"It's A Duck!" Don't Leave Your Intention Up to Interpretation

I’ve received lots of feedback since starting this newsletter in January. Thank you! Keep it coming! Some people have added additional ideas to the “one thing you can do” section, which is super helpful. The number one quote I’ve received in these emails is from George Bernard Shaw, who famously said, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."

And here’s the crux of communication for us all: in our work, clear and effective communication is paramount at all levels, from the woman on the manufacturing floor to the CEO. Without it, we cause unforced errors, drive down efficiency and productivity, and generate at least frustration, if not ill-will.

Of course, leaders often believe their messages are understood because no one asks questions or everyone nods along, only to find out later that the team has misinterpreted their instructions. It’s up to the communicator, not the receiver, to ensure that the message is universally understood.

Yesterday I commented on a poster behind the desk of a person I was on Zoom with: “Awesome bear!” To only find out that it wasn’t a bear, it was a dog—his dog. He was not amused.

I was reminded of the famous Rabbit-Duck Illusion, where people look at the picture and see either a rabbit or a duck, depending on their perspective. We all know that people can hear the same message and interpret it in vastly different ways. When we’re delivering a message, we need to make sure that everyone sees either the rabbit OR the duck—whatever you want them to see, NOT their interpretation of it.

Team clarity only comes with a singular understanding among your team members and a personal connection to their role in that singular understanding.

?One thing you can do so everyone sees the Duck OR the Rabbit:

Be CLEAR (ok, it's a 5-in-1)

Clarify your intention. Share what you hope to achieve in the conversation. Are you providing feedback? Seeking feedback? Introducing a new project? Looking for new ideas? By stating your intentions, you help your listeners tune into the message.

Leave out the Jargon. Jargon can be a significant barrier to universal understanding among a group of people. Use plain and direct language that everyone can understand. For example, instead of saying “we need to drive better ROI with more efficient operational paradigms,” say “we’ll get better results if we streamline our processes.” Your job is to make your message as accessible as you can to as many people as you can.

Explain the Context. As I’ve written before, context is King Kong in driving clarity. Context helps people understand the bigger picture and how they fit into it. Why are you doing something? What is the goal and why? Who is involved, and why? What’s the timeline and why? You get the idea.

Ask for Understanding. Say it’s a duck, and then make sure everyone understands it’s a duck. Don’t assume that silence means everyone gets it. Instead, ask for feedback or ask open-ended questions such as “Are there any ways you see we can build a better duck?” to encourage discussion and clarification. This type of dialogue—back and forth—helps identify misunderstandings early on.

Reinforce your Message. One-and-done doesn’t do it. To effectively communicate a message, you must repeat and reinforce it multiple times in multiple modes and provide additional information as needed along the way. Without it, your message will be mangled by time.

Effective communication isn’t just about transmitting information; it requires ensuring that the message is truly, universally understood. Don’t assume people know it’s a duck. If you don’t tell people it’s a duck, at least half will be looking at a rabbit.