March 2012 - Judy Gregory Writer

Life is like a rice pudding …

crunchy on the top and slowly moving liquid underneathI've just finished reading a wonderful book about metaphor: 'I is an other: The secret life of metaphor and how it shapes the way we see the world' by James GearyEvery chapter delighted me And every chapter (and the book itself) included the wonderful challenge of understanding its title Each title fell into place as I read - giving me a series of little 'aha' momentsThere are chapters about the role of metaphor in language,...

Connecting dots & drawing conclusions

One of the classic mistakes we make as communicators is failing to connect the dots and/or draw conclusions for our audiences It's easy to assume that, because we understand the message and our underlying intent, everyone else will understand it tooThe obvious examples occur when fundraising letters forget to specifically ask for a donation, or when a recruitment letter forgets to specifically explain how the recruitment process works Less clear are examples when audiences are left wondering...

Communicating with intent

I've just returned from a three-day masterclass in Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement, facilitated by Lyn Carson and Jan Elliott It was a 'big' experience, and it's going to take me some time to think through what I've learnedHere are some of the communication questions that emerged from the three days - questions which can be quite challenging for people who work in this field:How do we speak so that others want to listen And listen so that others want to speakHow can we...