Imagine you book a flight from Mumbai to Delhi, but upon arrival, you realize you’ve landed in Chennai instead. Naturally, you’d raise an issue and take another flight to Delhi.
If, by chance, you still haven’t reached Delhi, you’ll have to take yet another flight or maybe even switch to a different mode of transport. The journey only ends when you finally arrive at your intended destination.
Similarly, communication isn’t complete until the recipient receives the message exactly as you’ve intended.
Often, especially in text-based communication like messages and emails, we send what we want to convey without verifying if it’s been accurately received.
This can lead to misunderstandings, assumptions, and confusion.
Even in team meetings or presentations, one person might present information, but it’s equally important to ensure it’s received exactly as intended.
People interpret messages based on their own experiences and perspectives, not necessarily from the sender’s point of view.
For example, if a team leader responds to an issue with, “We need to come up with a solution by tomorrow,” the team might interpret this in various ways.
Some might take it as an individual task and start working on solutions overnight, while others might assume it’s a group activity to be brainstormed together the next day.
To avoid such gaps, it’s crucial not only to keep the message clear in terms of subject, tone, and purpose but also to confirm that it’s been understood correctly.
In this case, the manager could clarify by saying, “Each of you, come up with possible solutions, and we’ll discuss them first thing in the morning at the office.” Or they could ask, “Do you have any ideas for solutions? If so, please share your thoughts here.”
Just like we don’t stop until we reach our desired destination, we should ensure that our conversations are closed with clarity rather than leaving them open-ended.
Cultivate the habit of getting confirmation from those around you to ensure your message is truly understood.This practice will save a lot of your time and reduce confusion in your life.
