When we speak about communication, we speak about something that is both finite and abstract. It is finite in the sense that only our species has the ability to orally communicate -- but abstract in the sense that not all communications we make are easily and thoroughly understood by those we make them to.

To be an effective communicator, one must first understand the limitations that societies place upon both the speakers and the receivers when the communication outflow is given. There is a reason that all things spoken are neither received nor understood by those spoken to. The same applies to the written word.

To understand how to effectively make your point when communicating, you must understand the three basic types of the people you will be speaking to. All societies have the same basic composition of these three basic types of people, and they are easily grouped.

For want of better terms, I refer to them as Builders, Maintainers, and Destructors.

Maintainers

Maintainers typically occupy ninety-percent of our rank and file. They are known for their ability to maintain the status quo -- in political circles they are referred to as the "mainstream".

Simply put, they go with the flow. They are far and away the easiest group of people to communicate with. They make up the majority of the work force, and communication is very important to them as they seek to improve their position.

They are also the most fluid sector of any society, and they can be easily swayed from one extreme to another, conversely from one position to another. There are very few true white-collar workers in this segment of society.

Everything that is communicated to this group will not always be acted upon -- but it will always be given much thought and deliberation. They can be easily identified with by their noncommittal attitude, utilizing key words such as "maybe", "perhaps", "I think...", etc. Key phrases that identify them would include, "If you think it will work, we'll try it" and, "Maybe it will, maybe it won't". In a true political sense, this is the electorate -- the voting public -- the ones that hold the fabric and work force of any society in place.

Nearly one-hundred percent of the advertising dollars spent in this country are targeted towards this group of our society, for they are truly the ones with disposable income that can be steered by all facets of communications. If you are speaking publicly to a group, expect these people to ask questions and take notes -- but rarely will they bring up a confrontational subject -- even less rarely will they react to it.

Destructors

The next segmental group of a society is perhaps the most difficult for anyone to communicate with -- and as a general rule they are also one of the greatest barriers to effective communication. This group I name the Destructors, for their goal in life is to simply to be disruptive. You will find them in every crowd, though thankfully they only compose about five-percent of the societal structure.

These are the true dissidents -- the people that have to try to tear apart the status quo to force change according to their agenda. They are also the pessimists of any society, and can be identified by such words and phrases as "it won't work" or "no way", and "I can't!"

Because of their attitude they are very hard to communicate with. History is filled with Destructors -- and although they can be found in every walk of life -- they are not easy to stereotype and thus they can bring the maintainers into their ranks. This does not constitute a lateral move, but instead a downward direction. They often preach a doctrine of anarchy, or of rebellion, and are literally an affront to every civilized society. But, it takes all kinds of people to make a civilization work.

Builders

The third and final group of people who form a cognizant society are the Builders. These are the role models, the greater than life heroes every society needs. They are very easy to recognize, and one of their most important functions is to pull the Maintainers into their ranks to create and build the infrastructures that both guide and provide.

They are roughly equal in number to the Destructors -- about five-percent of any society is composed of members of this group. They are both effective communicators and easy to communicate with. They are leaders, and thus set the policies and rules that the Maintainers abide by.

These are the true optimists, and derive self-satisfaction from seeing the status quo originated and then maintained. They may not all wear white collars -- or a large "S" on their caped uniforms -- but you can identify them quite easily by their attitude. Their key words and phrases are geared to success. "You bet it will work", or "I don't want to know why it won't work, I want to know why it will work!" are often used phrases.

These are people of courage and conviction, and are greatly admired and respected by the vast majority of any society. History is filled with these figures too -- there are vast libraries written about their legions. Though they are not all great people, they all have great attitudes. Many are clergy, but some are as common as the postman who delivers your daily mail -- and then coaches a Little League team to victory after his work day has ended. Some are Presidents, some wear medals of valor, some are janitors, but all are admired!

Which group best categorizes your values? The ability to effectively communicate depends on the attitude and the category you place yourself in. Never be afraid to listen, for listening is the key to knowledge. Never be afraid to speak, for speaking is the key to communicating!