Communicating effectively with people is a minimum-requirement skill in our ever-changing global marketplace. Our world is filled with information, but that isn't enough. We need understanding, and that calls for transcending what philosopher William James called "the most immutable barrier in nature," the barrier between one person's thoughts and another's.

Clear communication conveys meaning through instruction, information and inspiration. By bridging the distance between human beings through effective communication, we can build a more peaceful world of understanding and meaningful dialogue.

Dr. Nido R. Qubein is president of High Point University and author of more than a dozen books on communication, leadership and achievement.  Dr. Qubein has twice been named by one of the country's leading and largest communication training firms, San Francisco-based Decker Communications, to its annual Top Ten Communicators list.