If you ask people whether communication is important, most people would wholeheartedly say, “Yes! Of course.” But unfortunately, communication breakdowns are not that uncommon.
But why? How hard can communication be? You just tell someone what you want them to know, and that’s it, right? Well, that may be part of it, but there’s more.
Communication is about getting a message from one person to another — from the sender to the receiver — and if either part of the process fails, so does the communication.
Did it get sent?
“Very often, communication doesn’t work because it doesn’t happen.” —Andy Puddicombe
Sometimes the problem is on the sending side. You may have something to say, but do you ever articulate it? Now, this may seem obvious, but it can be easy to overlook. Especially if you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about a topic or a decision, and are already very familiar with it. In those case, the temptation is to take for granted what you’ve already thought about and internalized, skipping over details that are others need to know.
Or, you might think something is so obvious that it doesn’t need mentioning. But what may be obvious to you may not be to those around you. And unless you say something, they may never notice.
Did it get caught?
Sometimes the problem with communication is on the receiving side. You’re sending the message, but those getting the message don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
In those cases, it can be easy to blame the receiver for the breakdown in communication, especially if you think you’ve done a good job articulating the message. And while this may be true to some degree, the reality is if people don’t understand what you’re telling them, some of that responsibility also lies with you as a communicator.
In football, when the quarterback throws a pass, his job is to put the ball in a position where his receiver can make the catch. It doesn’t matter if the QB could throw it faster or farther. It only matters if the receiver actually catches the ball. Similarly, the true test of communication is whether the message actually gets caught.
Whether through writing or speaking, communication is more than just the sending of a message. It also entails someone receiving — i.e. understanding — what you’re trying to say. So if the intended recipient isn’t getting it, it’s your job as a communicator to reevaluate how and what you’re sending along.