One Simple Tool to Reduce Misunderstandings on Your Team

 

I hope you are having an enjoyable and restful weekend 🙏

In last week’s edition, I shared a bit of my story - how I grew up as a quiet, shy kid who never quite felt like she belonged. That thread followed me through a 30-year HR career, and it’s now the heartbeat of how I support hybrid teams today.

This week, I wanted to share one of my favorite tools for improving communication clarity - especially in hybrid workplaces where body language, tone, and intent can easily get lost in translation.

It’s called:

đŸ§© ”What I Meant / What I Heard”

Here’s how it works:

When communication breaks down, it’s often because:

  • What someone meant to say isn't what the other person actually heard.
  • Our internal filters (personality, past experience, mood, etc.) shape the meaning we assign to messages - often without us realizing it.

So when things feel “off” in a conversation, try this:

Pause and reflect.

  • What did you mean to communicate?
  • What do you think they heard?

Bridge the gap.

  • Try saying: "I think what I meant might not be what you heard. Can we check in?"
  • Or: "Here's what I was trying to express. I'd love to hear how it landed for you."

This tool doesn't just clarify the message - it creates psychological safety. It tells the other person: "I care enough about this relationship to check my impact."

You can use this with:

  • Your team and/or peers, during tense or ambiguous conversations
  • Your clients, when giving feedforward or explaining deliverables
  • Your self, when replaying conversations in your head (yup, we all do it!)

đŸȘ·Â Reflection Prompt for This Week:

Think back to a recent conversation that felt misunderstood. What might have been the difference between what was meant and what was heard? How might you bridge that gap next time?

🎁 Supportive Resource Spotlight:

If you've ever left a meeting unsure what was really said - or worried that your message didn't land quite right - you're not alone.

This week, I'm sharing a couple of my favorite articles from Harvard Business Review - on the nuances of listening actively:

https://hbr.org/2024/01/what-is-active-listening

https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-power-of-listening-in-helping-people-change

Keep speaking gently and listening bravely.

You’ve got this.

With care, Kris 🌾

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