

The Drake Work Wise company delivered some delightful little lectures on day 4 of our program, based on a lovely wee booklet full of emoticon faces and drawing exercises. They spent all day delivering. Breaks for food, but apart from that, nothing. I sat in a chair all day, while they talked, all day. Was this the most effective way to get the message across to a bunch of energetic young university students, or do they just like being paid to listen to their own voice?