Miscommunication: It Happens Everywhere Folks

We are all prone to communication failures and/or breakdowns, regardless who we are or what situation we may find ourselves in.

s an avid Patriots fan, I was watching the Patriots vs. Ravens game last night and I couldn't help but chuckle. Communication is so ingrained into our lives, that often times we like to assume we know what others are trying to say and do without investing an appropriate level of effort to ensure we are actually on the same page.

Case-in-point, John Harbaugh was flagged for a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty last night, because the referee assumed he was trying to interfere with the flow of the game. When the referee came to the sideline, coach Harbaugh then pleaded his case that he was not trying to be insubordinate or disrespectful, but instead was attempting to call a time out.

Without question the replacement referees are out of their league and are certainly taking their fair share of criticism and outright verbal bashing form players, coaches and fans. However, looking at how this chain of events played out last night, it really made me think about this very simple fact: we are all prone to communication failures and/or breakdowns, regardless who we are or what situation we may find ourselves in. For me, this situation reiterated the importance of investing fully into a conversation, both as a listener and as the person trying to communicate the message.


Jason