A
ROAD TO SUCCESS
MORE LIGHT in MASONRY (VI): COMMUNICATION - A
ROAD TO SUCCESS
by ALLEN E. ROBERTS
Often we hear, "Let's get to the nitty
gritty," or, "Let's get to the nuts and
bolts." Excellent advice. If two people are
on the same "wave length," there is no
problem in following this advice.
We must determine, though, what the "nitty"
is before we can get to the "gritty". We
can't fasten the bolt with the nut until it's
put through the hole. Finding the right hole
can take time, knowledge, searching, and
often a lot of fumbling. Putting on the nut
becomes fairly simple once the hole is found.
It takes communication, non-verbal, to find
the proper slot for the bolt. It can take
differing forms of communication to find the
"nitty gritty." With meaningful communication
many difficult problems can be solved and
tasks performed efficiently.
Poor communication is responsible for many
business failures. It also accounts for much
fraternal apathy and lack of interest. One
wonders how many lodges have had to surrender
their charters because of little or no
communication, or how many lodges have poor
attendance because of a lack of
communication. Many Worshipful Masters
deplore the small group of Masons who turn
out for Masonic funerals. Later they learn
that many members would have been present if
they had known about the funeral.
Recently I spoke in a lodge with fewer than
fifty members. Over two hundred were jammed
into the lodge room. A couple of weeks
earlier I had spoken in a lodge with six
hundred members. Twenty-eight, including
visitors, were lost in the large room. What
made the difference?
The small lodge had sent out an attractive
bulletin. It was worded in such a way that
everyone believed the greatest Masonic
speaker would address them. The bulletin was
an "attention-getter". The larger lodge had
sent out a postcard asking the members to
attend a stated meeting. But it didn't tell
them why they should.
One of the former duties of the Tiler was to
notify the members of special meetings of the
lodge. That was before the days of the
popularity of Brother Henry Ford's horseless
buggy. In those bygone days many country
lodges met on or close to the full moon. This
enabled the men, or their horses, to find
their way safely over rural lanes. Those were
the days when the Masonic lodge was the
center of attraction for men fortunate enough
to be Master Masons.
Brother Ford and his Model T changed the
life-style of Americans. Man was no longer
tied to a relatively small area of the
country. His world was enlarged. So was his
knowledge, his work habits, his friends, his
neighbors, and his leisure time. The Masonic
lodge was no longer the only center of
attraction for its members.
We all know what the automobile has done for
the world. Without it and its by-products the
economy would take a nose dive. This truism
is now understood and accepted by most
people. But it wasn't always so. People had
to be convinced that they should buy the
early noisy contraptions. Today, millions are
spent to persuade buyers that one car is
better than another car.
A product that no one knows about is useless.
An idea that is not discussed is wasted. A
program that the members know nothing about
is squandered. For the leadership not to keep
its followers fully informed about the
organization is a golden opportunity thrown
away.
Many of our lodges have a large percentage of
their members living beyond commuting
distance. But those distant Brethren have a
right to know what their lodge is doing,
plans on doing, and has done. They support
their lodge, even if it's only through paying
their dues. They cannot be present
frequently, but they are still loyal members.
Their lodge should recognize this loyalty by
not ignoring them.
All this means that there must be written
communication between the lodge and its
members. Here's a partial list of the
PURPOSES of a LODGE PUBLICATION:
- To inform the members of the lodge's
objectives, plans, problems, and programs
- To show how the member is vital to the
success of the lodge
- To help create well-informed Master Masons
- To recognize the achievements of the
members in Freemasonry and the community
- To provide Masonic social intercourse for
members and their families
To accomplish the foregoing there are many
techniques that can be employed. The money
available must be considered, but it should
not be the prime consideration. Every dollar
spent will be returned over and over again in
renewed interest in the lodge. This will be
evidenced in numerous ways. Dues will be paid
more promptly, attendance will increase, and
out-of-town members will be heard from
frequently. And that will be only the
beginning of the benefits.
Large companies use magazine-type
publications three to one over newspaper and
bulletin types. They can charge the cost to
profit and loss for tax purposes; the lodge
must absorb the cost. It, too, should
consider the profit and loss aspect. It can
by determining whether or not the benefits
derived (or desired) exceed the unwanted
considerations. If they are greater, there is
a profit; if not, the project should be
abandoned because there is a loss.
A lodge publication doesn't have to be
elaborate to be effective. One of the better
ones that I have seen over the years was
simply and inexpensively done. It was a legal
sized piece of light blue paper ( 8 «" by 14"
), divided into eight columns (four on the
front and four on the back), and printed on
an offset press. It was typed by the editor's
secretary on white paper, then photocopied
onto a metal master. The photographs,
cartoons, and other drawings were made to fit
a column, then pasted in before the plate was
made.
I say this was one of "the better ones"
because it was neatly produced and contained
more valuable Masonic information than many
publications of much greater cost and size.
The Worshipful Master had a column in which
he discussed his plans. The Educational
Officer had as much space as he needed to
convey his message. There was always a column
headed: "In the Opinion of the Editor . . ."
There were Masonic messages from outstanding
Masonic writers. There were news items about
what other members were doing. There were
occasional photographs and in almost every
issue there was a cartoon.
The "News" was mailed to every member and to
every lodge within a twenty-five mile radius.
Consequently, visitors at times were more
plentiful than members. This speaks well for
the publication-the average attendance of
members was always over thirty percent! They
attended because they knew in advance it was
worthwhile to leave the reclining chair and
television. They were going to enjoy a
Masonic experience.
Two contests were run by the "News" during
its first year. One invited the ladies to
write on "Why I'm Glad My Husband is a
Mason." The members could write on any
Masonic subject that struck their fancy. At
the end of the year, prizes were awarded
publicly to the winners. The contest was
continued for several years.
A publication must first attract the
potential reader; then it must hold his
attention. Every lodge has men with
imagination, with creative ability, who will
take the time necessary to help an editor
with a well-rounded publication. Examples of
excellent publications can be found
everywhere. A little initiative can make
yours different and better than any other
Masonic publication. Keep it Masonic in
nature. Strive for clear, concise,
understandable writing. Use sharp
photographs. Keep the cartoon and humor
within Masonic bounds.
Comedy is an essential means of
communication. Often we can get our points
across better with humor than any other way.
For several years the Grand Lodge of
Virginia, through its Education Committee,
did this during its Annual Communication. It
presented a skit called "The Lodge of
Confusion." It portrayed the mistakes
commonly made in lodges throughout the
Jurisdiction, exaggerating them only
slightly. Many an officer confessed that he
learned the right way to act from laughing
with the cast during Grand Lodge.
A danger signal should be hoisted here.
Comedy should have a serious purpose. Farces
should be vehicles for sound common sense. We
rely upon clowns (like Brother Red Skelton),
cartoonists, and song writers to give us
insights that will help us form worth-while
opinions. We must use comedy wisely. An
example of the judicious use of comedy, or
satire, to help form public opinion is that
of the great humorist, Brother Will Rogers,
one of the most influential voices of his
day.
Surveys show that the lack of communication,
or the wrong kind, is the weakest link in
exemplifying "the principles of leadership".
You will recall that these are planning, goal
setting, organizing, staffing, communicating,
and controlling. Without meaningful
communication no goal can be reached, and
probably won't even be set. There can be
little or no planning without information
being passed along to those below or above
us. No organization can long prosper without
effective communication.
In Key to Freemasonry's Growth (1) we read:
"Communication, to put it simply, is
conveying information from one person or
group to another person or group. It sounds
easy, but in actual practice it has proven
one of the greatest barriers to the success
of many organizations. It is a difficult
process. Communication does fall apart and
goals come tumbling down."
Conrad Hahn, in the film Breaking Barriers to Communication (2) said: "Why does
communication fall apart? The behavioral scientists believe they have the
answer. They believe that the greatest barrier to meaningful communication is
HUMAN NATURE." Aristotle, born 384 B. C., believed the same thing. He declared
that to communicate effectively a person must be able to understand human
character and behavior in their various forms; he must reason logically; he must
understand emotions.
A modern day Professor of Communication Arts,
David K. Berlo, follows the Aristotelean
theory in this not so simple definition of
the not so simple art of communication: "Our
basic purpose in communication is to become
an affecting agent, to affect others, our
physical environment, and ourselves; to
become a determining agent; to have a vote in
how things are. In short, we communicate to
influence - to affect with intent."
"To make it even shorter," said Brother Hahn,
"we communicate to change, or affect, human
behavior. There is really no other reason for
communicating. And here we have the greatest
barrier to meaningful communication - HUMAN
NATURE".
He went on to list these six BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION:
- Human Nature
- Organizational Realities
- Assumptions
- Prejudice
- Fear
- Low Trust
Each of these barriers is related to human
nature. So, it is most important to remember
that Freemasons are in the "people business".
About ORGANIZATIONAL REALITIES Brother Hahn
said: "In any organization where one man, or
a small group of men, runs the show, there
will be little or no communication. Ideas for
improvement will be stifled, ignored, or
sometimes belittled. Consequently, ideas will
not be suggested. And without ideas no
organization can grow. `Take it or leave it'
plans, iron-clad rules and regulations,
prevent creativity, because upward and
downward communication cannot function when
freedom of expression is discouraged."
This is the principal reason I strongly
suggested in Part IV of this series that
Teamwork is important; that Teams replace the
traditional committee structure.
ASSUMPTIONS cause us to make mistakes in
judgment, for we assume that our words mean
the same to others as they do to us. We tend
to forget that all of us look at life through
restricted windows. Our vision is narrowed by
our environment, our associates, our work,
our organizations.
PREJUDICE causes us to see things that don't
exist. It helps us to shrug off things we
don't like and to accept the things we do.
The truth has trouble existing where
prejudice lives.
FEAR of reprisals, fear of sarcasm, fear of
ridicule, fear of criticism will keep ideas
locked in the mind of a timid person. No one
who is afraid can function effectively. Fear
also breeds LOW TRUST. And where there is low
trust there are likely to be more barriers to
communication than have been discussed here.
Brother Hahn tells us how to break barriers
to communication: "By putting ourselves in
the other fellow's shoes. By understanding
and accepting human nature. By understanding
that the facts, actions, thoughts, knowledge,
and emotions of others differ from ours. By
realizing that no two human beings have ever
been exposed to and molded by exactly the
same experiences."
If we will take this into consideration, the
major source of difficulty in communicating
will be eliminated. If we will practice
EMPATHY - this is the art of putting
ourselves in the other fellow's place - we'll
be able to communicate with anyone in a
meaningful way. The Constructive Leader will
practice empathy. He'll study human behavior
and put his understanding t o work for the
good of the organization.
The film lists the following ways of BREAKING
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION:
- Discard the "Crutch"
- Talk About Ideas
- Utilize Non-verbal Communication
- Use Examples
- Danger - I Assumed!
- Don't Prejudge
- Learn to Listen
- Welcome Feedback
Too often we use "organizational realities"
as a "crutch" or an excuse to do nothing.
This is a favorite of the Obstructive Leader.
The Constructive Leader will see in the
policies and rules of the Lodge and Grand
Lodge an opportunity to use them as guides
rather than obstacles. The good leader won't
lean on a "crutch" of any kind.
Ideas that ace locked in the mind are of no
value to anyone. It is said that for every
idea that has been put into practice there
have been ten people who thought about it.
The trouble is, they only thought about it.
So talk about ideas. Discuss them with
others. Work with them. You'll be amazed at
how much you can accomplish.
Non-verbal communication is used hundreds of
times daily. At times this can work wonders.
Brother Benjamin Franklin proved it. He
wanted to see the streets of Philadelphia
lighted, but he knew the city fathers would
howl about the expense. Instead of trying to
persuade them verbally, he simply hung a
beautiful lantern on a long bracket in front
of his home. People carefully picking their
way along the streets at night came out of
the dark into the well-lighted area in front
of Franklin's home. Soon most of his
neighbors placed lights in front of their
homes. It wasn't long before the entire city
awoke to the value of street lighting.
Franklin achieved his goal. He had overcome
organizational realities through non-verbal
communication-and by using an example. Don't
be afraid to use examples.
We can overcome the barrier of assumptions,
even though assumptions must always be with
us. We can use them in the right way. For
instance: we must always assume that the
receiver won't get our message unless we make
it clear. We'll make it clear if we'll
remember that MEANINGS ARE IN PEOPLE - NOT IN
WORDS. Then, too, we must stop transferring
OUR motives to the other fellow; we must not
draw conclusions until all the facts are in;
we must avoid making snap judgments. And we
must always remember that the two most
dangerous words in our language are - I
ASSUMED!
Prejudice will disappear if we'll stop
prejudging, if we'll remember that
preconceived judgments are caused by past
experience or teachings. These are too often
based on insufficient knowledge. They
probably don't fit present circumstances
anyway. We should give the other fellow
credit for having dreams and aspirations, and
learn what they are, because then we will
learn to appreciate him more.
Where there is fear there is always low
trust. Where these exist there can be no
growth. Both can be eliminated by bringing
the causes out into the open. Gossip
contributes to fear, low trust, and all the
other barriers to communication. Truth is the
only way to stop gossip. Truth is considered
a "divine attribute" in Freemasonry, so
gossip should be unknown among us.
Listening is one of the most difficult, yet
most important, skills in communication. It
is too often neglected. And we must learn to
"listen" with our eyes as well as our ears.
Meanings are frequently conveyed by actions
rather than by words, so the eyes can "hear"
much that the ear will miss.
To obtain feedback - information communicated
upward, downward, and sideways - to our
superiors, our subordinates, and our equals -
we must learn to listen well. Feedback is the
only way to determine how well, or badly, we
are doing in accomplishing our objectives or
goals. The Constructive Leader seeks and
welcomes feedback; the Obstructive Leader
wants no part of it. The amount of feedback
present tells what kind of communication
exists. Where the atmosphere is trusting,
where men don't fear their superiors, where
there are good listeners, there is feedback
that accomplishes growth.
Obviously there can be no Constructive
Leadership unless there is meaningful
communication. Without such communication we
cannot put into practice the ideas in the
first five Short Talks of this series, nor
those that will follow. Here we've merely
touched upon the subject, but the key points
have been covered. The "Leader's Guide" for
the film, Breaking Barriers to Communication,
sums up the thoughts brought out in the film
and this series as follows:
"Leadership is an absolute necessity if
Freemasonry is to grow. To obtain this
leadership, education and dedication to the
principles of Freemasonry are necessary.
Constructive Leaders must be able to
recognize the barriers to communication that
exist. Then they must practice removing those
barriers. They will then be able to grow men
into the leaders that the Organization must
have.
"We must learn to empathize - to put
ourselves in the other fellow's shoes - to
talk about ideas, to be creative, to welcome
feedback - constructive criticism. We must
learn to be better listeners to make us
better communicators.
"We must remember that words are merely
symbols and mean only what WE think they
mean. We must not assume that they mean the
same to the other fellow as they do to us.
MEANINGS ARE IN PEOPLE. Those meanings have
been put in their minds through lifelong
association, real and imagined."
Communication - is it important? Yes! It's
the most important aspect of being an
excellent leader.
1. From the book for Masonic leaders, Key to
Freemasonry's Growth, by Allen E. Roberts,
Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Co.,
Richmond. Va.
2. Breaking Barriers to Communication, a
Masonic Leadership Training Film, featuring
M. W. Conrad Hahn, produced for Macoy.
Quotations from the script have been used in
this Short Talk Bulletin by permission of
Macoy.
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