How to AVOID Miscommunication

Have you ever had hard time trying to get your point across to your parents? Have you ever tried to present an idea to a group and ended up confusing them instead? Perhaps you have an argument with your significant other only to end her say “you’re not even listening to me?”. Don’t worry because you are definitely not the only one who had trouble communicating effectively.

Personally, I personally find it unpleasant when I struggle to give clear explanation or statement. Therefore, I’ve decided to use several strategies that you can also use to avoid these situations.

Simple Strategies

First, listen with your eyes and not just your ears. Keep in mind that communication is more than just words. More specifically, observe the other person’s body language to give you context clues. This strategy is popular amongst expert communicators such as Roger Ailes, who also happened to be the author of You are the Message. In his book, he writes about ways and strategies to help his reader become a better messenger. As Mr. Ailes write, “If most of the time you talk more than you listen, you’re probably failing in your communication and probably boring people, too.” In other words. communication is a two-way street, therefore focus as much energy to understand by being open to what the other person has to say. It is important to understand their point of view and know their side of the story as you engage into a conversation with them.Third, don’t assume that your perception is the objective truth. Remember that everyone have their own perspectives and sees things differently. Avoid having a “tunnel vision” mindset. One way to practice is by saying, “this is how I see the issue, how do you see it?”. Fourth, be an active listener not a passive hearer. Often times, passive hearing would come off as rude and irritate the other person. This can lead to an even more heated conversation in which both sides fail to address each other in a proper manner. Therefore you should always engage actively with feedback from others and adjust your message to reach a greater understanding. You can find a common understanding together by sharing a dialogue with others.

Book Citation

Ailes, Roger, and Jon Kraushar. You Are the Message. Currency Doubleday, 1995.