Radio Check, Radio Check this is your Inner Voice - Over!

Communicating through radio – when, why and how?

Back in 1886, the great German physicist Heinrich Hertz identifies the radio wave. Around 10 years later, Guglielmo Marconi starts prototyping the first radio transmitters and receivers, and in the early 1900’s these devices they go out for commercial use.

I don’t want to go deep in the specific of the different radio waves nor modulation methods, so I’m just going to structure it like this: Radio waves are electrical charges that lose their signal strength based on distance, therefore they can be received in a limited range. In radio communication, information is carried across space through these radio waves.

Two-way radios, one of the most common communication devices know to men, can both transmit and receive a signal, unlike a broadcast receiver. They usually use a single channel and operate in a half-duplex mode: the user can talk or he can listen, but not both at the same time, unlike our cell phones, which are the best example of a full-duplex two-way radios.

Two-way radio is a common thing to see in many jobs – from military personnel to pilots, journalists, sailors, oil rig workers, truckers and even astronauts. It has saved numerous lives, kept people out of isolation and allowed quick, precise communication thanks to its 4 golden rules – clarity, simplicity, brevity and security.
You can see the complete list of Radio etiquette rules here

You might think - “What does radio communication has to do with our inner voice?” Well, I want to prove you that through following the basic principles of Radio Etiquette, one could keep a very, healthy relationship with their inner voice.

How radio etiquette rules apply to our inner-voice as people

Discovering our inner voice–station

To start an inner-dialogue, you'd have to allow yourself to discover the bandwidth of your inner-voice itself. See, we as humans are very good at deceiving ourselves. Many times we won't even notice that it's our Ego speaking – whether it is hurt or just willing to prove itself worthy. One has to be present of the influence others have on them while communicating, so they could be mindful with their feelings. Once we're careful with the arising emotions throughout the communication with others, then we are scanning the inner-voice bandwidth with precision.

Why our inner-talks are like a two-way radio

When using a two-way radio, you cannot speak and listen at the same time, as you can with a phone. Same applies to your inner-talks. Be patient with yourself, listen to yourself and only interrupt if it's an emergency. Allow to understand. Analyse. Then respond.

Perform radio checks to ensure your radio is in good working condition

Ensure the battery is charged and the power is on

Before diving in your new project, a design review or just a regular talk with a friend, always make sure that you are aware of your inner voice as a person. It's inevitable to have one, and honestly, many times it's actually doing you a favour. Just don't forget to stay in touch and to listen.

Keep the volume high enough to be able to hear calls

Make sure that you'll be able to hear your inner-calls. Once connected, It's of great importance to be present to your comms. Increasing the volume would mean staying present with your inner voice, throughout the whole communication session you're attending. (For example, your design review)

Regularly make radio checks to make sure everything is working

Remind yourself that many times, our Ego is the sole reason for our conflicts. Doing yourself a favour for regular "radio checks" would mean to take a couple of breaths, bring your rationality, kindness and focus together and connect to the right bandwidth. The more check-ups you have, the more comfortable you'll become with analysing your behaviour.

Taming your inner voice when communicating with others

Think before you speak

The golden rule in all communication. I've always aimed to apply this in both my personal and work life. You might think "Who doesn't think before they speak", yet I can assure you, all of us do. My go-to check-list when communicating work is:

• Avoiding lengthy and complicated sentences.

  If a broadcast is long, then it's better to break it down into shorter messages, since you might lose signal. In the case of humans – they’ll either get bored or lose track of what you’re saying.

• Think through what you're going to say before you say it

  Sounds easy, yet it has been pretty challenging at times, especially when pressured by time. When I feel pressured by a question or when I need to explain a decision I took in my work, I usually ask for minute or two, in order to formulate a proper reply.

• Aim for short, precise and clear conversations

  When going through design reviews, especially if you're explaining your project. If you've thought your work out well, then you'll be able to describe your decisions concisely. This will help you save time for both your time and your interlocutors.

Human communication is one of the most complex actions encountered in our planet. In my opinion, our inner-conversations is at least equally tricky. With this read, I wanted to spark an idea in you, that we should probably spend more time communicating with ourselves. I'm a firm believer that constructing and following an etiquette for inner-communication has great potential in our self-development as smarter, kinder and gentler beings. The radio-comms analogy was just a brief example of this.

Over and out,
Alexander