Communication is Easy and Other Lies

Wait, other people can’t read my mind?

Photo by Mihai Surdu on Unsplash

“Do these pants make me look fat?”

How many problems stem from our inability to clearly communicate? From the interpersonal to the nation state, we think others know what’s swimming around in our heads. This is, of course, ridiculous, because we often don’t even know what’s swimming around in our heads.

Poor communication causes problems:

• In relationships
• With kids
• Among friends
• At work
• Between governments

Clear communication reduces friction. It eases tension. It encourages trust.

How do we communicate more clearly? It’s actually pretty simple. Here are some pithy statements to remember:

• Keep it simple.
• It’s doesn’t matter what you say, it’s what the other person hears.
• It doesn’t matter what you write, it’s what the other person reads.
• People generally don’t like surprises.

The medium matters, which is often forgotten. Think of a relationship breakup via text vs. face to face. Or a phone call vs. an email. Voice tone, inflection, body posture, eye contact…