Business

How to Avoid Misunderstanding in Communication?

Social confrontations frequently include some degree of miscommunication. Parties to a quarrel communicate through their words (or lack thereof) and their behaviour toward one another. Even regular engagement may contain instances of ineffective communication, but conflict appears to exacerbate the problem. When two individuals disagree, they frequently create unfavorable assumptions about “the other.” As a result, a comment that appeared harmless while two persons were friends may appear aggressive or menacing when the same parties are at odds. Every kind of communication consists of two components: a sender and a receiver. The sender has a message that s/he wishes to convey, and s/he expresses it in the terms that, in her/his opinion, best express what s/he is thinking. However, other factors can interfere to prevent the intended message from being correctly received.

If the essage is verbal, the tone of voice might have an effect on how it is interpreted. “Hey, I saw you took an unusually lengthy break this morning,” the boss’s remarks, may be regarded as an attack if she or he stated them in a disapproving tone, but if delivered in a pleasant tone, the comment could be interpreted as a modest reminder about workplace regulations. If the employee had a health condition that necessitates frequent breaks, the statement may have been a courteous enquiry as to what was going on and whether the person need assistance. Here, the tone of voice, as well as contextual and interpersonal elements, will impact how the message is interpreted. Nonverbal clues are also critical. Is the sender’s stance welcoming and open, or distant and cold? Is her facial expression one of friendliness or one of accusation? All of these variables have an effect on how the same words are perceived. Avoiding Misunderstanding in conflict situations requires considerable effort. Roger Fisher and William Ury identify four abilities that might help you communicate more effectively in conflict circumstances. There are many misunderstanding quotes are available.

Apart from the manner in which the information is transmitted, several other elements influence how the message is interpreted by the receiver. All new information that we acquire is contrasted to what we already know. If the new knowledge validates what we already know, we are likely to receive it properly, even if we pay little attention to it. If it contradicts our prior ideas or interpretations of the circumstance, we may alter it in our brains to match our world view, or we may disregard the information as deceitful, misdirected, or just incorrect.

S.Y. Bowland discusses how subliminal racial or gender prejudice might result in miscommunications.

When a communication is unclear, the receiver is more likely to clarify it for himself or herself in a manner consistent with his or her expectations. For instance, if two individuals are engaged in an escalating disagreement and one believes the other will be aggressive and hostile, any unclear communication will be regarded as aggressive and hostile, even if it was not intended to be that way. Our expectations act as filters or blinders, distorting what we perceive to conform to our preconceived notions of the universe. (Theorists of conflict refer to these filters as “frames.”) For further detail, see the article on Frames, Framing, and Reframing.)

An analogue may be drawn to an experiment in which participants were asked to analyse visual clues. When people were given spectacles that turned the world inside out, they were forced to endure for a week or two with upside-down visuals. Following that, their brains learnt to invert the pictures, allowing them to view things correctly again. Similarly, when we hear something that we “know” is incorrect, the same phenomenon occurs. Our brains “fix” it in such a way that it seems as expected.

Culturl variations also increase the chance of miscommunication. The hazard of poor translation is clear when people speak various languages. However, even when individuals speak the same language, they might communicate in a variety of ways.

The distinction between high-context and low-context communication is frequently made. Low-context communication is self-contained; it requires no context or interpretation to be meaningful. Communication in a high-contextual setting is more unclear. Communication involves previous information and comprehension (context) in addition to the words themselves. Whereas both forms of communication are used by everyone, Western cultures rely more on low-context communication, while Eastern, Latin American, and African civilizations rely on high-context communication. If such distinctions are not recognised and accommodated, Misunderstanding are nearly certain.

According to Frank Blechman, surprises provide an opportunity for the intervenor to reassess the assumptions he or she has made about a disagreement.

Additionally, culture has an effect on communication through affecting the recipients’ preconceptions. As previously said, our minds attempt to distort incoming information in order to fit it into our worldview. Due to the fact that various cultures have vastly divergent worldviews, cross-cultural communication is particularly prone to alter meaning between sender and receiver, as the sender may hold a worldview that is diametrically opposed to the receiver’s.

Given our proclivity for hearing what we expect to hear, it is all too common for individuals in conflict to misinterpret one another. Communication is already likely to be strained, and people frequently wish to conceal some of the facts. As a result, the posibility of misconception and misunderstanding is great, which complicates conflict management and resolution.

How to Avoid Being Misunderstood

Active listening is the first. The purpose of active listening, they assert, is to comprehend your adversary as well as oneself. Pay close attention to what the opposing party has to say. Inquire of your opponent to explain or repeat anything that appears confusing or unreasonable (it may not be, but you are understanding it incorrectly). Restate their case to them in the manner in which they have presented it. This demonstrates that you are listening (which implies an interest in what they have to say) and comprehending what they have said. This does not imply that you agree with what they stated, nor is it required. You only need to demonstrate that you comprehend them. [2]

Fisher and Ury’s second rule is to address your opponent directly. This is not regarded acceptable in certain cultures, but when allowed, it aids in the development of understanding. Avoid getting distracted by other people or activities taking place in the same room. Concentrate on what you have to say and how you will communicate it to your opponent.

Their third guideline is that you must speak about yourself, not your adversary. Rather than emphasising on your opponent’s motivations, actions, or faults, describe your own thoughts and opinions. By using the phrase “I feel let down,” rather than “You violated your commitment,” you may convey the same information to your opponent without eliciting a defensive or violent response. This is sometimes referred to as “I-statements” or “I-messages” as opposed to “you-messages.” You-messages imply blame and invite the listener to either deny wrongdoing or assign blame in response. I-messages merely state an issue without assigning blame. This makes it easy for the other party to assist in resolving the issue without having to confess their error.

Fisher and Ury’s fourth guideline is “talk for a reason.” They caution that excessive communication might be detrimental. Before you make an important comment, take a moment to evaluate what you want to say, why you want to tell it, and how to present it in the most straightforward manner possible.

Additional rules might be added to these four. One is to abstain as much as possible from provocative language. Inflammatory language only serves to exacerbate animosity and defensiveness; it seldom persuades listeners that the speaker is correct. (In fact, it frequently does the reverse.) While provocative words might pique people’s attention in a fight and generate support for one’s own side, this support frequently comes at the expense of escalating the overall conflict. Making one’s argument successfully without resorting to provocative words is the preferable course of action.

Similarly, all adversaries should be handled with deference. Treating someone disrespectfully will not resolve a problem; it will just make them furious and less inclined to listen to you, understand you, or do what you want. Regardless of how you feel about another person, if they are treated with decency and respect – even if you believe they do not deserve it – communication will be far more successful, and conflict will be easier to manage or resolve. Engaging in meaningful talks (via problem-solving workshops or dialogues) may help minimise misunderstanding by building relationships, by adding more context to communication, and by breaking down preconceptions that contribute to unfavourable characterizations or worldviews. The more effort made to comprehend the sender of the communication, the more likely the message would be accurately interpreted.

Comments Off on How to Avoid Misunderstanding in Communication?