As well as communicating face to face, there are many tools to assist you to communicate effectively. The tools SLSA uses to assist you in communicating with others include patrol logs, radios, telephones, whistles, public address systems, circulars, bulletins, letters and memos, newsletters and noticeboards, social media posts, emails as well as articles in magazines and newspapers.
The tool you select will depend on whether the communication is to be:
- internal —within the organisation, e.g., your patrol team
- external —outside the organisation, e.g., corporate partners
- formal —following appropriate written and spoken conventions
- informal —conversational language.
The communication tool you select should be the most appropriate for the situation and should ensure a good flow of information for all who need to receive it. For example, you may need to use a radio, signals or telephone to communicate with other members of your patrol who are at a distance from you. You may need to use pictures instead of words on brochures or signs to overcome language barriers.
In any organisation, communication must be open and effective. The fewer people a message has to go through, the fewer barriers there are to communication. To select the most effective communication tool, consider:
- how many people need to receive the message. If many people are involved, it may be best to present it in written form or have a meeting either online via webinar or face to face
- how much information there is. If there is too much for a listener to absorb, break it up and provide a written summary
- how urgently the information is required. If speed is not urgent, an email or entry in a logbook might be best. If it is urgent, then phone, radio or text may be more appropriate
- what facilities are available. Is there access to a digital device, phone, email, internet?
- what costs (money and time) are involved. Preparation and production of formal documents can be time consuming, and participant time might be stretched by too many meetings
- whether documentation or proof is required to meet organisation requirements. If a record may be needed in the future, or proof is needed that information was passed on, use a written tool (this is the case with logbooks, incident report documentation and committee meeting minutes)
- whether the communication is confidential or may excite or distress those who overhear it. If so, use face to face, the telephone (rather than the radio) or other ways of direct communication, e.g., text message
- whether instant responses are required. If so, face to face, telephone or a radio message is best
- who the information is being sent to and how formal or informal it should be.
When you need to communicate, consider the advantages and disadvantages of the available options appropriate to the audience before you proceed.