Tutorial 3: The Ten (10) Components of Platinum Communications

Multiple methods for improving communication exist.  Successful individuals and organizations work to master many of these tools and techniques.

The complexity of communicating effectively in our globalized world, however, cannot be met by mastering only a few methods.  Rather, each of us must master many methods.

Platinum Communication integrates existing communication practices into a single framework to guide individuals in mastering the tools and techniques needed for effective communication. 

Platinum Communications can only be achieved by practicing all component parts. 

Components of Platinum Communication

Level 1: Know Your Audience

Level 1 of our framework contains only a single component.  It is the ‘bulls-eye’.

• L1C1 Know Your Audience

For any situation, take as much time as you can to get to know the audience.  The challenge of discovering the values, beliefs, culture, feelings, and your relationship increases with audience size.  Failing to know your audience inhibits your relationship.  Knowing your audience enhances your engagement. 

Level 2: Know Yourself

Level 2 of our framework contains 2 components:

• L2C2 Know Yourself

Knowing yourself is an emotional and intellectual task.  Knowing what makes you tick internally and externally is required to be genuine and authentic.  Knowing what triggers your gratitude, anger, helpfulness, sadness, and responsiveness is the start of discovering the real you.  It’s a daily task that never ends.

• L2C3 Deepen Self-Awareness

Knowing yourself deeper.  When do your thoughts and values revert to long established default patterns?  What puts a smile on your face?  When do you hide stuff from your closest friends?  When do you change information to suit your image?  What do you do to influence others?  What questions do you dislike being asked?  What prompts passive or aggressive behavior? 

Level 3: Know Others

Level 3 of our framework contains 3 components:

• L3C4 Discover/Acknowledge Perspectives of Others

Perspective is a way of regarding a person, situation, or subject.  Knowing others involves true understanding of what the other is seeing, hearing, feeling, believing.  Active listening is required as you probe deeper and deeper into the values of the other.

• L3C5 Acknowledge Differences without Judgment

Differences occur because we each care deeply about our mindset, values, people, or things.  Remember these things are as important to others as yours are to you.  Respect differences in others.  Judgment often happens when we ask WHY questions.  “Why did you come home late?” is often spoken in anger and is a judgment, not a question.  A non-judgmental approach is to ask an information question: “What happened last night?”

• L3C6 Use the Language of Others

Listening to the words and meanings of others is a strenuous task.  If the person’s words are ambiguous, raise your hand and say, “I’m sorry to interrupt.  I just do not understand what I heard.  Would you mind telling me what you want me to know?”  Use their words to state their point back to them to see if you are following properly.  Likewise, when you are speaking, ask regularly whether they are understanding what you are saying. 

Level 4: Create Collaborative Partnerships

Level 4 of our framework contains 4 components:

• L4C7 Create a Place of Comfort/Safety and Overcome Fear

Comfort is a powerful word meaning “with strength,” or “strengthen to produce physical ease”.  When comfortable, we become open, caring, and sharing.  A place of comfort is a place of safety, and we communicate in a comfortable, trusting, and safe manner.  Trust trumps Fears which are always lurking.

• L4C8 Practice Emotional Intelligence and Empathy

Emotional Intelligence is how you handle relationships with others: sincere interest, language, tone of voice, and body language.  Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.  The purpose of listening is understanding.  When you are understood or when you understand another person, you make a connection. 

• L4C9 Practice Educare (Ask Before Telling)

Most of us are born of parents and teachers who tell us what is good for us.  Do this.  Do that.  Educare is used by master teachers who ask first, then tell only if there are gaps in the information provided by the student. 

• L4C10 Create Working Partnerships

Partnership enhances cooperation, connection, and collaboration.  Partnerships are not established to fix others.  The camaraderie established in a serious and sincere partnership results in compacts that are difficult to break.  Partnerships are built on trust, mutual respect, and  good will.

Conclusion

Platinum Communication is not just another option.  It is the standard by which all interactions will be judged.  Responsible communicators provide reasons for beliefs and emotions and accept the consequences of decisions.  Platinum communicators do not hide behind unsubstantiated information and/or vague statements.  Transparency is the key to effective communication and therefore relationships.  This is practice that begins to change the world.

Allow yourself freedom to think differently about every word you speak – verbally and non-verbally – and assure others you are sincere about establishing a meaningful relationship.  Platinum Communication prepares you to deliver a revolutionary style of communication that sets you apart. 

The Platinum Communication Framework is the Roadmap describing the essential components of communication. It is the map to practicing the Platinum Rule.   The stories that follow provide tools and techniques that help you practice the component parts of this Roadmap.