I am the Director of Information Services for the company I work for. I have had a similar discussion with a couple of the folks that report to me.

Here is how I see this issue. It's all relevant. What is that mean? Simply that your approach should be fine-tuned to your audience. If you are talking to a financial person - talk numbers. If you are talking to someone who is visually oriented - draw pictures. If you are talking to someone who is a "striaght-shooter" shoot back straight.

It's easy for those of us who "understand" the issue that is being discussed to present it in a logical manner - that is what we do when we develop or analyze something. But, to relay that information to another that does not share that type of background is difficult.

In addition to targeting my approach to the audience - for those that don't have a technical background - I try to find an analogy that is similiar in nature and explain using the analogy. In the case where you can not find a relevant (meaning something they can relate to in their field) try using something totally outrageous. Funny how the mind works - throw a very outrageous analogy at it and it will draw the proper conclusion - kinda like a old fashioned coffee perculator - the realization then tends to perculate up to the conscious mind.

Communication - it is just another tool for our tool belts and like Perl - there is more than one way to skin a camel or is that supposed to be cat?!