Have you ever observed a team and felt like you were watching a real-life episode of a TV drama? You know the one: two star-crossed lovers continually failing in their efforts to tell each other how they feel because they continuously misinterpret the actions of the other? The one where you want to scream at the TV “Just tell him how you feel already!” But, instead, you continue on watching as, time after time, the opportunities to have those deep and meaningful conversations are wasted.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw
When we don’t have the information we need, our minds struggle to fill the gap so we can process our complex world and its relationships. The filler of choice is assumptions – they are convenient and plentiful. A lot of the time we don’t even realize we are making so many random assumptions and we accept these assumptions as fact. Unfortunately, we’re not always perfect at coming to the right conclusions.