Communicate To Be Understood
There’s No One Right Style
Communication can be a tricky thing. I have something to say and I’m pretty sure I can say it in a way that makes sense. At least it makes sense to me. The problem is that it may or may not make sense to someone else. And if that someone else is someone who really needs to understand the message, that can be a problem.
So where is the breakdown? Am I saying the wrong thing? Is my hearer not paying attention? Is the message not clear? The breakdown could be any or all of the above. Let’s start with the basics to understand how we can communicate better.
Merriam Webster defines “communicate” as “to transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood.” There are two important parts to this definition: transmitting information and the information being satisfactorily received or understood. The “sender” starts the process by transmitting information, thought, or feeling. They are pushing this information out to another person or persons. But to be successful, it has to be satisfactorily received or understood. So, the information has to be communicated in a way that the recipient can understand it. That may require some adaptation by the sender. If I send a message in English but the hearer understands only Spanish, I won’t communicate successfully. Likewise, if I am a physicist with a message for the City Council, I need to communicate differently than I would with my colleagues at the university.
Another important consideration is that people receive and understand information differently:
Some people are visual learners—they learn best by seeing a map, diagram, or picture that explains the concept.
Some are audio learners—they learn best by hearing someone speak, tell a story, or describe a process.
Other learners like to read—give them a book, pamphlet, or recipe to pass on knowledge.
Still others are kinesthetic—they learn by doing something with their hands, making a model, or demonstrating a process.
None of these learning methods are better or worse than any others, they’re just different. A good communicator will seek to understand how their listeners learn best, find the communication media that are most useful to them, and adapt their communications so that they are most likely to be received and understood.
Do you have challenges communicating with individuals, groups, or teams? It may be that there is nothing wrong with the information you want to share, but maybe there is a better way to present it so the recipient can hear your message in the way that is most understandable to them.