How do you address misunderstandings in communication?
Table of Contents
How do you address misunderstandings in communication?
If a misunderstanding does happen (and they often do), here are 5 steps to handle it.
- Ask for permission to discuss the situation.
- Ask questions and really listen to the answers.
- Find the source of the misunderstanding and correct it.
- Check that understanding has been reached and the emotions dealt with.
Why does someone get defensive when asked a question?
Generally, when people talk about someone becoming defensive in the context of a conversation, they are meaning that that someone is engaging in emotionally defensive maneuvers designed to ward off their having to experience some unwanted feeling or admit responsibility for some disowned act.
What is communication misunderstanding?
“A misunderstanding occurs when a communication attempt is unsuccessful because what the speaker intends to express differs from what the hearer believes to have been expressed.” ( Misunderstanding in Social Life, 2014)
What to do when someone is defensive in a conversation?
In most conversations, a person’s defensive reaction has little to do with your intention. If the person you are speaking with reacts defensively to your well-meant words, consider these tips when formulating your response: Don’t say, “don’t take it personally” or “don’t be so defensive.” You will fortify the person’s reactions.
How do you deal with a defensive person at work?
Controlling the interaction. In order to protect yourself from being blamed, you take steps, sometimes dramatic ones like resigning, to control the narrative and the outcome. Minimizing the impact. Often, the person being defensive actually is to blame in some tangible way.
Why do people act defensively when they talk to you?
An hour later, he called to tell me they would be out later that morning since someone else had canceled. Acting defensively is a common human behavior. The brain’s primary function is to protect. When talking to people, if they feel psychologically safe with you, you might be able to have a rational conversation with them.
How do you approach someone with a defensive attitude?
Sometimes, what’s true and what’s assumed can be equally difficult to prove or disprove. But you don’t want to approach a defensive person with the motive to prove something, because that might set them off. Instead, approach them with an intense curiosity and desire to learn what they believe and why they believe it.