![]() 8 Implications of Perception on Performance and Satisfaction.7 Managerial Implications of Perception. ![]() 4 Perception in Organisational Behavior.Sometimes, the best thing we can say to someone else is "I'm sorry that was not my intent. However, when inevitable misperceptions arise, be sure to address them as soon as possible in an open, non-confrontational manner. Simple, honest, respectful communications will sometimes go a long way in preventing miscommunications. Sometimes differences may be cultural, and sometimes they are due to different life experiences. We all have different viewpoints and styles of communication. Never deliver a sensitive or potentially volatile message to an audience without first having a few neutral parties review it for content, tone, and context. Finally, have a few trusted colleagues or advisors review messages that may be particularly sensitive, before they are delivered, to get a variety of opinions.Be open to looking at messages through the viewpoints of others and revise messages as needed.Try to clear up any miscommunications as soon as possible in a non-confrontational manner.Recognize that others may have a different perception of the message we are sending from what we originally intended.Few people are real experts in how to change the perception someone has from the intent that we try to communicate however, the following general tips seem to be common in the various resources available to clarify our communications: So, what do we do? How do we communicate without offending someone? Just remember that the best thing we can do with any communication is to be respectful and to be honest. The intent of the message might be overshadowed by the physical exhaustion. ![]() For example, if we have a sleepless night and have to try and convey a sense of excitement or energy in a message the next morning, our fatigue could be interpreted as boredom or as the lack of belief in the subject matter. We live in an imperfect world, and sometimes no matter how careful we try to be in the choice of our words, we inadvertently convey a message in our delivery that we did not intend. I am not sure about you, but I frequently have to say, "I am so sorry, but that is not what I meant." It would be rare indeed to speak with anyone else and never have a miscommunication. After all, shouldn't we easily be able to convey our meaning to our colleagues and our clients or patients? Shouldn't we have some sort of innate connection with language that allows us to transcend any perceived issues in our messages? We may believe that, as communication professionals, we shouldn't have to analyze our words with the same scrutiny that other professionals may need to in their daily interactions. Perhaps because we are involved in the field of communications, we think that we should not have problems in getting our intent across to others. We may even be from a similar demographic group as another person, but because of our differing life experiences, we might have radically different responses to the same messages. When we talk with others from a different life experience, national origin, or demographic group, we have to be aware that we each bring our own biases into any given situation. So, if we are aware that the perception of the person receiving the message may be different from our original intent, how do we avoid hurt feelings and misunderstandings? Surely, it should be possible to convey meaning in a way that is relatively fool proof? Innocent conversations may have unintended meaning for someone whose life experience differs from ours. Vocalization and inflection can mean different things to people from other cultures, for example. Sometimes we are unaware that our words or tone may have an entirely different implication for the individual or individuals we are addressing. Usually, that is the last thing that we intend. We sometimes complicate the simplest conversations until the people involved are left feeling confused or apprehensive about the "hidden" meaning behind the discussion. Often, we communicate in ways that obfuscate or muddy the very meaning that we are trying to convey with our words. All of this came about through a desire to be more aware of how we work with each other and how we talk to one another. My office has been discussing cultural competence and the idea of intent versus perception recently.
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