Effective communication gets a lot of lip service. Everyone knows of its importance, but poor quality communication continues to be a stumbling block at what seems to be every step we take.
In continuing with last month’s theme on communication, let’s look at a simple yet very effective way to almost guarantee no miscommunication.
As you might have guessed, Three-Way Communication has three parts:
- Originator gets the receiver’s attention and delivers the message to the Receiver
- Receiver repeats the paraphrased message back to the Originator
- Originator confirms the Receiver accurately understood the message
See the graphic above for an example. In short, “Leave No Doubt”, no matter how silly it might seem. The more risk involved, the more critical this type of method is followed. You’ll find this utilized in the military, nuclear industry and other similar critical genres.
Additionally, here is a fun link that helps to highlight the importance of clear instructions. Sure, it’s a little extreme, but it makes the point effectively.
This dad follows his kid’s PB&J sandwich instructions very literally (click here to view).
