Question

In your opinion and work experience, why is writing and/or speaking using vague language a major reason readers and listeners misunderstand business messages, including instructions on what to do on the job?

Answer 1

Communication is successful when the receiver of a thought knows the meaning meant by the speaker or writer, whether by listening or reading. Effective contact, often exacerbated by passion, but never confusing, is clear and straightforward.

Messy thinking results in messy speech, which usually happens when someone starts communicating before his or her thinking process has finished. As a result, listeners are taken on lengthy, convoluted journeys riddled with anomalies, odd details, and untimely assumptions.

Messy thought typically occurs during times of elevated emotion or stress. Remember the statement of Plato: Wise men talk because they have to say something, while fools talk because they have to say something. In other words, before speaking, and when speaking, think about the intent of your message, use language that is accurate, descriptive, and easily understood.

Although civility in all cultures is a positive quality, it is often overlooked and misinterpreted. Civility is a question of context; in one case, what might be called disrespectful or thoughtless could be proper in another. A parent warning a child to get out of the street does not prioritise the interests of the child for his or her safety; a boss disciplining a subordinate for bad results does not dilute or misinterpret the meaning in the expectation of being viewed as "good." Civility implies being mindful and considerate about how acts and comments affect others, but it does not entail running around the bush or falsifying sentiments.

Over time, implicit patterns of thought, communicating, and engaging are created. Such practises shape your everyday habits and your interaction with your environment. In talking and writing, they emerge, and they sometimes contribute to miscommunication.