Is What I Meant What You Read? Dynamics of the Delivery
What aspects must we consider when ensuring that a delivered communication is not misunderstood?
There are many aspects to consider to assure that communication is properly understand. One of the most important is knowledge of the reader, what he/she knows (or doesn't know) about the topic, and his or her level of understanding. This information is what directs me more than anything else when crafting a communication, because it can have bearing on tone of delivery, method, language used, level of detail, and so on. I think of that old saying about the "customer comes first" and change it to "the reader comes first" when writing any form of document.
Aspects to consider when ensuring a delivered communication is not misunderstood is to make sure the message is not too lengthy, disorganized, or contains errors. Also there needs to be an understanding of the culture of the audience being addressed.
I find that reading something out loud will often tell me how it might sound to another person. Often, reading it out loud will alert you to things that don't sound right and will end up confusing the reader.
Simple & straight to the point. Email's are like texts you can loose the context in both, people's personalities are different so that must also be taken into thought of writing an email. The shorter it is hopefully they will not take out of context. Try to use a "good morning / afternoon to the people you are sending & end with a thank you look forward to hearing back from you "
Hi David,excellent points! Communication so much depends on how the message is delivered, how it is interpreted, how all parties feel about the topic and even about each other. This all affects the value of the communication. I think we sometimes forget that "old Fashioned" communication may still often be the best means.
Jay Hollowell
Hi Teresa, thanks for your comments, I too take a step back from an email communication, then read it again to ensure that it is clear and makes sense under the circumstances. Email communications are really a matter of record.
Jay Hollowell
One fact that I'd like to add is that we cannot understand the message for our readers, no matter how much effort we put into what we write.
Ultimately, our words go out into the world and are processed and understood by others. We can (and should) do our best to anticipate areas of shared knowledge or disagreement, and questions they might have among other factors, but there will always be factors that we could not have accounted for.
As one of the videos indicated, we have to accept that information, perception, understanding, and memory are pliable and we must be eager to revisit key ideas and topics multiple times.
That said, I agree that there are ways to keep this to a minimum: As others before me have already said, we have to take our intended audience into account and plan our writing in a way that keeps things simple but conveys the essentials. The specifics will depend on how well we know each other, the topic of discussion, and the type of communication involved.
Sometimes the answer will be to avoid writing altogether, and have a face-to-face discussion with the parties involved.
I agree with your comments. It is very important to consider where the reader may be coming from, what their questions might be, and how they might interpret the message to ensure that the proper word choice, tone, and overall message are conveyed as we hope. It is always best to step away from a message that risks miscommunication and review it again before sending. Make sure that the correct message is being communicated effectively and concisely.
Woei,
Thanks for your comments, I always proof my emails for spelling and grammatical errors - it keeps things professional - the message is very much influenced by the presentation!
Jay Hollowell
In general, don't use "Slang" terms and/or phrases. Spelling's important, so by all means, use the "Spell check" feature whenever available.
Making sure you choose the RIGHT kind of communication is key to making sure that it is not misunderstood. All too often, we think that we can just shoot off a quick e-mail to relay information to a co-worker; however, we sometimes leave out criticals details, OR, include extraneous information that can make our e-mail boring to the reader. Rather than sending an e-mail, maybe we should go back to the good old fashioned verbal communication?
I concur with the strategy of a clear subject line. Right away, the reader has an expectation of your message and intent. I have found that entirely avoiding joking and sarcasm is the only way not to be misunderstood in your intent. If you try it, you will be at risk of being misunderstood. I also find that telephone can be used in conjunction with e-mail. The e-mail can carry the major load of the message, and a follow-up short call can convey your tone more clearly.
After I have written something, the first thing I do is read it, looking for errors and ways to improve the writing. Time permitting, I also ask a colleague to read it and then tell me what it says.
Thanks, Kisha, for your comments. It sounds as if you have total consideration for, snd focus on, the recipients of your communications. Being most sensitive to those with whom we communicate and knowing something about their communicative style are key.
Jay Hollowell
Things I consider is: Am I writing this to one person or several?
There are times when I want to relay information to my team and I physically have to send multiple emails/letters with the same information, however, delivered differently. I have team members where I have to be short and direct and others that need more information provided.
If I am writing something to my team, it is easy, because I know what style benefits them the most. Is it more work up front? Sometimes, however, when I send information out the way my teams needs it, it helps elevate additional emails in the end.
When sending out information to people that I do not know, I try to put myself in their shoes and try to deliver my information that way being as clear and concise as possible.
Aspects we must consider when ensuring that delivered communication is not misunderstood is to make sure that what is being said is very clear and that the person to whom it is going to you should know there level of understanding also.
Taking your time, knowing your target audience and then organizing your thoughts on how to address the target audience's needs and questions.
Using clear and simple language, as well as responding the reader's questions, can avoid confusion or misinterpretation.
Thanks for your observation Maureen - it's true, the interpretation of the message and position of those involved crucially affect the communication process.
Jay Hollowell
ML116 Facilitator
