Miscommunication can create misunderstandings. Miscommunication at work can lead to so many negative effects like reduced productivity, interpersonal collisions, and conflicts that could have been easily avoided. Miscommunication is the seed of downfall for any company whether it be the miscommunication of the work division or something that was supposed to be done as a team. Avoiding miscommunications brings attention to the reasons for it. Here are 6 common reasons for miscommunication:
Unclear statements or instructions lead to miscommunication at work. Lack of clarity may occur due to many reasons which range on a scale of illness to negligence of the instructor. Ambiguous instructions and unclear messaging is also a reason which leads to confusion and not so perfect work.
Making assumptions on the understanding of others creates an emotional and practical gap in the workplace. Not everyone understands or interprets things the same way hence explaining things in a way that everyone feels involved and understands what's going on. Making assumptions is one of the reasons for miscommunication at work.
Cultural differences can be another reason for miscommunication at work. Coming from different backgrounds everyone might have different ethics and beliefs which may lead to different interpretations of tone and body language. Language barrier is another reason for miscommunication.
Not everyone can be considered as a good listener but at the workplace being a good listener is important. Employees focusing more on responding rather than understanding which proves to be yet another reason. Missing out on important and emphasised points shows disinterest and poor listening skills.
Over burdening employees with information may lead to slipping off or missing out on information. Sharing important information back to back and sharing a lot of information at a time leads to miscommunication.
Stress and fatigue are some of the psychological aspects of miscommunication. Stress can cause a person to forget important details and might even convey wrong information.
Use of technology sometimes creates differences, for example emails are one of the most frequently used sources of communication but many times people forget to read emails as they are not very noticeable which leads to miscommunication.
Identifying these reasons may be tough but is important as they can end up being the reason for downfall. Avoiding such reasons and taking proper measures to establish great communication and good listening will for sure create a great working environment. These are a few measures that a company can take to avoid situations similar to conflicts.
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