When we have a fully-formed idea in our mind, and try to communicate that to other people, it’s easy to overlook details that seem obvious to us. That perfect picture in our mind is still a black screen in the minds of others, waiting to be filled in with what we communicate. It’s important to confirm understanding if we really need our intentions to be understood. In Highly Innovative & Reliable Organizations (HIROs), people ask open-ended questions and have those assigned to critical tasks repeat in their own words what they understand. This is especially important in multicultural, multilingual environments. Otherwise, unexpected things can happen!

Trust…in Clear Communications
Tags: Communication, communication skills, confirm understanding, high reliability organization, Highly Innovative and Reliable Organization, HIRO, soft power skills, Soft Power Skills Academy, soft skills
Published by CummingsRL
Lt. Col. Robert Cummings, completed his PhD dissertation on the Thai-Chinese community in Hat Yai at Chulalongkorn University. He has an MA-International Studies and MBA. A retired US Air Force command pilot and Asian Affairs specialist, he served as assistant professor of history at the Air Force Academy and assistant air attaché in the US Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand. Conversationally fluent in Chinese and Thai, he currently resides in Thailand. View all posts by CummingsRL