It's good to talk

“Jaw, jaw is better than war, war” is the phrase best associated with Winston Churchill when he was making the case for diplomacy rather than military action in the 1950’s. But perhaps there’s something useful in those words for modern business. Talking face to face is much better than a video call and massively more effective than a casually written email, which probably won’t lead to war but can lead to trouble.

For those demanding strict historical accuracy, I should note that what Churchill actually said in 1954 was “Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war." It was four years later that the then Prime Minister, Harold McMillan, edited the phrase to the more memorable “Jaw, jaw is better than war, war.”

Be that as it may, the point I am making is that technology now makes it possible to pass messages quickly and easily over a variety of platforms, but I’m not convinced that always leads to good communication.

It’s understandable that people often take the easy route. Draft a quick note, especially if it’s going to multiple recipients, and off it goes. Perhaps a few moments to think whether that’s the best way to get your message across would be time well spent. Imagine you have something you want to pitch to your team. You could float it in an email or circulate a power point and ask for responses. But how much more would you learn by speaking to them around the table ?

I have known quite a number of bosses who claimed they didn’t do all that much, other than walk around talking to people. In doing so they picked up so much that was useful for the business. Finding out who’s happy, who’s not, who’s productive, who’s harbouring a gripe and who’s got a great idea.

There’s a huge amount of academic research into non-verbal stuff. For example, I came across one study that reckons 55% of communication actually comes from body language, 38% through tone of voice, and only 7% through spoken words. I don’t know how well that piece of work stood up to scrutiny but I think everyone will have experience of how body language and facial expressions can have an impact on how a discussion or a negotiation goes.

Then there’s the old: “You only get one chance to make a first impression” saying. Part of the answer to get off on the right foot could be to arrive with a smile on your face. Apparently, research has shown it takes someone to make a conscious effort to frown when looking at someone who is smiling. 

So why not give “Jaw, jaw” a try – and a smile wouldn’t hurt either !