In all organizations, in all hierarchical levels, communication seems to be a problem. Let’s leave aside the marketing for a while and focus just on person-to-person interaction and that type of communication.
What I notice time and time again, whether listening to freelancers complain about stupid clients, talking to salespeople in other organizations or trying to get questions answered by people in customer service oriented roles, is the lack of understanding for the other party.
Communication is what the listener does.
– Peter Drucker
The above quote has struck a chord with me. I think Peter Drucker has put it perfectly. There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding by many people that, as long as they communicate in their way of clear perception, they are fine. If the other person doesn’t understand, that’s their problem.
Wrong. Being good at communication is something that requires care and diligence. It requires you to put yourself into not just the other persons shoes, but body and mind. You need to pick up the subtle signals and see the full picture before replying.
Doing so has immense benefits. People will think the world of you as misunderstandings are reduced and a greater efficiency is reached for everyone. It also happens to be very easy and does not take much longer either. It is simply a matter of changing the mindset and seeing the situation from the other persons point of view. Because frankly, what good is your message if the listener/receiver doesn’t understand it?
Ultimately, it boils down to one simple thing: You must not see the person you are communicating with as a problem.