Making Sure With Feedback

By: Dr. Tony Alessandra

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

You have probably already realized that most, if not all, of these statements are highly ambiguous. When used in normal conversation, there is a high probability that these statements will be misinterpreted--unless they are clarified. For instance, a person says, “Call me later and we'll discuss it.” Do they mean fifteen minutes from now, one hour from now, tomorrow, or next week? These statements, in addition to thousands of others not mentioned here, can have a variety of meanings. They generate misunderstandings. Unfortunately, we frequently use these statements in everyday conversation and expect the other person to understand clearly what we mean. The same is true when other people are communicating with us. Unless statements such as these are clarified and confirmed between the two communicating parties, there is great likelihood the message received will not be the same as was intended. This is the foundation of errors, misunderstandings, and strained relationships. Through the simple use of feedback skills, these highly ambiguous statements can be transformed into specific, effective communications.