If you're like most people, including myself, you've had a misunderstanding at work. In fact, you were very confident of your clarity, you can hear yourself confirming understanding, and then there’s a follow-up that makes you feel like you might have imagined it all.
Communicating can be incredibly frustrating, especially when it requires significant effort. Yet, this is the essence of executive communication skills. It’s not a one-time occurrence but rather an ongoing process of conversation, confirmation, and affirmation.
Clearing up a misunderstanding at work is difficult when real or perceived authority gets in the way of an open conversation to resolve the issue. Effective communication in healthcare is a clear example of a perceived hierarchy that can hinder essential information. Perhaps you've had a leader who said something incorrect but with such confidence that you assumed they were right. Maybe that person is you.