Communication is the most important thing there is.
Only through communication can we make clear what we want, what we need and what we want to do.
Without good communication it becomes impossible to make clear to the other what we expect him or her to do. Yet communication is not optimal in many companies. Various pitfalls may be the reason for this.
In part 1 I shared six common pitfalls, hete are five others today.
Communication Pitfalls
1. You already know it
Assume that you know what the other person wants to say, even before she has said it. As a result, you only listen halfway and you fill in what you think is meant.
2. Telling is not necessary
Assume that the other person knows what you need, without saying it. The strange thing is that we don’t like it that others can read our thoughts, yet we do behave that way in communication. “You understand that this has to be done first” or “You know I think that’s important” are things that we think, without ever having said them.
3. Misunderstand the message of the other
If your user partner has accidentally stepped into one of the other pitfalls, there is a good chance that you misunderstand the message of the other. Without asking for clarification or checking whether you have understood the other person properly, there is a good chance that you will step into this pitfall.
4. Avoid difficult subjects
It can be difficult to talk about some topics, for example, something that you find difficult, that you do not understand or that you cannot do.
But by avoiding these topics, not only does this difficult situation change nothing, but the other person can also misunderstand you. Think that you are fine or want to do the best, for example.
5. Have other assumptions
This somewhat overlaps point 1, you also enter here what the other person thinks, only you assume there that you know what the other person wants to say. Having assumptions goes one step further. You also think you know what the other feels, what it means, or how the other person’s life is. The only person you can know for sure is you yourself.
By acknowledging your pitfall (s) you can do something about it.
If you know that you find it difficult or if you are not good at it, but you realize that it is important for good communication, it becomes easier to turn your pitfalls around and to turn them into your strengths.
Did you always avoid difficult topics? Then agree with yourself that from now on you will take care of them.
It is difficult at the beginning, but you will find that the more you do this, the stronger you become.
In part 1 of this blog you can read the other pitfalls that occur in many companies.
But the pitfalls of communication are also addressed in my e-book and in my online training courses.