How many times have you been frustrated with your boss or the organization you work for because of an issue with communication? I am sure you have experienced it more than once, and you may have even considered whether you wanted to continue to work for this boss or the organization. Maybe you are the boss and have found yourself in conversational situations with your staff where they look at you dumfounded and seemingly unable to grasp what you are saying. Communication is multifaceted and requires clarity by both the communicator and the receiver.
I have been on the delivery and receiving ends of confusing communication. Whether you are the delivery person or the receiving person in the communication process, as the leader, it is your responsibility to understand and be understood. Here is a very clear explanation of communication.
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"Neil Snyder, James J. Dowd Jr., and Dianne Morse Houghton write in Vision, Values and Courage: Successfully communicating even a simple message requires a linked chain of events: the communicator must identify the message she or he wishes to communicate, decide how to express the message (translating the idea into words or symbols), and decide what channel to use to send the message (written, oral, face-to-face, telephone); and the receiver must hear the message and then translate it for understanding, attaching personal meaning to the message. Each step within the process, however, provides an opportunity for the intended message to become distorted."
― from "Quantum Leap Thinking: An Owner's Guide to the Mind"
What are some of the contributing factors that lead to poor communication?
Here are three.
"Communication is multifaceted. Do it with clarity with the intent of understanding."
Remember as the leader, parent or manager, YOU are responsible for communicating and communicating well. What did I miss or what do you think might be an important reason why the message is not heard?