Are you ready to communicate? I’m unleashing a Tweet Series on COMMUNICATION. Learn what you can and cannot control.
Welcome to this Tweet Series on Communication. Let’s take a look at what communication is and what makes it so complicated.
Communication is the art of accurately transmitting an idea or concept from one person to another. Several variables exist.
The 1st step of communication is Intention. What is our purpose and goal? What is our motive? What results are we seeking?
My Intentions are under my control and are my responsibility. I cannot control the Intentions of others. Their intentions are their responsibility.
The 2nd step: How we express our intentions. There can be a large or small gap between what people intend to say and how they go about doing it.
I control how I express my intentions, but I can never control how others express their intentions. I must decipher expression to find intent.
3rd step: How we interpret expressed intent. There is a 2nd gap between what someone expresses and how we interpret it.
I am responsible for accurately interpreting other’s expressed intent. I can never control how others interpret my expressed intent.
4th Step: How we react to our interpretation of expressed intent. There is a 3rd gap between how I interpret others and how I choose to react.
I am responsible for how I choose to react to my own interpretation of the expressed intent of others. I’m aware of the 3 gaps in communication.
I cannot control how others choose to react to their own interpretation of my expressed intent. I know they might not be aware of the 3 gaps in communication.
There are 3 Gaps in Communication. The 1st gap lies between Intention and Expression of Intent. Two variables merit focus here.
1. How clearly we communicate (can be improved) and 2. Both people must create and feel a safe place to express themselves (dependent on both).
The 2nd Gap lies between one person’s Expression and the other person’s Interpretation of that Expression. This is by far the greatest gap.
The 2nd gap is bound by each person’s personal experiences and reference points and requires us to see beyond our own understanding of the world.
The 3rd Gap lies between Interpretation of expressed intent and how we choose to React. This gap shortens with self-control and mindfulness.
We all have the power to choose how we react and we must take responsibility for understanding that positivity and negativity are a personal choice.
The last consideration for good communication is how willing we all are to step away from our own ideas and try to communicate past the 3 gaps in communication.
Thank you for joining me for my Tweet Series on Communication. I hope you enjoyed it and learned some new information to ponder on.