Communication is a funny thing. When people say something, we respond to what we think we hear, and then they respond to what they think we’ve said. More often than not, our interpretations of each other’s words lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings.
People ask a specific question and ask it using the words they know. By trying to respond to the question we think we heard. We too often pass up the chance to find out what he/she was really asking.
The truth is, in our communications with others, we rarely do know what was/is being asked. More often than not, we hear someone speak and we respond. Rarely do we stop for clarification. Is the comment or question we heard the same as the one the speaker intended?
Effective communication can be time consuming. If we refrain from responding, in order to clarify what we’ve heard, it takes us longer to make our point. And, oh how we enjoy making our points, correcting, clarifying, and telling it like it is. Generally, we are more concerned with giving our point of view than truly hearing the other persons’. This applies to our communications with our kids, as well as with other adults. While taking the time to get clarification may seem tedious, it undoubtedly makes for more successful communication. The old adage of measuring twice and cutting once, reminds us that doing something right the first time, saves us trouble in the long run. Getting clarification of someone’s comments or questions allows us to respond appropriately, avoiding misinterpretations.
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