Misunderstanding

“How often, you wonder, has the direction of your life been shaped by such misunderstandings?
How many opportunities have you been denied--or, for that matter, awarded--because someone failed to see you properly?
How many friends have you lost, how many have you gained, because they glimpsed some element of your personality that shone through for only an instant, and in circumstances you could never reproduce?
An illusion of water shimmering at the far bend of a highway.”

― Kevin Brockmeier, The View from the Seventh Layer  
 

Misunderstanding and miscommunication happen mostly in a group work. In fact, when it comes to the work environment, it can often be especially challenging to communicate with a variety of different people who have different communication styles, various skill levels and have perceptions that are quite different from ours. When those inevitable miscommunications or misunderstandings happen, it can be important to make wise choices about how to fix things, clear up misunderstandings and move on.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where it was almost as if the two of you were speaking completely different languages? You say one thing and she hears something quite different from what you intended. She responds and you react in a way that she thinks is inappropriate? When misunderstandings occur in the workplace, they can affect productivity and work relations, but they can also get out of hand if things are not cleared up and put right as soon as possible.

When misunderstandings happen at work, immediately focus on finding a solution and common ground instead of trying to pick things apart and figure out where they went wrong. It is not important to find someone to blame and it can take far too much time to try to hammer out the creation of a misunderstanding. Instead, use the shared goal of getting past it to figure out how to move forward. It is perfectly appropriate to acknowledge there is a miscommunication or misunderstanding without feeling the need to blame someone: "We seem to have had a misunderstanding and I am sorry about that. Let's move forward and figure out how we can focus on the project."

Try not to involve others and once you have acknowledged the misunderstanding and moved on, drop it and refrain from bringing it up again. Personality conflicts and misunderstandings can be sustained and enlarged when the individuals involved are not able to let go and move one. Once you have focused on the shared goals and moved forward, it is important not to bring up the misunderstanding again. Use it as an opportunity to learn more about each other and then use that knowledge to improve your communication with each other, as well as your working relationship.

Published by Kori Rodley Irons

Kori is a freelance writer, public relations and nonprofit management specialist living in the Pacific Northwest. She also raised three children as a single parent and is an activist involved in various comm...  View profile