22 Jul 04 @ 12:11 pm
Avoiding Miscommunications
Avoiding Miscommunications divides miscommunications into two groups: inadvertent and purposeful:
Inadvertent miscommunication arises when people are careless. All of us at some point or another fail to express ourselves clearly or do not take the time to listen. Part of this is human nature; the other part is that we are so busy.
Managers have plenty to do; it’s too easy to rattle something off, assume everyone got it, and move on. Employees are busy; if the message isn’t urgent, they’ll ignore it. Often, the message is sent, but not heard:
As Frances Hesselbein, former CEO of the Girl Scouts USA and chairman of the Leader to Leader Institute, says: “Communications is not saying something; it is being heard.” An unheard message is a message with no action step. It is akin to a tree falling in the forest — silent and forgotten.
Then there’s purposeful miscommunication:
Purposeful miscommunication arises over perceived slights, lack of respect or the need to exercise power. Typically, such faults in communication fester over time, irritating everyone and raising tension levels to a boil. You hear complaints such as: “She doesn’t understand me,” “He has it in for me,” or “No one knows what we’re supposed to do.” Over time, the situation becomes intolerable as productivity plummets, morale disappears and people eventually quit.
His recommendations?
- Swallow your pride.
- Set clear outcomes.
- Ask for feedback.
- Meet regularly.
And listen to Dostoyevsky:
The great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky once wrote, “If people around you will not hear you, fall down before them and beg their forgiveness, for in truth you are to blame.”
posted in category(s): Points of Interest
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