WORKPLACE COLLABORATION
Miscommunication occurs when the intent of okay was to acknowledge and the listener interpreted it as agreement. The listener will take action based on that version of the word. Subsequent discussions can be filled with frustration, irritation and resentment. “Sure” is a similar word.
“Over there” coupled with finger pointing or head nodding in a certain direction. The other person’s view is slightly skewed from yours. If you are pointing to a particular person or object and other people or objects are nearby, you could be looking at two different people or objects. Think of looking at something with both eyes open,
with your right eye closed, and with your left eye closed. Notice how the objects move slightly? That is the same result when you point to something and expect the other person to know exactly where you are pointing.
“Just do the best you can” or “do it as quickly as you can.” ‘The best’ and ‘as quickly’ are more examples of ambiguous words. The thought-oriented person is more detail conscious than the action-oriented person is and their best is perfect or as close to perfect as they can get. Remember, the action-oriented person construes time at a faster pace than the thought-oriented person does.
CLARIFYING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS The first step is to be aware of your assumptions with the words you use. As with other conversations, this is not a “my definition is correct and yours is not.” Here are ways to remove any assumptions or biases in your words:
1. Ask.
This is the most direct way to clear up any misassumptions and can be the quickest way to raise someone’s defenses. There are several different ways to ask: a. “What do you mean by <insert word>?” Beware that this can raise someone’s defenses quickly. It is the most direct and potentially the most offensive of all the questions.
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b. “I don’t quite understand what you mean by <insert word>. Can you be more definite?” This can also cause someone to get defensive, especially if you are not aware of your tone of voice.
c. “<insert word> has different meanings to different people. Can you tell me how you define it?” This is probably the most tactful and diplomatic way to ask someone to restate his or her meaning.
2. Rephrase what you heard them say. This can be more difficult than it sounds, especially when you do not filter out your own assumptions. Give concrete timeframes (i.e., one hour, one day) when you can. This will minimize any fuzziness and present clear expectations.
“It’s my job to help my customers save money, Rapco helps me do that”
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3. Do nothing. This is always (yes, I do mean 100 percent of the time) an option. You will leave yourself and your department open to hostilities, frustration, lowered morale and inconsistent teamwork. Is it really worth not taking one of the aforementioned steps?
DOMmagazine
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