Just to clarify a confusion12/12/2023 ![]() ![]() I'm a little confused about what you just said.Īnother way to say "I don't understand" is to say "I don't follow" or "I'm not following.".Should I take this medicine three times a day or four? Instead of saying "I don't understand," you can also just say "I'm (a little) confused." Sorry, I don't understand your question.You can do this by saying "I don't understand" or "I'm not sure I understand." I'm not sure what you mean by "formal dress code." Could you show me some examples?Īnother way to ask for clarification is to let the other person know that you didn't understand them.?" A slightly more polite version of this phrase is "I'm not sure what you mean by …." Sometimes, the best way to ask someone for clarification is to directly ask them, "What do you mean by. Today, we'll introduce 10 polite English expressions for requesting clarification. Whether you're meeting with a foreign client, seeing a doctor, or taking an online English lesson, there will be times when you don't understand what the other person just said. Try These Expressions in a Real Conversation!.If you commit to this kind of clear written communication and openness, as well as get into the habit of asking and expecting clarifying questions, you will save time and frustration for yourself and all your team relationships. I teach across global time zones, so we are asynchronous and much of the course learning happens in discussion that requires regular participation.) (For example, in my teaching, we have consistent, predictable due dates and engagement expectations throughout the week. Add protocols and efficiency aids as they are needed.EXPECT newer relationships and teams to be more iterative until you get to know one another and settle into team rhythms.As I said, instead of thinking the receiver of your message is dumb or didn’t read carefully, instead of judging yourself as a poor communicator, just expect some back and forth until everyone understands the intended message. In other words, ensure the communication has been completed and understood. Use the collaboration tools to confirm communications were received, read, responded to, or any other feedback loops you need in place.Take as much time as needed to be sure your writing is as clear as possible before publishing or sending your written communication.Here are 5 proactive ways to clear confusion: If clarifying communication on your team is not happening naturally, you must have other mechanisms in place to ensure the whole team has a shared understanding and agreement of it’s deliverables, and you might want to encourage conversation that verifies this shared understanding. Verification of understanding and clarification of specific detail is, quite simply, normal. Virtual team communication, especially when written, is no different than an online class. Misunderstood writing isn’t a shortcoming unless we don’t take the time to be clear in the first place, or if we won’t take responsibility for answering questions and clarifying meaning to the reader. ![]() It’s harder to “read between the lines” when we don’t have voice tone or body language to help. Professor noted clarification and made changes to course documents for future classes. The course’s virtual office made it easy to communicate, both questions were easily cleared up (and hopefully won’t recur this term) and the entire class was notified of the clarification in case others were also confused.ĭone. Then I chuckled, remembering that I am human, and reminded myself that taking a few minutes to clean up a confusing message is simply part of the ‘job’ of online facilitation. I strive to write simply and clearly, so I was a bit deflated because I had obviously missed my mark. However last time I taught this course, 40% of my students posed the same two identical questions during the course of the class. As an instructor, I am comfortable with the learning platform, I follow instructional design principles and I do my best to communicate clearly. I’ve started teaching my next graduate class for the University of Denver online. ![]() You need to look forward to asking and answering questions that clarify meaning, especially at the beginning of the communication. Rather than being frustrated, angry, responding, EXPECT it. You know the phrase, “The best laid plans….”? No matter how slowly and carefully we communicate in the flat medium of the written word, misunderstanding and confusion is inevitable. The Inevitable Clarification of Written Communication ![]()
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