I once had a boss who rarely shared information and never in a timely way. My office happened to be in a different building than his, so getting to our weekly one-on-one meeting took a little effort. But not only did he cancel most of our meetings, he did so without notice. When we did meet, he provided little or no clarity. And he dodged most of my questions with \u201cI\u2019ll have to get back to you on that.\u201d It was maddening!<\/p>\n
Most under-communication is inadvertent. People are simply unaware of the gap between what\u2019s in their mind and what\u2019s in yours. A team of researchers writing in the <\/span>Journal of Political Economy<\/span><\/i> labeled this phenomenon \u201cthe curse of knowledge.\u201d It means that when you know something, it\u2019s very hard to remember that other people don\u2019t. <\/span>Fortunately, the solution is remarkably simple. Here are five tips for how to step up and take responsibility for any communication that comes from you or to you.<\/p>\n Most of us are not fully aware of our own part in the communication quagmire. We may expect others to do all the work of conveying information. The first step in communicating clearly is to determine to be the solution, not the problem. Are you ready to champion clear communication in your workplace?<\/p>\n The curse of knowledge affects everyone, including you. <\/span>Be aware of the gap between your understanding and that of your team. Stop assuming that people know what\u2019s important or what needs to be done. Get your thoughts out of your head where others can read or hear them.<\/p>\n Before you compose a message, ask yourself, How can I set the other person up for success?<\/em> Before you hit send, reread the communication to be sure it\u2019s clear. Clarity is vital for communication. Sometimes that will mean pushing others for clarity. Remember, they also suffer from the curse of knowledge and may have a tendency to omit information or use ambiguous language. Gently ask them to make their meaning clear.<\/p>\n Communication hasn\u2019t really happened until the other person not only receives your words but also understands them. You can request a \u201cread receipt\u201d when you send a message, but you also need to get an \u201cunderstand receipt.\u201d You can do that with questions like \u201cIs anything unclear about that?\u201d or \u201cWhat do you understand based on what I\u2019ve said?\u201d<\/p>\n Actually, you can\u2019t overcommunicate. Or at least it\u2019s pretty hard to do. People are busy and distracted. They forget things they should remember\u2014things they want to remember. Communication is not a one-and-done event. Communicate again. And again.<\/p>\n What would it be like to come to work in a place where you never had to go on a deep dive for the information you need to do your job? How would it change the culture of your office if everyone was clear, direct, and intentional in their communication? Why not take responsibility for making that happen and find out?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Under-communication is a consistent problem in business. Here are 5 tips for avoiding confusion and creating clarity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":52635,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,16],"tags":[31,41,38,42],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n1. Determine to be the solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Externalize your thinking<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Push for clarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Confirm understanding<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Overcommunicate<\/strong><\/h3>\n