Humans have been communicating since the dawn of time. Even before there was language, our ancestors "spoke" to each other using non-verbal cues like hand gestures, pointing, and pantomiming. According to researchers from the University of California, there wasn’t any reading or writing until roughly 5,000 years ago.
"People started writing things down so they could keep track of accounts. For example, if Farmer Joe owed Farmer Jill three sheep, then they would draw a picture of a sheep and write down three marks," explains the university's site.
Those pictures evolved into into hieroglyphics and then into the letters that we use today. And while we'd like to think that writing and reading has made things easier, it seems that's not always the case.
Too often, messages are unclear, causing chaos, confusion and sometimes even comedy gold. But on a serious note, mixed messages confuse your audience, undermine your credibility and often achieve the opposite of what you intended. That's the word from communication experts at Shift-ology.
"Mixed messages occur when the different elements of your communication – tone, content, context and intent – contradict each other or send competing signals," they explain. "They create cognitive dissonance in your audience, forcing them to choose which part of your message to believe while questioning your authenticity and competence."
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The Shift-ology team warns that mixed messages often only become obvious when you hear them spoken. They add that one way to ensure clearer communication is to apply what they call the Headline Test. This means asking yourself: “If someone only read the headline and the conclusion of my message, would they understand my main point?”
The experts stress that clear communication isn’t about dumbing down your message. But rather about being direct, consistent and authentic. In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say.
Even when you think your message is as clear as day, it could still be completely misinterpreted. And there are several reasons why... The first is context.
As psychologist, author, public speaker, and business strategist Liane Davey explains, you can't always assume that your intended audience has the same information, background, or schema as you. And if they don't, there's a good chance they'll interpret your message differently than how you expect.
"That’s especially problematic if their different interpretation leads to inappropriate behaviors or unproductive reactions," warns the expert.
Davey says another reason why your messages could get misinterpreted is because people respond differently to the same stimulus (i.e., message, body language, tone, etc.). She reveals that she often sees people trying to be very clear and dispassionate, only to be told they were harsh or too direct.
In these cases, says the expert, "the sender often fails to create the desired effect because the receiver feels hurt or becomes defensive."
The same applies to cultural or language differences.
