According to a study conducted out of the University of Missouri, the average individual partakes in some form of communication about 70 to 80 percent of their waking hours.
When you think about it…that is a lot of hours. This leaves plenty of time for communication understanding (Potential) and misunderstanding (Mishap). When working with the public or your peers, it’s a dance you want to master. To begin, we need to start with defining what Potential and Mishaps are in the wide variety of communications. Communication Potential is how much communication can be processed successfully by the receiver of the message. Communication Mishap is when communication is not received as intended by the sender. In short, a person is just as capable of grasping the message you intend as of missing the point. Below are tips and tricks that aid anyone in maximizing and minimizing communication Potential & Mishaps. Perception & Reality Every human has a perception of what reality looks like for them. Everyone interprets their surroundings in unique ways. This is common knowledge. It also is easy to forget others do not see things the way you do. Things to remind yourself of are:
Language is Not Universal Ever find that instead of being on the same page, you are actually ‘reading different books?’ Language is not universal. One word or phrase can hold a variety of meanings to each individual. This tends to occur because humans learn words and associations growing up. What makes one person happy will make another person sad. Approach communications with these ideas to limit language mishaps:
Intentions: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Even if you are a master communicator, your intentions during communication sneak through. Even with the best intentions, you still may come off as rude, forward, arrogant, disrespectful, etc. You can get a gauge on how receivers are interpreting your intentions by the feedback you receive in return. Examples abound: a vertical wrinkle on the receiver’s forehead, self-soothing such as touching the neck or arms, the dreaded crickety silence after you voice a thought. Some tips:
Helpful Sources: https://extension.missouri.edu/cm150/ https://www.embracepossibility.com/blog/reasons-why-people-are-bad-communicators/ Dive Deeper Strengthen your interpersonal communications with our recommended reading: How to Read People Like a Book: The Complete Guide to Speed-Reading People, Understand Body Language, Decode Intentions, and Connect Effortlessly |
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For more information on how Cobalt can help you adapt and thrive in the changing demographic, economic and social environment, visit the Cobalt website or reach out to us by email. Let us know if you need anything at all for benchmarking or research data; we are here for you.
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations measure, benchmark, and affordably engage communities through high-quality metrics, mobile geofencing data, surveys, and dynamic population segmentation. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations measure, benchmark, and affordably engage communities through high-quality metrics, mobile geofencing data, surveys, and dynamic population segmentation. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].