Have you ever witnessed two coworkers hearing the same instructions but interpreting it differently?? Did the resulting misunderstanding or confusion waste time or money?
Ever hear the Jimi Hendrix song, Purple Haze? Click here for a refresher.? At about :48, Hendrix sings the line, ?Scuse me while I kiss the sky.?
Except some people don?t hear it like that.? They interpret the line as, ?Scuse me while I kiss this guy.?
When there is ambiguity in communication, people will try to fill in the meaning.? There are a lot of misunderstandings in music.? Perhaps the artists don?t articulate very well or the mix of the song is poor.? Whatever the reason, people think they?re hearing something different, even if it sounds like nonsense.
Now imagine when managers are told to pass down instructions to staff.? How is the information heard and how might it be unknowingly distorted? ?Tone, importance, and meaning can quickly change.
What would you do to cut down on misunderstandings that cost your organization money?? The problem may not be with your team but rather the vagueness of your messages.
