Is What I Meant What You Read? Dynamics of the Delivery
What aspects must we consider when ensuring that a delivered communication is not misunderstood?
We should consider understanding the reader before writing the message. Knowing the readers' needs, interests, concerns, their questions, and familiarity with the topic can improve the clarity of our writing. Another aspect to consider is the purpose of the communication when beginning and on completion of the draft. By keeping in mind what type of document we are writing, we can choose the most effective organization method. And finally, brief concise messages will ensure clarity.
I agree with your observation that we must understand the reader before writing the message. Knowing the background of our reader is paramount in choosing the appropriate vocabulary to clearly communicate our message. I deal with a diverse array of non-traditional students, and my choice of vocabulary may make the difference between an effective communication and one that will not produce the desired result.
First,consider the knowledge of the reader. Make sure my key message is at the beginning of the message and also in the subject line so that the message is read.I would make it short and concise. Thinking and organizing from my readers point of view helps ensure that they will understand what I am trying to say. Another thing is to make sure the purpose of the communication is the same as the beginning and on completion of the draft. And finally, brief and clear messages will help ensure there are no misunderstandings.
Reply
I have found the same to be true, you must understand the reader. Sometimes the reader will read into the the message what they want it to say, not necessarily what the message is. So a brief concise message will help ensure the clarity of the message.
Thanks for your observation Maureen - it's true, the interpretation of the message and position of those involved crucially affect the communication process.
Jay Hollowell
ML116 Facilitator
Using clear and simple language, as well as responding the reader's questions, can avoid confusion or misinterpretation.
Taking your time, knowing your target audience and then organizing your thoughts on how to address the target audience's needs and questions.
Aspects we must consider when ensuring that delivered communication is not misunderstood is to make sure that what is being said is very clear and that the person to whom it is going to you should know there level of understanding also.
Things I consider is: Am I writing this to one person or several?
There are times when I want to relay information to my team and I physically have to send multiple emails/letters with the same information, however, delivered differently. I have team members where I have to be short and direct and others that need more information provided.
If I am writing something to my team, it is easy, because I know what style benefits them the most. Is it more work up front? Sometimes, however, when I send information out the way my teams needs it, it helps elevate additional emails in the end.
When sending out information to people that I do not know, I try to put myself in their shoes and try to deliver my information that way being as clear and concise as possible.
Thanks, Kisha, for your comments. It sounds as if you have total consideration for, snd focus on, the recipients of your communications. Being most sensitive to those with whom we communicate and knowing something about their communicative style are key.
Jay Hollowell
After I have written something, the first thing I do is read it, looking for errors and ways to improve the writing. Time permitting, I also ask a colleague to read it and then tell me what it says.
I concur with the strategy of a clear subject line. Right away, the reader has an expectation of your message and intent. I have found that entirely avoiding joking and sarcasm is the only way not to be misunderstood in your intent. If you try it, you will be at risk of being misunderstood. I also find that telephone can be used in conjunction with e-mail. The e-mail can carry the major load of the message, and a follow-up short call can convey your tone more clearly.
Making sure you choose the RIGHT kind of communication is key to making sure that it is not misunderstood. All too often, we think that we can just shoot off a quick e-mail to relay information to a co-worker; however, we sometimes leave out criticals details, OR, include extraneous information that can make our e-mail boring to the reader. Rather than sending an e-mail, maybe we should go back to the good old fashioned verbal communication?
In general, don't use "Slang" terms and/or phrases. Spelling's important, so by all means, use the "Spell check" feature whenever available.
Woei,
Thanks for your comments, I always proof my emails for spelling and grammatical errors - it keeps things professional - the message is very much influenced by the presentation!
Jay Hollowell
I agree with your comments. It is very important to consider where the reader may be coming from, what their questions might be, and how they might interpret the message to ensure that the proper word choice, tone, and overall message are conveyed as we hope. It is always best to step away from a message that risks miscommunication and review it again before sending. Make sure that the correct message is being communicated effectively and concisely.
One fact that I'd like to add is that we cannot understand the message for our readers, no matter how much effort we put into what we write.
Ultimately, our words go out into the world and are processed and understood by others. We can (and should) do our best to anticipate areas of shared knowledge or disagreement, and questions they might have among other factors, but there will always be factors that we could not have accounted for.
As one of the videos indicated, we have to accept that information, perception, understanding, and memory are pliable and we must be eager to revisit key ideas and topics multiple times.
That said, I agree that there are ways to keep this to a minimum: As others before me have already said, we have to take our intended audience into account and plan our writing in a way that keeps things simple but conveys the essentials. The specifics will depend on how well we know each other, the topic of discussion, and the type of communication involved.
Sometimes the answer will be to avoid writing altogether, and have a face-to-face discussion with the parties involved.
Hi Teresa, thanks for your comments, I too take a step back from an email communication, then read it again to ensure that it is clear and makes sense under the circumstances. Email communications are really a matter of record.
Jay Hollowell
Hi David,excellent points! Communication so much depends on how the message is delivered, how it is interpreted, how all parties feel about the topic and even about each other. This all affects the value of the communication. I think we sometimes forget that "old Fashioned" communication may still often be the best means.
Jay Hollowell
