Lost In Communication

At times like these when people are being forced to work from home and interact with teams from across the globe, communication between the leaders and their subordinates must be clear and concise. Most times though, the actual meaning is lost due to poor communication ability

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Ms. Apurva Purohit President, Jagran Prakashan Limited

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” This is what Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw had to say. Miscommunication is an unfortunate by-product of all organisations, big and small. Given the levels of hierarchy that exist between the CEOs and the on-ground teams, not to mention the various ways in which an organisation is cut up—regionally, functionally, by cluster—there is ample scope for even the clearest of messages to be distorted.

And therefore, communicating what needs to be done and the onerous responsibility of making sure that it has been understood by everyone across the width of a far-flung team has become a key success factor for the leaders of today. Given the slightest opportunity, people will construe any message in the manner that they deem fit and confidently convey it to others in this new shape and form. This keeps happening until it has gone through so many mental prisms that by the last exchange, you can be sure the message being passed on is almost entirely opposite to the one set in motion!