Communicate with intent

Communicate with intent | Image Credit: © insta_photos - © insta_photos - stock.adobe.com.

Nearly everything boils down to communication. It is a cliché to say that communication is a key skill required to lead an organization and to be an effective in your job. Effective communication is vital across all aspects of life—at home, on the job, and in communities. Each day, I learn more about effective communication. I have long known that sometimes it is difficult to explain a topic I understand very well to recipients who may not. I have all the nuances in my brain, and I assume others have all that information as well. In such instances, it is vital to step back and provide the foundation so that others see the topics as clearly and have all the details for the discussion. This communication tool is called “providing the background.”

The concept of communicating with intent is both similar to and different from providing the background. We commonly communicate and expect the receiving party to know why we are communicating. However, many times they do not, and they interpret the communication with a different expectation or understanding. This is where communicating with intent is vital to avoid misunderstanding, confusion, and ultimately, rumors and dissatisfaction.

A simple example of not communicating with intent is one I have used recently to provide clarity. It involves a text exchange I had with one of my newer faculty members. As shown in the Figure, I texted my faculty asking if they were in the hospital and noted they had been on call the night before. The text back reveals they had left but were able to come back and were worried. Had I simply communicated with intent, texting, “I have your Tupperware, are you still at the hospital? I know you were on call last night,” there would have been clear communication and no misunderstanding. This is a simple example of not communicating with intent.

The positions or roles of people involved in the communication also affect perception. Communication from leadership is different from communication from a colleague or trainee. Because of this, communicating with a faculty member in my role as chair of the department resulted in a different expectation and tone than communicating as a colleague or trainee.

Although vital from leadership, communicating with intent is equally important in every aspect of our lives. Ensuring the message is received with the intent clearly stated avoids misunderstandings, helps each person know their role, and provides the “why” of the communication. As we roll out changes in the department, I push myself and my team to provide the why for the communication and am hopeful this enhances receipt of the message. I urge us all to put ourselves in the position of the recipients when communicating and to communicate with intent!