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# Is Message Not Received a Departure?
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/is-message-not-received-a-departure/
- Published: 2015-02-03T13:11:30.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-05T12:13:01.000Z
- Description: Understanding how this book relates to my prior six.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Announcements, Communication, IoT, Marketing, Message Not Received

For the last few weeks, I've moved from editing mode to media-whore/marketing mode. Truth be told, I prefer the former to the latter, but the fleas come with the dog.

As I recently tweeted:

> [#Writing](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Writing?src=hash&ref=philsimon.com) is easy. [#Marketing](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marketing?src=hash&ref=philsimon.com) is hard. 
> 
> — Phil Simon (@philsimon) [January 31, 2015](https://twitter.com/philsimon/status/561552214897225728?ref=philsimon.com)

Some of my friends and media contacts are a bit surprised about the subject of *Message Not* *Received*. Questions have included:

- Why such a departure?
- Why write a book about business communication as opposed to, say, the [Internet of Things](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet%5Fof%5FThings?ref=philsimon.com)?
- Wouldn't that make more sense?
- After all, aren't you a tech and data guy?

These are all valid queries. In fact, I spoke with a publisher about a writing a book on the Internet of Things but the passion wasn't there. Sure, it's cool, but it's a ways off and most organizations are still struggling with many of the new technologies and concepts.

## Why write this book?

To paraphrase the inimitable Krusty the Clown, [let me be blunt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd8vNJoVwf8&ref=philsimon.com):

Organizations usually squander the massive opportunities that data and technology provide because their employees can't effectively communicate. Period.

I can't state it any simpler than that.

## Simon Says

When viewed against that lens, *Message Not Received* is anything but a departure from my previous work. Effective communication is usually a [necessary—but not sufficient—condition](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LqNm9d2%5F%5FI&ref=philsimon.com#t=117) for success these days. Rare is the company that succeeds in spite of itself.