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The $125 Million Cost of Miscommunication

In 1998, NASA launched the Mars Climate Orbiter with the mission of studying the atmospheric conditions of the planet. Its mission ended on September 23, 1999, when it was discovered to have burned up in Mars’ atmosphere.

What caused this very costly catastrophe?

Was it the atmosphere or, perhaps, the quality of the spacecraft?

Neither, actually.

The ground systems used English units, and the onboard systems were built to work in metrics.

It was a very expensive case of miscommunication.

Now for the hard question: How much is miscommunication costing you and your organization?

There are tangible ways to measure the effectiveness of communication, and we suggest you explore https://www.orgiqsuite.com/ to explore an audit of this very important area.

In the meantime, here are four key questions you can ask yourself as you communicate with others.

Four Key Questions

Is it CLEAR?

Ambiguity is the enemy of effective communication.

This comes from interpretation, where the speaker may mean one thing and the listener interprets it quite differently. Different languages, word derivations, cultures, viewpoints, life experiences, personality styles, and personal perspectives all play a part in this interpretation.

It can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be.

The key is to be very clear in your communications, both as the speaker and as the listener.

• As the speaker, you will want to tailor your communication style to that of the listener. This may mean providing more or less detail or being more or less relational in how you speak.
• As the listener, you will want to practice reflection. It could be as simple as saying, “What I’m hearing is this (and elaborate). Is this correct?”

Is it CONCISE?

The art of conciseness is truly that: an art. But it is an art that anyone can learn.

For D-wired individuals, direct speaking comes naturally. They speak in bullet points – “Do this. Then do this.” For I-, S-, and C-wired individuals, there may be more of a tendency to say more – to explore all the possibilities, to be relational, or to share all the details and ask all the questions.

• D-wired individuals may need to add some clarity to their conciseness – being sure that the quick statements have enough detail for the other personality types to take action.
• I-, S-, and C-wired individuals can be more concise by thinking through what they want to say and then boiling it down to three basic points or questions. This is especially important when communicating with a D-wired individual.

Is it CONSIDERATE?

This point is very important in a situation where opinions are polarized. Good communication allows two people with different opinions to understand each other a little better. They may not agree, but they can have a civil conversation if they are considerate.

In a company setting, you want to have conversations across the divide when it comes to different ideas, perspectives, and opinions. These differences, when discussed and bridged well, may result in – for example – a better and more efficient product or service.

Hard conversations are important, but they must also be considerate. Ask yourself if what you are saying and how you are saying it is being considerate of the other person. A good rule is to attack the issue, together, and not the person.

Is it CONSTRUCTIVE?

Here’s the bottom line: Some things don’t need to be said.

This is especially true for those personality types who say everything that comes to mind without a filter.

Stop and ask yourself, before you speak:

• Is this constructive?
• Is it necessary?
• Will this build the other person?
• Will it benefit the organization?
• Will this tear down or build up?

If your point is simply to make a point, you may want to think through what you are about to say. If what you are saying builds others and the organization, this is effective communication in action.

Ineffective communication comes with a cost, but effective communication benefits everyone.

Curious how your company measures up in this area, with real data you can take to the bank?  Connect with us or take the assessment here (https://www.orgiqsuite.com/). Get your Culture Scorecard today and get back on track to success.

Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after executive coach, mentor, consultant, and speaker worldwide. Deb is well versed in business operations and in the importance of asking key questions most business leaders won’t ask themselves. She brings deep experience in leadership development, strategy, high performance team building and effective communication. She has a passion for leading people to discover and maximize their strengths as well as those of fellow team members, while offering advanced strategies to achieve high performance. Deb is the perfect fit if you’re ready to take your leadership and impact to the next level!