By the time we humans morph into adulthood, most of us have realised that in order to get by in life to any degree of success, we need to learn how to communicate effectively – both in our working and personal lives. Many communications strategies develop naturally as we mature and become more aware of how our actions and reactions affect those around us, and in turn, their actions and reactions; but some kinds of communication has to be learnt along the way and don’t necessarily come naturally. Human development can basically be divided up into four stages: infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood and different kinds of communications strategies are learnt at each stage along the way.

Infancy

For a tiny, helpless, completely dependent being, a baby sure has an effective way of getting attention. Right from birth there are inbuilt communications strategies between mother and baby using touch, smell, sight – and definitely sound. Unlike many other animals, the human stage of infancy is a relatively long one and the baby is completely dependent on the mother for its food, shelter and social contact. A mother learns to distinguish between the different kinds of cries and can instinctively determine whether the baby needs changing, is hungry or just plain wants some loving. As the baby gets to even a few months old, it has learnt that it can act in a certain way and Mum will react in a particular way – baby’s first communications strategies are formed.

Childhood

Once a child gets to the stage of speaking he has already put in place many non-verbal communications strategies with Mum and the rest of his social circle. Pointing is a skill learnt very early and one of the most effective ways of conveying the wants and needs of the child. After spending months listening and learning, baby is ready to start trying some of those funny noises himself and, once verbal communication begins, a whole new world is opened up. As well as being able to articulate themselves through words, the older child quickly learns the art of manipulating adults. Their communications strategies become more sophisticated as they begin to understand the concepts of reason and consequence.

Adolescence

Oftentimes there is a regression in communications strategies between parent and child once he reaches his teenage years. This is a time when a lot of communication is done physically rather than verbally; think slamming doors, rolling eyes and hunched and silent head-phoned ghosts reclining on sofas. On the plus side however, once a teenager has passed through the rebellious stage, communication can evolve into a thoughtful and thought-provoking conversation of equals.

Adulthood

Once a person reaches adulthood there are certain expectations from society; a job, a relationship, a contribution to the world. Through life experience alone, many communications strategies can be learnt and utilised in order to meet these expectations and live a full and productive life. But it is in the workplace where most of the effective ways to communicate are learned. Simply by working their way up the career ladder one learns the different ways and means of getting what they want by saying and doing the right things at the right times; and surely, that’s really what communications strategies are all about?

By the time someone has worked for a lifetime and talked their way to the top, or back down to the bottom (depending on how hot-headed or principled they are), life has come full circle. They’ll probably feel like they’ve communicated enough and said and done it all, and will be more than happy to sit back in a rocking chair with a good book for company and go back to pointing…

Jenny Kettlewell is the Marketing Manager for Multitone Systems, a leading telecommunications strategy company. Multitone has implemented custom, integrated communications strategies for businesses and organisations in the public and private sector for over 75 years.

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