Still with Communications...

I just concluded a two day session on the basics of Communication for our prenovices at Gunadala. It was an interesting exercise. Every time I conduct this course, there is something new and interesting emerging. For the past two years at least, I've been dealing with the basic elements of communication rather than give the boys an overall preview of the whole of communication and media. This year, for sure, I was following the Salesian Communication manual, Shepherds for an Information Age.

Though it is basically the same content that I deal with, every year I end up highlighting certain aspect of the content and it is hardly the one that I come prepared with. Reminds me of Lonergan's concept of Insight (which I'm sure I got it wrong!). This time it was the unique and the special role of four of the basic elements that are involved in a communication process: sender, receiver, message and the channel. I could successfully weave together the various sessions, presentations, excercises and examples to convincingly challenge the boys - would-be Salesians - about ...

• the need to have a message of our own,
• the importance to make that message convincing and sure,
• to be clear/specific about the message,
• to have our receiver clear in mind and
• finally choose the best of channels available (rather than mourn and groan about those unavailable).