17 Feb How Clear Are Your Communications?

A picture is worth a thousand words! Can anyone argue the validity of that statement? No. That is why it has been used over and over and over to such an extent that it now falls into the realm of being a cliché. You know, those old worn out used phrases that are a dime a dozen.

Yes, clichés can be wonderful.  Just like pictures they speak volumes. No explanations are necessary as everybody knows that they mean. They are easy and comfortable and oh, so familiar. For that reason, writers will tend to avoid them like the plaque. To make a long story short, they want their writing to be unique and stand out from the crowd. They fear their words will simply go in one ear and out the other leaving their readers few and far between.  Get my point?

One such cliché that I personally struggle with is this. It’s all downhill from here. For me, this is one that needs an explanation. What does it mean? Most people think this means bad news, hard times and no one is going to enjoy what’s coming. Is that what it means to you? What picture do you conjure up in your mind when you hear that phrase?

If you’re thinking of the good old days – which incidentally don’t seem all that good now – perhaps you have images of horse drawn wagons loaded with supplies switch backing down steep hills only to face the drudgery of climbing back out of the valley many miles ahead. Yes, that would be hard times for sure and I can only imagine what it would have been like to come to the edge and feel deeply saddened by such a sight. And if that is how the people felt, imagine how the horses felt! It’s all downhill from her must have been quite frightening for them.

Now think about tobogganers, snow boarders and skiers. It’s all downhill from here excites them to the inner core of their being. Who hasn’t heard their wild whoops as they soar off the crest of the hill only to land further down the slopes? The steeper the hill, the more heavily populated it becomes. From afar, they look like little ants zigging and zagging across the landscape. It doesn’t appear as though that cliché brings them any bad news, hard times or lack of enjoyment. It’s a thrill all the way to the bottom.

And now for them, it’s all uphill from here. Another cliché. What does it mean to you? Going uphill can be such a daunting task when you see every inch of the climb before you. You know that what awaits you is simply a most amazing scene – panoramic beauty, freedom, success – well worth the extended effort to get there. Needless to say, it’s going to take every ounce of strength; you’ve got to put your shoulder to the wheel; keep on keeping on; thinking that no pain no gain is what it’ll take to reach the top. so, it’s all uphill from her means lots of hard work. Agreed?

Tobogganers will agree with that. For them it’s a hard row to hoe to climb back up. Not so for some boarders and skiers who merely mount the lift and head to the top with nary a muscle being exerted.

Cyclers will agree tobogganers. They will love to the thrilling ride to the bottom but  dislike the uphill climb. Mind you, cyclers  will have varying degrees of dislike ranging from pur hatred to tolerance depending on the type of bicycle they use. Bikes with multiple gears make the job easier than the old standard ones. But take that with a grain of salt for anyone who has biked up a steep hill using all gears wills till arrive peddling as slow as molasses in January.

Any way you look at it, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to think outside the box to know that it’s all downhill from here or it’s all uphill from here will mean different things to different folks. Thinking that using a cliché will sav lots of time and energy in providing explanations really isn’t going to work in all situations. Sometimes they aren’t the best thing since sliced bread. Sometimes you will need to bite the bullet and write or speak the explanations in order to communicate.

So I do, especially for the downhill/uphill example. Who knows what people are thinking when you say that? Isn’t communication all about coming to the same understanding of what is meant? Therefore, in the name of clarity, I no longer use those phrases as I can never figure which is better – going downhill faster than a speeding bullet – Woo Hoo- to the valley below or trudging painfully uphill to beauty, freedom and/or success.

Either way, I will just keep on keeping on and avoid being caught between a rock and a hard place. Whatever word pictures I try to paint, the outcome must be clear communications.