3 Traps of Communication

In a University of Toronto MOOC on Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age, Ivan Wanis Ruiz pointed out what he considers to be the three main traps of communication:

• Using 3rd person
• Using formal language
• Using too many details

As instructional designers, communication is our bread and butter. Let’s examine how these three ideas relate to us.

1.     Using the 3rd person. This could easily be applied to communication with SMEs but consider the last course you designed. In your learning outcomes, did you address students directly (‘you will learn’) or in the third person ‘learners will…’? Did you follow that trend in the whole course?

2.     Using formal language. Ruiz points out that speaking formally does not make an impact. This doesn’t mean dumbing down the content or leaving out technical language but connecting to your learner with plain language. Ruiz’s tip was to start formal if necessary, but transition to a more informal language after. This will make the key points clear and make the learning stick better.

3.     Using too many details. If you are an instructional designer, you must have worked with an SME who gave you too much detail in the course. We all have had to take out our virtual scissors to cut down superfluous content. Perhaps you don’t consider this in your own communication to SMEs, though. Are you overwhelming with too many details when in meetings? Ruiz suggests people want to get curious about your idea (so they can delve into it more on their own). Help people visualize your point with a picture, or one vivid detail.

I am challenging myself to work on painting that picture in my conversations. Do you relate to any of these communication traps or have ways to address them? We’d love to hear from you.

Reference

Ruiz, Ivan Wanis. (n.d.). Communication Strategies for a Virtual Age [MOOC]. Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/learn/communication-strategies-virtual-age