Can a lack of communication be the difference between life and death?

I was shocked about the news this week regarding the Costa Concordia crashing into rocks off Giglio Porto and subsequently sinking. This has resulted in the death of at least 11 people with another 24 still missing. A sad loss of life’s that simply should have been avoided.

In the aftermath, Captain Francesco Schettino has been arrested on suspicion of multiple manslaughter with some reports suggested that he was amongst the first to leave the ship after the crash.

As some of this is unsubstantiated at this moment in time I will refrain from passing my own judgment on the man.

However, recently video footage has been released in which a female crew member is urging passengers to return to their cabins. Passengers were also told that the problem was electrical and confined to the ships generator. Apparently, the footage comes from the period after the ship hit the reef. In another audio tape aired yesterday a crew member is heard describing the situation to a port authority official as a blackout.

Wherever the truth lies regarding what actually happened in the time before and after the crash, I can clearly tell that there was a distinct lack of communication from the crew to the passengers as well as to the port officials.

I work for an organisation that appreciates the importance of communication, whether that is internal to your peers and bosses or external to other stakeholders and clients. We have spent the best part of a century coaching and training people in this area, who are looking to gain credibility, increase team member engagement or simply to develop their own careers.

I love the work I do, so much so that I about to undergo my training to become a trainer / coach for the company and so will be dedicating my life to improving the communication skills (amongst other key soft skill areas) of individuals, teams and companies in the years to come.

I understand that in the current tough economic climate a lack of communication has a massive impact on the ability of an organisation to thrive or survive.

However, after reflecting on the aforementioned events it really saddens me to think that many innocent lives were snatched away under these circumstances.

My thoughts are with everyone that lost their life, the people still missing and all their respective friends and family.

A lack of communication can really be the difference between life and death.

Amar Garcha