Sample by My Essay Writer
Who was the sender? Me
Who was the receiver? My brother, who is in South Korea.
What was the message? Can I use your bike.
What channel was used to send the message? Skype.
What was the misunderstanding that occurred? I thought I could take his bike to my home and use it whenever I needed, but he thought I just needed to use it once.
How could the misunderstanding have been avoided? I could have clarified my intention with the bike.
1. What did you learn about the communication process from this activity?
I learned that takes a more thorough conversation to fully communicate an idea. Even though we were talking on video while using Skype, we weren’t able to come to a full understanding of what I intended to do with his bike. It appears to me that even with a visual connection with someone, it doesn’t fully capture a message and the only real thing that can communicate the message is to fully explain the situation.
2. What seemed to be the main causes of the misunderstanding?
I didn’t say to my brother for exactly how long I intended to use his bike. I also don’t like to talk on Skype, so I wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible. If I had been more attentive and thoughtful, I may have seen that I didn’t fully explain my request.
3. What tips can you suggest for preventing misunderstandings in communications?
You should think through what you’re going to say if the message that you’re communicating is important. It would also help to reiterate the exchange before parting ways. If I had said to my brother something like, “OK, so I am going to take your bike home and use it until you return from South Korea,” then he would have understood my intentions better.
#2. Assignment
Who was the sender? My supervisor.
Who was the receiver? Me.
What was the message? We will hire you under the assumption that you’ll commit to two years.
What channel was used to send the message? Telephone.
What was the misunderstanding that occurred? I didn’t know that I would have to sign a contract that made me stay with the company for two years.
How could the misunderstanding have been avoided? The supervisor could have told me that I needed to sign a two-year contract.
1. What did you learn about the communication process from this activity?
I learned that people can be intentionally misleading when they are set to benefit from being vague. I should have confirmed when I was offered the job over the phone whether I needed to sign a contract. While during the interview I told my boss I am willing to commit for two years, I didn’t realize that upon arrival at the job I’d need to sign a contract.
2. What seemed to be the main causes of the misunderstanding?
My boss needed someone to work there, but she’s had a problem with people quickly quitting in the past, so she had a personal interest in me staying for a while. During the interview I told her that I would commit to two years, but I never said I would sign a contract. When I was offered the job over the phone, she said the offer is under the assumption that I commit to two years. It wasn’t until I moved cities and secured a new home, that I saw on the contract stating I needed to stay for two years. All this was because she needed someone to commit, so I was tricked into signing the contract after I had moved all my belongings.
3. What tips can you suggest for preventing misunderstandings in communication?
When someone asks you how long you are willing to commit, tell them the amount of time, but say that you are unsure what could develop before that time, so signing a contract would be too much of a commitment. This could cause you to not be hired, so you have to really judge how much you need the employment. When someone calls you to offer a job and they say it’s under the assumption that you commit for two years, make sure that you are crystal clear about whether you have to sign a contract, before you move all your belongings to a new city.
