Misunderstanding communication can create such a messy situation. How many times have you been in an argument with someone you care about due to a misunderstanding of what was being said? I have multiple times.
What are the reasons behind the misunderstandings or miscommunication? Misunderstandings, resulting from poor communication, can easily cause a conflict or make it worse. Further, once a conflict has started, communication problems often develop because people in conflict do not communicate with each other as frequently, as openly, and as accurately as they do when relationships are not strained. Thus communication is central to most conflict situations.
Communication involves at least two parties--the speaker and the listener. Sometimes there are third parties: in-between people who carry messages from one person to another, or the media, for example, which has such transmission of information as its primary goal. Problems can develop at all three of these sources. (http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/commprob.htm) Remember the pass the secret game where one person shares a secret with another and it goes around the circle until everyone has heard the secret. Most all of the times, I have played that game, the secret had become a totally different statement. Tone of voice, inflection and emphasis on wording can change the intention of the of the message. Body language, volume of voice as well as eye contact can influence how a message is received.
So how do we fix our communication gaps or failures? One easy and effective solution is to ask for clarification if you didn’t understand the statement. Other ways include:
-Try not to rush. If you sound rushed and distracted when you say something, people may think you are not interested or feel offended, because it seems like they are unimportant to you. If you do happen to be rushed, provide the other person with a brief explanation that you are very busy with something now, but do want to talk with later, so either you or they can contact you again.
-Confirm you’re on the same page. Often breakdowns occur because someone has false assumptions about someone or about something they expect someone to do and communicate based on those assumptions.
-Practice active listening. Communication breakdowns also occur when people don’t allow time for others to ask questions or don’t take time to listen carefully to others themselves. Ask questions if you don’t understand. Another approach is to invite someone to provide a brief recap of what they think you said. (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/4-ways-to-fix-communication-breakdowns.html#ixzz3fKAwMDlr)
http://www.amycolecounseling.com/
http://www.amycolecounseling.com/
