We all know communication is important — it is the foundation of any meaningful relationship (personal or professional)!
When we are in conflict with others, we ruminate on what we, or the other person, could’ve said or done better. And this is often where we feel stuck.
That’s because miscommunication often happens BEFORE anything has been said. It happens the moment you form a judgment on a situation.
How Judgments Cause Miscommunication in the Workplace
The way we view our world is constructed by our experiences and mindset. We all view the world under a very specific set of filters, which creates the judgments that we have on the things that happen around us.
We are aware of some of these judgments, while some of them are totally unconscious! Bringing awareness on what they are can empower us to take different actions that lead to success.
Conflicts happen when we feel triggered by something that have happened. These triggers are created by your UNIQUE experiences and are SPECIFIC to you.
Overcoming Communication Challenges
The next time a situation upsets you, try writing down a list of your own assumptions and interpretations of what had happened.
Some helpful questions to ask yourself (it helps to write these out!):
- What about the situation had triggered you?
- How do these triggers reflect what’s important to you as a person?
- What assumptions and interpretations did you form on the situation or other people involved in the situation?
- If you were someone with a completely different worldview, how would these assumptions and interpretations look different?
Now that you have this on paper, how would you communicate differently if you had let go of all of these assumptions and interpretations?
A More Concrete View
The Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Assessment is a research-backed assessment that can help you see more concretely how your current world view may or may not be limiting you. The insights from the assessment have helped numerous leaders improve communication and interpersonal dynamics! If you’d like to get more concrete insights, reach out to find out more about how the ELI can help you.
