As we wrap this month’s final week of exploring sabotaging behaviors, we’re shining a light on (what may be obvious, but sometimes isn’t) avoidable miscommunications.
I know I’m not the only one who has left a meeting, read an email, or sat down to execute on “next steps” only to find myself confused by the content or the message itself. It happens more than we like, to many of us.
As we think about increasing our productivity and reducing wasted time in confusion, let’s bring a little Friday mindfulness to Avoidable Miscommunications.
1. Poor Phrasing – Written communication is equally important (if not more so) to its verbal counterpart. Poorly phrased project scopes and specifications confuse teams, lead to errors and assumptions, and cry for clarification, resulting in counterproductive conversations and sometimes aggressive interactions. “Double-check your work” was a mantra most of us heard in lower school yet it might be more applicable today. Back then our teacher was the only one who needed to decipher what we were talking about, now multiple people are reading our emails, messages, and proposals. As you review your work, ask yourself “What questions are not answered here? What sections are poorly worded?”
2. Time Zone Confusion – I work in a minimum of six time zones in any one week. A feat that would have been nearly impossible had I not been introduced to one of my favorite work tools, the World Clock Meeting Planner, by one of my favorite colleagues, Maia Kiss, from the Warner Brothers Discovery Global Leadership Development team. Most of us operate in a similar space and when communication says “How’s 10am to meet?” the first question to follow is…..who’s 10am? It seems like a no-brainer to add PST, EST, etc., but it’s commonly missing. Take a proactive approach and always include the time zone or use the World Clock Meeting Planner to find all relevant times for inclusion.
3. Lacking Relevant Information – One of the most common examples concerning the lack of relevant information is the expectation of a deliverable. For example, a client was discussing their frustration around having delivered a project based on their expectation of the deliverable, to be told that what they produced was unsuitable for immediate insertion within the proposal that their leader was to submit that afternoon. My client was under the impression that the two of them would be discussing the deliverable, modifying it as a result of that conversation, and they would continue to work on the final product before its inclusion. They were unclear that the leader’s “deadline” was a deadline to submit the final version. That communication lacked significant details for the deliverable – purpose, form, and function at a minimum. The leader did not provide those, and my client didn’t ask, which brings me to my final avoidable miscommunication.
4. Silence – No communication is miscommunication. Failing to discuss issues, ask questions when clarity is needed, or follow up to ensure all loops are closed and stakeholders are satisfied is a recipe for failure. Explaining errors and issues, after they’ve occurred unnecessarily because questions were not asked and conversations were not had seems avoidable.
When in doubt, talk it out. If it’s not clear, get in gear.
