1.     Failure to listen. Most of us want to say something rather than listen to someone else. We sometimes even finish other people’s sentences for them.

2.     Status differences. Rank and status make us listen to some people more closely than we normally would. It also can make us not listen to those of lower status than us.

3.     Psychological size. People with TAKE CHARGE personalities get listened to a lot more than others.

4.    Distractions such as noise or lights or movements cause us to lose focus.

5.     Language barriers. Everything said may not be clear to the receiver. There are approximately twenty-eight (28) different meanings for each word in the English language. Try to put yourself in the other person’s place to determine if your words have a clear meaning to them.

6.     Fear of criticism. Nobody likes to be thought of as not understanding. They claim that they understand when really they don’t.

7.     Jumping to conclusions can occur. Wait until all of the information is received before making a judgment.

8.     Filtering information through our own life experiences can sometimes distort the information that the sender intended us to have.

9.     “Killing the messenger”. This can occur if the message is not a pleasant one. It inhibits people from communicating.

10.   Overloading of information. Sometimes there is simply too much information to process.

1.    Words are nothing more than symbolic representations of something.

2.     Words that the recipient of the communication cannot associate with a past experience are meaningless.

3.    Words are, as a matter of fact, inherently imprecise.

1.    Without communication there is no coordination.

2.    Without coordination there is no organization.

3.     Communication does not happen unless some consideration is given to the emotional needs of the recipient.

1.    Always introduce yourself at the beginning of the conversation.

2.    Watch your tone of voice (paraverbals). Inappropriate emotions should not enter into a conversation. If your voice expresses anger or despair, this is not a posi­tive, courteous communication.

3.    Address people properly by title or “sir” or “ma’am.”

4.    Watch your body language. Sit up straight. Stand up straight (erect).

5.    Avoid profanity; it is inappropriate.

6.     Never make demeaning remarks about others. “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything” or “Never miss an opportunity to shut up.”

7.     Take a moment and give a brief explanation of what we are doing and why we are doing it. A simple explanation can easily recruit an ally who didn’t know the importance of a procedure.

8.     As much as 7o percent of the time on the job is spent communicating. Practice!

Informal communication consists of the “grapevine” or “rumor mill.” This is not an accurate form of communication! Unfortunately, people tend to use it extensively, in work environ­ments where there is a deficiency in formal communication, informal takes over. Rumors, customs (“That’s just the way we do it around here…”) are common. Rumors should not be spread by protection officers. They should be reported to management and clarified. The misinformation of rumors causes a tremendous amount of trouble in the workplace — and nobody likes a gossip! Gossips get socially isolated and “left out of the loop” because they cannot be trusted with confidential information.

1.    There is always a message or idea to be sent and it must be sent in it’s entirety.

2.     A sender or medium is used to transmit it. There are telephones, faxes, radios, etc. Protection professionals must know which methods of communication are available and be adept at using them.

3.    The message must be received.

4.     Once the message is received it must be understood. It may be necessary to ask questions or have the sender summarize and recap the message.

5.     There must be feedback. The receiver must send confirmation to the sender that the message was received and understood.

Communications proficiency is especially critical with emergency or high risk situations. Officers who can’t communicate can’t get assistance when it is needed or give assistance when someone else needs it.