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Clarify to Avoid Confusion

Have you ever thought you knew what someone had agreed to, only to discover that they had something completely different in mind?

Sometimes we see things differently. Let's face it -- we always see things differently. We bring our own filters, perceptions, conceptions, ideas, and bias to any moment and any agreement. As centered, high performance leaders we need to take the time to clarify our agreements to avoid confusion.

When we ask a question and get an answer, it's worth taking a moment to validate or confirm what we believe that answer means. We can paraphrase, we can reframe, we can ask a follow-up question. It's best to make sure that we know what we think we know.

Every answer is open to interpretation.

What do you do to make sure that your interpretations are shared?

-- Douglas Brent Smith

Are you interested in developing better communication in your organization? Why not contact me today about bringing the workshop "Communicating for Results" to your location?


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