What if I told you there is no such thing as a “communication breakdown?”
(Aside from a Led Zeppelin song.)
“Communication breakdown” is often a go-to phrase to name an incident in which “something went wrong.” This phrase, however, never takes into account what we know today as the Shannon-Weaver interpersonal communication model. Within the model, two people communicate in a continuous cycle: sending messages and feedback in a loop. There is never a “break” because we are ALWAYS communicating!
When we think of “something going wrong” in communication, it’s simply because our intrapersonal needs are not being met via our message. It can be incredibly frustrating especially when we can’t pinpoint how our communication could have been handled differently when there’s a misunderstanding, disagreement or a period of silence.
Next time you find yourself reaching for the phrase “communication breakdown,” here are a few things to consider:
-Was the message clear enough for the other person to understand? Did I use easy-to-understand language, or did I rely on slang?
-Was there context missing from the message that would have helped?
-Did I send my message through a proper medium(s) (email, phone call, text message, etc.)?
-Did I ensure I was sending the message to the correct person or people?
-Was there any noise during the message transfer? For example, this could be sound drowning out my voice, technological issues or someone else speaking on my behalf.
-Did I consider the contexts of my receiver? For example, the receiver could have been booked all day with meetings, or they’re in a location with poor celluar service.
-Did I consider cultural differences in communication styles? For example, could have have altered my language to be more or less direct?
Do you have any considerations to add to this list? And have you found yourself using this phrase before? Let me know in the comments!
PS- Did you know that I have a few worksheets about communication theory on my website? Check them out here to download a FREE copy!