how to become a communication agent

How To Become A Communication Agent
I am about to refine and improve the organization and layout of this Web site.
My goal is one of providing more "focus" on the critical mission I am after.
As I have been studying and learning much in my ten fields of interest the amount of Good content available in each one is quite significant.
While so far the content has been helping Web surfers of all kinds coming from search engines with specific questions, my audience is gradually but rapidly changing to include a great number of people who want to communicate better and more effectively while increasing their reach and effectiveness.
In this light I have decided to change my "Vista Points" (content categories), which you see listed on the left side of my pages, into "How Tos" for Communication Agents.
Here I am listing the "How Tos" categories that intend to use. My goal is to try to cover a comprehensive and sensible set of areas I am very familar with to provide a conundrum of what it takes to become an effective Communication Agent.
Am I forgetting something?
Are critical activities of a Communication Agent well covered?
Are there terms or items that you feel are inappropriate?
Please give a look at what you see and provide me with your revised and improved version by using the comments facility at the end of this article.Simply copy and paste my list below and re-edit it in the comments box.
Robin Good's 12 Critical How-Tos To Become Effective Communication Agents
1. Learn*Turn off your TV*Question media*Explore new resources*Inform yourself*Track information
2. Find*ReSearch*Find*Store & Archive*Filter & Categorize
4. Be smart*Attain privacy online*Secure your PC*Authenticate yourself*Outsmart spammers
5. Sync-up*Share and Exchange*Collaborate online*Network*Create synergies
6. Prepare content*Prepare digital images*Visualize information*Write & Report*Organize content*Translate
7. Design*Design information*Design publications*Design Web sites*Design interaction
8. Test*Test technologies*Track resources*Provide techsupport
9. Make it accessible*Simplify*Make it easy to use*Test & verify
10. Transmit*Present*Distribute*Publish*Broadcast & Stream*Make the news*Create a buzz
11. Protect*Protect it*Share it*Copyright it?
12. Be Your Own Boss*Market online*Promote and Sell*Find partners *Link with others
Let me read your point of view.

posted by Robin Good on Tuesday May 13 2003updated on Friday May 21 2004

1. Learn*Turn off your TV*Question media*Explore new resources*Inform yourself*Track information*Be up-to-date (Comment: note different sequence to show an approximate "path" people would have to follow to really start learning. Also, the last point be up-to-date could be dropped without too much loss of meaning...)
2. Find*ReSearch*Find*Store & Archive*Filter & Categorize
4. Be smart*Attain privacy online*Secure your PC*Authenticate yourself*Fight spam(Comment: I would rather say "Outsmart spammers")*Protect your privacy(Comment: This last point - I changed the sequence - could also be dropped because it is a summary of the other points and doesn't add. Especially "attain privacy on line" really already says it.)
5. Sync-up*Share and Exchange*Collaborate online*Network*Create synergies(Comment: see slight change in sequence - again to show the probable sequence of steps)
6. Prepare content*Prepare digital images*Visualize information*Write & Report*Organize content*Translate*DeBabelize(Comment: I think translate and de-babelize are synonymous and I would therefore drop the translate)
7. Design*Design information*Design publications*Design Web sites*Design interaction(Comment: Suggest changing the sequence as shown here)
8. Test*Test technologies*Track resources*Provide techsupport
9. Make it accessible*Simplify*Make it easy to use*Test & verify(Comment: suggest change of sequence)
10. Transmit*Present*Distribute*Publish*Broadcast & Stream*Make the news*Create a buzz(Comment: change of sequence suggested)
11. Protect*Protect it*Share it*Copyright it?(Comment: again a change of sequence suggested)
12. Be Your Own Boss*Market online*Promote and Sell*Recruit partners (Comment: I would prefer "Find partners")*Link with others
May 15, 2003 05:49 PM
Antonella
Robin,
mine is not going to be an actual review or point-by-point comment, rather a more general reflection on the overall approach.
Becoming a communication agent involves first of all the ability to listen to others and observe what's going on around you. It's an ability one can develop and improve, although some do have a talent for it. The moment you want to establish a connection with someone and pass on a message, you need to know what they're more sensitive to, what's close to their heart and interests, what their needs are.
You don't need to be the finest psychologist, but you can certainly listen to their words and worries and enthusiastic fits and then decide how to approach sending out the message.
Finding the fit between what you have to say and what your "recipient" (will you allow me this cold word?) needs implies a process of listening, observation and adaptation to her language and situation, perspective and needs. One of the most popular design-geeks sayings goes "Give your users what they need, not what they say they want". You need to interpret what you gather from your environment so that you can find the "key" to other people's attention.
I see this process happening in any context. Culture clashes, bad moods, different priorities, motivation can all stand in the way of the most brilliant ideas.
That's when facilitation comes in, and it can take oh-so many forms: negotiation, training, education, evangelization, the proverbial elevator's pitch. Finding the right words, smiling at the right moment, pushing it hard, providing supporting evidence...
And eventually comes trust. Why should I listen to you if I don't trust you? How do you win trust in the (apparently) most impersonal of environments? How do you appeal to your recipients' experience so that they can identify themselves and go "Hei, that's true!"? I think this is what really differentiates a communication agent from a public relations office or a big media company.
Going back to your 12 how-tos, I'd suggest you slip "listen" and "observe" into 1.Learn or 2. Find (or Find out?). I leave it to you to find a comfy place for "facilitate" and "win trust".
Your faithful(l) Marian