It DOES take a weatherman to know . . .

Editors Note: This is one in a series of WordWrite blogs on the centrality of context in business communication.

In the words of the Bob Dylan classic, “it doesn’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.”

Oddly enough, it apparently DOES take a weatherman to know how to communicate in the 21st century. Let me explain.

I’ve long supported a move within PR and marcom for a communication style that effectively enlightens and educates audiences while greasing the skids of commerce. The cornerstone to this is a shift away from headline, snippet, sound bite and traditional benefits “payoff” communication and a move toward story communication with context that invites audience dialogue.

The first approach is a worn model holding limited value. The latter form is the intriguing (and badly needed) norm for 21^st century marcom and PR practice. Audiences are constantly clamoring for more context to the information they receive and the stories that are told. One of the more interesting examples recently comes from the world of . . . meteorology.

It turns out that scientists working on cutting-edge models of global warming, drought prediction and rainfall measurement, found themselves with extensive quantitative data lacking depth and context. So they developed a new approach to rain storm measurement across desert communities in the western United States. Why? Well, according to the model’s developer, “we needed a way to put storms into context.”

Now think about that for a second. Esteemed scientists, fluent in the world’s most precise language (mathematics) are demanding more context from the meaning and stories built on that language.

Alternatively, consider one of the world’s least precise languages (American English) and the central role it plays in the business communication professions. If scientists using multivariate statistical models are struggling to find meaningful context, what can we expect from lay audiences bombarded with the vagaries of American sales and public relations slang?

We all communicate to heighten shared meaning and the elements of daily experience that link us to one another. This has been a seminal pursuit of man since the dawn of civilization. Imagine how this pursuit — and commerce — would be furthered if we routinely practiced broader and more thoughtful contextual business communication?

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John Durante is senior marketing associate for WordWrite Communications.