June Newsletter

'Imply Or Infer?'; 'Every Body Speaks The Language'; and 'You Want To Work As A Freelancer?'

Hello everyone

In this edition of Better Communication, as well as the regular BeWord Wise and Lift Your Language features, I also share a few observations and tips for those of you who might be considering freelancing They come from 17 years of experience of ‘going it alone’ as a writer, editor and consultant.

It would be great to hear from others who have tales to tell of the ‘solopreneur’ life – the pluses and the minuses.

Best regards

Janette

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Imply Or Infer?

Many people confuse these words. They are both verbs that deal with the communication of a message but they have different meanings.

‘To imply’ means to suggest something, without saying it directly. It might be accompanied by other evidence (e.g. tone, body language, actions)

The noun form of the word is implication.

‘Implying’ and ‘implications’ primarily involve the sender of a message.

‘To infer’ means to draw a conclusion from what has been implied and from any other available evidence

The noun form is inference.

‘Inferring’ and ‘inferences’ primarily involve’ the receiver of a message.

When communication is successful

Often, implications and inferences work well together; the speaker (or writer) implies something and the listener (or reader) infers something from it.

For example:

Jo: (pushing away books, closing the laptop and closing the eyes) It’s no use. I’m totally exhausted!

Alex: I take it you’ll have to finish the report tomorrow?

In fiction, implication is a handy way to ‘show, not tell’.

For example:

Verity grabbed her hat and sunnies and dashed towards the door.

‘Don’t forget the sunscreen!’ Mum called after her.

The implication is that it is a hot and sunny day, probably in summer. Readers would make that inference.

They might also infer that Mum is protective or that Verity is forgetful but they would probably need other examples to support it.

When communication doesn’t work

Because implications are indirect, there can be misunderstandings and, therefore, inferences might be wrong.

For example:

Sam: I'm going to the recruitment office.

Jamie: Oh, you want a new job

Sam: No, I’m picking up my brother who works there.

Remember

• As a sender, be aware that your implications might lead to inaccurate inferences; sometimes it pays to be more direct.

• As a receiver, check your inferences before responding or acting; sometimes it’s better to seek clarification.

• As always, the key purpose of communication is that messages are sent and received as intended.

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Every Body Speaks The Language

The focus this month is on body language. In many ways it’s just as important as spoken or written language (words). Body language includes movement, posture, gestures and facial expressions. It’s a language and you need to be fluent in it. Follow the link to find out more….

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You Want To Work As A Freelancer?

Make no mistake: if you want to work as a freelancer, there are plenty of advantages.

It’s the ultimate human-centred workplace. And you are the human being at the centre – and everywhere else. Because there is only you.

Freelancing is liberating, it’s motivating and a lot of the time it’s fun. It’s just that you need to be aware of the other side of the coin.

For every major plus, there are potential pitfalls, too: isolation, the weight of total responsibility and a zillion opportunities to be distracted.

This month I deal with the F in Freelancer: Flexibility, possibly the biggest plus; and Failure to take advantage, a pitfall for even the most experienced.

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