We’re moving house soon and hope to do some fairly minor building work on the back of our new property.

Today, I met for the second time an elderly woman, Hilda, who lives in the village we are moving to. “Oh,” she said “I’ve heard a rumour that you’re going to pull down half the house and rebuild it!”

I explained that we were planning a small extension at the back; in fact, making an existing part of the property two storeys instead of one. Nothing like the scale she suggested.

Hilda was reassured, but I was left wondering where she had got her idea from. We have been at pains to talk to our new neighbours-to-be, let them know our plans and make sure they are happy with what is proposed (they are). We have communicated effectively with them.

But it is the other villagers who have only heard second or third hand what is planned and, like the game of Chinese whispers, the message had been lost. We have failed to communicate effectively with the other residents.

I am not sure what we should have done, or can do now, as we don’t yet live in the property (it is still occupied) and a notice in the parish magazine or a leaflet drop seems a bit over the top.

But there is a lesson here: unless communication – be that written or verbal – is effective then a message can be lost or misinterpreted.

Pretty soon our plans will be with the parish council, delivered to immediate neighbours and posted on the telegraph poles so everyone will know that we aren’t building a monstrosity.

As for all other forms of communication, at Word Worker we specialise in getting your message just right for your customers through our expertise in writing – be that newsletters, writing for the web, press releases or brochures.

And if you do want a targeted message to your neighbours, we’ll happily write for parish magazines.