Business and Communication: Almost, but Not Quite
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Co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory
Have you ever left a business meeting convinced that everyone understood the plan, only to discover later that people walked away with very different ideas about what had been agreed upon?
Misunderstandings like these can be particularly frustrating because the people involved may believe they are communicating clearly. They use familiar words, agree on the general direction, and assume they share the same expectations. Yet beneath that apparent agreement, important differences in meaning can remain unnoticed.
Why Similar Communication Styles Can Create Misunderstandings
Perceptual Style Theory describes six distinct ways people naturally perceive and respond to the world. Some Perceptual Styles share similarities in how they express themselves, which can create an unexpected communication challenge. People with neighboring Perceptual Styles may use similar language while attaching very different meanings to what they say.
How Vision and Goals Perceptual Styles Approach the Future
Vision and Goals provide a useful example of how neighboring Perceptual Styles can appear to communicate in similar ways while approaching situations from different perspectives. Both naturally look toward the future, but they may focus on very different time horizons.
People with the Vision Perceptual Style often focus on long-term possibilities, emerging patterns, and the broader direction in which an organization is moving. People with the Goals Perceptual Style are often more focused on translating objectives into concrete actions and achieving results within a shorter timeframe.
Both approaches can contribute important strengths to an organization. But when expectations about timing are not made explicit, a conversation about future plans can lead to very different assumptions about what should happen next.
When a Strategic Plan Becomes an Immediate Action Plan
Years ago, I was providing coaching and business development support to a company whose leadership team included a CEO with the Vision Perceptual Style and a COO with the Goals Perceptual Style.
The organization periodically brought its leadership team together for planning sessions. During one meeting, the CEO outlined plans, actions, targets, and changes in customer relationships that he wanted the company to pursue.
Several weeks later, the COO reported that everything the CEO had described had already been accomplished. The CEO was stunned. What he had intended as a strategic plan for the entire year had been interpreted by the COO as a set of actions to complete immediately.
There was an upside. The company had accomplished a great deal much faster than anticipated. But there was also a significant downside. Some customer relationships had been strained by changes introduced more abruptly than expected, leaving the organization scrambling to repair those relationships and restore trust.
Neither leader had intended to create confusion. Both believed they understood the plan. The problem was that they had interpreted the same conversation through different expectations about timing, priorities, and implementation.
How to Prevent Miscommunication in Business
Misunderstandings like this can occur whenever people assume that familiar language carries the same meaning for everyone. And they can be particularly difficult to recognize when the people involved communicate in ways that initially seem very similar.
The solution is not simply to communicate more often. It is to confirm that the meaning behind the words has actually been understood. When discussing plans, ask questions that clarify expectations: What needs to happen first? What is the intended timeline? Which actions are immediate priorities, and which are longer-term goals?
It also helps to ask people to describe their understanding of what has been agreed upon. This is not about testing whether someone was listening. It is about recognizing that two capable, well-intentioned people can hear the same words and walk away with different expectations.
In business, communication succeeds when people share not only the words but also the intended meaning. When important decisions and relationships are at stake, almost understanding one another is not quite enough.
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About Dr. Gary M. Jordan, Ph.D.
Gary Jordan, Ph.D., has over 35 years of experience in clinical psychology, behavioral assessment, individual development, and coaching. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology – Berkeley. He is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. He’s a partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., a consulting firm that specializes in helping people discover their true skills and talents.
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