The New Communication Playbook

I believe that communication - whether through speech or writing - will be the skill to master in the coming era.

AI can’t manage and motivate others, come up with effective ideas - or paint a compelling vision of the future.

Because machines only know what they’ve been programmed to know. And, I can’t exactly see people being inspired to action by…a robot.

In my view, the major difference will be that management will be less about hiring others to simply carry out orders and more about motivating the right candidates to join specific missions.

Let’s look into three principles that will be crucial for persuasion success in the years to come.

 #1 Principle:

Inspiring instead of Hiring

Picture this: thousands of groups full of motivated people working together on big goals across the world.

AI will naturally end up doing much of the grunt work. But, original ideas will be needed and creativity will be needed.

Direction will be needed.

The ability to persuade, to get others to follow - will become the way to get ahead of the competition and succeed in pursuing goals.

This way, attention can be focused on what really matters.

Tapping into the timeless and very human needs for optimism and unity will become a skill in high demand.

 #2 Principle:

The Audience Shapes the Message

Society is becoming increasingly polarised. Many say that’s a bad thing - on the other hand it’s a reality that needs to be understood.

As people align themselves with specific causes, the audience will increasingly shape the message.

It may seem that there are many individuals (and companies) who are steadfast in their beliefs, never missing an opportunity to virtue signal.

But, there are equally as many - if not more - who are terrified of coming down on one side or another.

We are at this inbetween phase where it’s not been fully internalised that there is no longer one mainstream approved version of the narrative.

It will become increasingly apparent that the true power of communication lies in the ability to connect with people where they are and that the era of the top-down ‘approved’ message is firmly at an end.

 #3 Principle:

Take Control of the Agora

In ancient Athens, the agora acted as a hub of social, political and economic life.

Philosophers, statesmen and generals used the agora to give speeches and engage with attentive crowds. Even your average person could take part in contests to improve rhetorical skills.

Fast-forward to today and oratory ability seems to have gone downhill. On social media (the modern-day version of the agora), anonymous social media accounts shout into cyberspace, without care for their audience.

It’s unfortunate that the art of rhetoric isn’t taught as part of the main curriculum in school.

It’s up to us to make the effort to improve our powers of persuasion and take back control of this modern agora, so we are better-equipped to navigate the complexities of modern communication.

By reminding ourselves of this ancient art, we can develop convincing arguments and apply them to the challenges of the future.

While the tools may change, the main principles of rhetoric have remained the same for 2,000 plus years.