Communication

Do you ever have a conversation with someone at work about something you are going to do and when they send a follow up email recapping the conversation it is not at all as you remembered?

Do you ever witness something happen (no matter how small) with someone else and then hear them recall the event to a third party and realize that you would have told the story very differently emphasizing different parts?


Do you ever have a point to make and in the middle of a discussion, you realize that maybe you're not exactly sure what your point was in the first place?

...So I think I recently realized that I kinda suck at communication!

One of my co-workers that I recently started working with, told me that we are not communicating well ! I started to think about a few instances in the past few weeks and came to the conclusion that I may, in fact, be the common denominator!

I feel as though I have a pretty good grasp on things. Last night, if you would have asked me I would have said I was a pretty effective communicator! But I think we often tell ourselves the things we would like to be true!

Then I started thinking about the lululemon manifesto once again...

"Listen, Listen, Listen, and then ask strategic questions." I feel as though I am so worried about getting my point heard, and communicating my opinions that I don't have any more energy to actually listen to what is being said to me! I do not create the possibility for open communication because most of the time, I don't think I am really interested in hearing what that person has to say! (Talk about the ego rearing it's ugly head!!!!) I definitely walk away with my "version" of the conversation, but what does that matter if the other person has a completely different version of the conversation and how it took place???

Also..."Communication is complicated. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is only an agreement if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur."

This is the tough part... coming up with an action plan.

Just acknowledging that I may "suck at communication" is not enough! Instead of admiring the problem (and owning it), I need to come up with a solution (even a temporary one that I may revise later!)

So... I will follow-up to conversations by recapping the main issue discussed, including the final outcomes and who is responsible for any actions. That way any miscommunication can be cleared up pronto!

That should get me started...