"Obvious is not so Obvious" The CTC of Communication

One of the most important lessons I have learnt in the Corporate world is that the Obvious is not so Obvious, You need to State the Obvious. This phrase does seem to be a distant relative of Common sense is not so Common. Isn't it?

Never assume that your audience has perceived the message exactly as you wanted them to. Sooner or later you will be relished in some soup somewhere. 

 Rule No.1

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted express your displeasure , Speak your mind about how you were not happy about something or hurt because you were treated in certain way. Basically in your version you were the victim and when you expressed it to the person who caused all the stress < the Bad guy in your version> convinced you how you were at fault. By the end of this awesome conversation, you came across as the Villain. And the best part is at some point in time You believed it too :-) that it was all you

 Did you wonder where did I go wrong. Let me tell you, you just didn’t ponder over it once but you played the whole conversation a zillion times in your head. You spoke to your Coffee Mate, the guy on next workstation , your bestie from school, probably even the cab driver. I am not even going to ask you to compute the time you invested in it, Lets not add to your misery.

  All you need to do is Be Crisp and Clear.

 One of my Favorite One liners of all time is People see what they want to see and when they want to see it.

Perhaps I can coin the the phrase People hear what they want to hear and when they want to hear it.

 Rule No.2

Are you the Smart one who can convey a negative message in a positive Box, wrapped in colorful wrapper, Topped with sugar coated candies. And everyone bought your story and left the room with a smile. Please connect with me I am looking for someone exactly like you for your guidance .. Just kidding ..

In today's world, People are smart enough to lose the wrapper, discard that box ignore the candies and pounce on you for the content you offered. Its always better to be direct. People appreciate transparency.

You see, "You can fool some people all the time. All the people some of the time, but never All the people all the time."

 Rule No.3

 Third critical aspect of communication and relevant for all employees at all levels . Seek Confirmation, Insist on acknowledgement. Take the risk of annoying the other person by asking him/her to repeat what you said. Exactly the way when you place that order of yours in a restaurant. If we start taking our Communication half as seriously as the food we eat there will not be so many misunderstandings and not so many Meetings about Meetings. A minute more now is better than several hours later.

 Your responsibility does not end by just conveying the message or broadcasting the information. Your responsibility ends with receiving an acknowledgement that your message was indeed understood the way it was intended to.

 Always Remember Listening is != Understanding

 Summarizing the CTC of Communication

•  Don’t beat around the bush, Be Crisp
• Straight forward Communication is appreciated, Be Transparent
• Ensure you have been understood, Seek Confirmation