Consider this scenario: The boss drafts a report and asks a staff member to proofread it. The assistant brings the report back with a section marked and says, "I don't understand what you mean here," to which the boss replies, "Oh, that's technical--it'll be clear to the lawyers when they review it." Two weeks later, the lawyers ask for a rewrite of the same section.

I've watched this scenario unfold time and time again. People always assume the confusion happens on the other end of the communication--that what they themselves say is perfectly clear and that the other person just missed it somehow. A better gauge of our own clarity: Beware the blank stare.

If you need additional signs that you're not getting through, consider these:

* Lack of questions. (You call for questions at the end of a presentation, and there are none. Or, you bring up an idea in a meeting and you're greeted with only polite smiles.)
* Unexpected responses. (People respond irrationally to what you say, such as with anger, withdrawal, silence, or denial.)
* Lack of coordination. (Things "fall between the cracks" in coordinating projects.)
* Low morale. (People feel discouraged that they can never "get it right" when, in fact, projects are frequently delegated without essential elements for successful completion.)
* Rework. (Projects have to be redone because the instructions weren't clear the first time. Or, extra work was completed "just in case" to "cover all the bases" because somebody wasn't sure what was needed.)

Everybody has to measure how clearly he or she communicates. The most basic question to ask: Do people "get it"? Do they understand the goal--the what, the why, and the how?

Fuzzy words result in fuzzy action or no action at all. Clear messages start with clear words that lead to clear action.