Here’s one of my favourite quotations about communication. Or miscommunication, if you look at it another way.
‘The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.’H
George Bernard Shaw said that, way back before the time of email, SMS and instant messaging. Back in a time when it was harder to edit what we wrote, so we were more careful. His words were true then, and they’re even more true now.
Humans are social animals. We’re hard-wired to communicate. That’s why we have language. But our use of language isn’t always as good as we think.
It’s often said that ‘80% of us believe we are better-than-average communicators’. As a copywriter, I notice language and I notice when communication turns into miscommunication. Here are some real-life examples of why we should stop thinking we always communicate well.
1. What does that number mean?
Three quick screenshots from a recent email exchange. The miscommunication here was about something really basic – price!
Fortunately I know this person well and trust them absolutely, so I felt comfortable to go back and ask for more information. It took a bit of back-and-forth, but eventually I understood they were asking for a discount of $30 per page, not a final price of $30 per page. Big difference!
2. Answer the question
Here’s a real-life text message conversation between myself and my husband.
Me: Are you in or out for dinner tonight?
Him: Yes! 😊
What more can I say? A fabulous example of believing communication had taken place. He thought he’d answered my question. I didn’t.
Sometimes, the quick answer isn’t the best answer. If everyone took a moment to review before hitting the send button, there might be less miscommunicaion in the world!
3. Contradicting yourself does not help communication
When the instruction manual gives two different ratios to mix 2-stroke oil with petrol, how can I tell which one to use?
And to make it worse, they also tell me that using the wrong ratio may void my warranty.
I wish our old leaf-blower – with the cable I plugged into the power – hadn’t blown up. Or that Bunnings had one which plugged into power!
4. Context can make a simple message hard to understand
Look at these two signs. Either one on its own would help potential buyers find their way to the open home. It might even attract some people who weren’t planning to inspect the house.
But put them together and what happens?
5. Pictures can be just as hard to understand as words
OK, I admit, I found this one online. But I can’t pass it up.
Sometimes, context is everything. The situation affects how people understand the message. Whoever put this particular sign on this particular pole missed that.
Lessons from these examples of miscommunication
First (and most important) lesson:
if you’re one of the 80% of us who think you’re better than average at communication, park that assumption!
Acknowledge that you might just not be.
Second lesson:
Park your writing.
It’s really hard to see mistakes or ambiguities in your own writing. You can’t ‘unknow’ what you’re trying communicate. That makes it hard to read with completely fresh eyes. The best you can do is to put something aside for a day or two and then come back to it. Or try reading aloud and see where you stumble. Or give it to someone else and ask them what your main point is.
Thirdly:
(I know, I said there were two lessons. Think of this as a suggestion instead.)
Consider help.
- Do people often misunderstand you? Don’t just get frustrated – try to understand why, and what you can do to fix it.
- Do you have copy on your website or on a brochure which doesn’t get your message across? Ask an expert to look at it.
It costs nothing to ask, and sometimes a light copyedit is all you need. (Copyediting is not the same as copywriting, and usually costs less.)
If the words you’re using aren’t working, I’d love to have a look and make some recommendations. Hearing those suggestions won’t cost you a penny either. For some quick, but on-point feedback, book in a half-hour chat.
Got any more real-life examples of miscommunication? Share them with me. If I like them, I’ll add them to this post and credit you. More insight here, better SEO for you – how’s that for a win-win! (Note, I’m not looking for memes or typos or misspellings. I’m looking for genuine communication confusion.)
