When communication is confusing, it becomes a frustrating task to engage in. Now...some things are more frustrating for some than for others. I get all discombobulated if someone gives me unclear directions. I can't tell which way is north and I can't figure out how one area fits in right next to another. I usually tell people that I was born without the direction gene and get lost backing out of my own driveway. Give me a set of directions where you don't make it clear that I shouldn't mistake Porcupine Street for Porcupine Lane and you might as well tell me to pack a lunch, because I'm going to be a while!
Now my husband is, as they say, a whole 'nuther story! That man can figure out how to get from Los Angeles to England without crossing the ocean! He's been known to find Needles, California in a haystack. He knows when Map Quest doesn't know what it's talking about! While I can drive some place sixteen times and still need the directions, my husband remembers it forever if he's been there ONCE! Where I can get lost because I've traveled there in the dark for the first time (even though It's only down the street from my house), my husband can find Mrs. Mason's mobile home parked in a forest obscured by ten thousand oak trees at midnight!
Now send me mixed signals in a conversation and I'll follow you til the cows come home! My mom and I will have a three hour discussion where my dad is confused because she didn't mention something that connects what she was talking about with what she's talking about now. He's often surprised at how I'm still following her. I know where she's going with the conversation so I don't need all the little transitions or details. Neither does she. We get each other.
However, skip one teeny tiny detail when you're trying to tell me how to download something on my computer, and I'm completely lost. Watch and learn how one small and clueless human being can singlehandedly, and in one click of a mouse, reduce a brand new computer to a quivering pile of microchips! I'm that talented, folks!
The frustration that comes from technology and getting lost for me is right up there with torture. Forget the rack and thumbscrews, this is it! I may be a bit uneasy when you talk circles around me in a conversation, but you won't need to call the little men in white coats. I'll ask some clarifying questions, and we'll have some fun laughing about how we got through the conversation, but my sanity will arrive unscathed! But put me in my own backyard at night, spin me around three times and watch as a lunatic is born!
Knowing what frustrates the begeebers outta someone (like yourself) is a good insight into confusion you may cause others as you communicate. We should always seek to speak clearly so as to avoid any confusion and the frustration of insanity it can bring.
What confusing things are most frustrating to you? Street signs? Texting emails? A three year old's explanation? A politician's explanation? Directions for putting Slot A into Flap B? (or maybe that should be the other way around?) How can they remind you to be more clear? How can they help you to be more patient and understanding with others? How can you use your own frustrating experiences to help you avoid creating them in others?
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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication. Her Christian and humorous approach to communication skills has made her a sought after speaker. JoJo’s articles have appeared in various homeschool magazines and websites such as Dr. Laura.com. Her Say What You Mean curricula is endorsed by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and her eBook, Say What You Mean When You’re in Business, has been used by direct sales leaders and small business owners alike. For more information, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
What kind of confusion is most frustrating to YOU?
When communication is confusing, it becomes a frustrating task to engage in. Now...some things are more frustrating for some than for others. I get all discombobulated if someone gives me unclear directions. I can't tell which way is north and I can't figure out how one area fits in right next to another. I usually tell people that I was born without the direction gene and get lost backing out of my own driveway. Give me a set of directions where you don't make it clear that I shouldn't mistake Porcupine Street for Porcupine Lane and you might as well tell me to pack a lunch, because I'm going to be a while!
Now my husband is, as they say, a whole 'nuther story! That man can figure out how to get from Los Angeles to England without crossing the ocean! He's been known to find Needles, California in a haystack. He knows when Map Quest doesn't know what it's talking about! While I can drive some place sixteen times and still need the directions, my husband remembers it forever if he's been there ONCE! Where I can get lost because I've traveled there in the dark for the first time (even though It's only down the street from my house), my husband can find Mrs. Mason's mobile home parked in a forest obscured by ten thousand oak trees at midnight!
Now send me mixed signals in a conversation and I'll follow you til the cows come home! My mom and I will have a three hour discussion where my dad is confused because she didn't mention something that connects what she was talking about with what she's talking about now. He's often surprised at how I'm still following her. I know where she's going with the conversation so I don't need all the little transitions or details. Neither does she. We get each other.
However, skip one teeny tiny detail when you're trying to tell me how to download something on my computer, and I'm completely lost. Watch and learn how one small and clueless human being can singlehandedly, and in one click of a mouse, reduce a brand new computer to a quivering pile of microchips! I'm that talented, folks!
The frustration that comes from technology and getting lost for me is right up there with torture. Forget the rack and thumbscrews, this is it! I may be a bit uneasy when you talk circles around me in a conversation, but you won't need to call the little men in white coats. I'll ask some clarifying questions, and we'll have some fun laughing about how we got through the conversation, but my sanity will arrive unscathed! But put me in my own backyard at night, spin me around three times and watch as a lunatic is born!
Knowing what frustrates the begeebers outta someone (like yourself) is a good insight into confusion you may cause others as you communicate. We should always seek to speak clearly so as to avoid any confusion and the frustration of insanity it can bring.
What confusing things are most frustrating to you? Street signs? Texting emails? A three year old's explanation? A politician's explanation? Directions for putting Slot A into Flap B? (or maybe that should be the other way around?) How can they remind you to be more clear? How can they help you to be more patient and understanding with others? How can you use your own frustrating experiences to help you avoid creating them in others?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication. Her Christian and humorous approach to communication skills has made her a sought after speaker. JoJo’s articles have appeared in various homeschool magazines and websites such as Dr. Laura.com. Her Say What You Mean curricula is endorsed by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and her eBook, Say What You Mean When You’re in Business, has been used by direct sales leaders and small business owners alike. For more information, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com