Three steps: Find your message, define your audience, choose your words
Perspektif Online
12 December 2006
In very simple terms, these three steps define the act of communication. They are the core of Wimar Witoelar’s pep talk at President University, an institution that has hosted three presidents, Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Sukarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Wimar’s first visit had a historical flavor as he received the delegation of founders of PU when he was President Wahid’s spokesperson. The name President University was suggested by Gus Dur on that occasion.
Wimar and InterMatrix received red-carpet treatment from the Rector and staff and hundreds of enthusiastic students. The event was conceived by Khatrine Sipahutar, a PU student who has just fiinished her internship at InterMatrix. Internship advisor Felix Cabral, Rector Muliawati G. Siswanto and Vice Rector Ng Siah Heng were among the hosts who extended gracious hospitality to the IMX delegation. Others included Teodoro G. Gomez, B.M.A.S. Anaconda Bangkara, dan Hira Meidia B.
The points of Wimar’s presentation were simple. In a world full of people, you have to communicate.In fact, you are communicating whether you want to or not. Not just in words but also in pictures, movements or body language. There are countless media with which to communicate. Direct contact, print, radio and television, internet. At the highest level, your ideas spread by themselves.
It is very easy to get serious about communication, because it all starts with personal communication. If you are able to connect to people then you are off to a good start. For the typical student the next world to conquer would be business communication. You learn to understand clients and markets, techniques on presentation, promotion, negotiation and public relations.
The most challenging and powerful type is political communication. The audience extend to milliions and the messages can change the world. Many people with communication skills eventually end up in political careers. This is why student politics are very important to practice communication skills.
The Q&A session revea;ed great intelligence among PU students, who conduct all their activities in the Engliosh language. One student asked about barriers to communication due to selective cognition and different vales. The simple answer is, try to use the other party’s frame of mind. The next student asked why it is very difficult to trust this government. ?” Wimar said, apart from genuine differences in orientation, the problem is that the Presidential team has no clear stand on the issues. By being reactive and tryinng to please everyone, their message is lost.
Check out the pictures. You might be in them.
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