10 Common Communication Mistakes - Avoiding Communication Blunders and Misunderstandings

It's tempting to try to avoid difficult conversations, but this can cause further problems.

• Preparation is key to handling difficult conversations.
• Use tools such as the Situation – Behavior – Impact technique to encourage your people to reflect on their behavior.
• Role-play your conversation first.

Assertiveness is about stating what you need while considering the wants and needs of others. 

Assertiveness also means saying "no" when you need to.

Strong emotional reactions can damage your reputation. 

Instead, try and respond calmly.

Poorly-prepared presentations, reports, or emails frustrate your audience and can, over time, damage your reputation.

• Set aside time to plan your communication thoroughly.
• Create a credible, intelligent, and compelling message that emotionally and intellectually appeals to your audience.
• Leave time to proofread and to finalize your presentation.

You may overlook people's different personalities, needs and expectations with a One-size-fits-all approach.

Your communications need to address those differences as much as possible so that everyone can benefit from your session.

It can be tempting to stereotype new colleagues or clients, or to make assumptions about them based on just a few pieces of information.

Set time aside to listen when you meet someone new. Give them space to talk about their viewpoints and take time to absorb these.

Always take time to check that people have understood your message.

To check that you've been understood correctly, use open questions that start with "how," "why" or "what." These encourage reflection and will help your audience to explain what they have taken from your communication.

Forwarding sensitive email to the wrong person, or sending an incorrect attachment can cause serious problems.

It might be helpful to draft emails in a word processing document or blank email, and then to paste the text into a new message. Only then select the recipient.