In today’s world, communication has become a core activity with a lot of challenges. For example, a simple message if conveyed imperfectly can be understood incorrectly and there may be inappropriate reactions. Despite a high advance of technology used by organisations, governments, institutions and academia, many of them continue to struggle with it. One of the greatest challenges they fail to understand is whether it is communicating or engaging.
Often communication is misunderstood as the process of conveying information, but engagement helps in creating and understanding information, encourage participation and ensures shared ownership. In fact, it encourages two-way communication.
Misuse of AI and online platforms to get information has led the youth to consume a lot of information but there is minimal interaction and reaction. It is only genuine engagement which builds trust and creates a sense of belonging.
One popular opinion that stems out from various groups argue that stakeholder engagement is communication with a streamlined branding. For example, communication collaterals, project presentations, webinar which are important but are not necessarily engagement, since decisions are already taken. Simply put, communication tells people what you have decided and engagement involves people before the decision is made.
If stakeholder engagement is not handled properly, then it merely ends in making presentations, sharing findings, listen without changing anything and does not encourage trust. Ideally, real engagement is understanding what stakeholders want, what are their challenges and requirements and also involve them while making decisions.
How does this affect various sectors?
Professional environment: Organisations have begun to understand that employees seek more information and want to interact and react, than merely accepting what has been given to them. They seek purpose, recognition and opportunities to contribute ideas. Senior management that communicates with an open mind experience receiving feedback and also ensure that staff are involved in decision making which builds a stronger and innovative environment.
In the field of education, students want to collaborate, interact and avail of opportunities provided to them. Teachers are not merely playing the role of a mentor or transmitters of knowledge, they are facilitating and guiding learning sessions. Students are encouraged to ask questions, discuss and understand the importance of team work and problem-solving skills.
Empathy has also taken a top place where recognising feelings and respecting people’ opinion is given prime importance. Knowing and understanding the pulse of the audience and adapting/responding in an appropriate communication style has helped in effective engagement.
In the space of public policy, they are seen as good and technically sound but fail to be meaningful in communities because of minimal engagement with grass root level citizens. In reality it is limited to public announcements or official notifications which is useful. Transparency, participation and active engagement should become the norm of the day.
Digital technology has made communication faster but not necessarily deeper. While voices have been amplified by social media, it has increased spread of fake news leading to misinformation. Constructive conversations should be seen as an important aspect in the future.
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) helps in generating content or providing answers to queries it can never replace human connection which is far more real. It is true that AI has become an integral part of everyone’s life but the future belongs not only to those who communicate effectively with technology but also to those who engage meaningfully with people.
One needs to understand if they are communicating or engaging. A stakeholder engagement strategy rather than a communication strategy is more relevant. This includes:
- Consult-involve stakeholders as early as possible and understand and heed their inputs
- Engage-with right people before decisions are taken
- Involve-stakeholders decisions as it primarily affects them
- Inform-people the why and what of information.
In short, communication informs, but engagement transforms. Communication tells people what is happening; engagement helps them understand why it matters and invites them to become part of the journey.
In today’s world, meaningful engagement plays a pivotal role which is the true measure of effective communication. This is enhanced by listening, building trust, encouraging participation and by being empathetic. One needs to understand that the future needs to prepare the youth to navigate an increasingly connected yet complex world. This is where one needs to understand that communication may start the conversation, but engagement is what creates change.
In an age where messages travel faster than ever, meaningful engagement has become the true measure of effective communication. It is not enough to inform; one must also inspire, listen and connect. The future will belong to those who can build trust, foster dialogue and turn conversations into collective action.
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