Summer Party Confusion

July 11 2022
By: Shawn M. Galloway

My wife invited the friends of our seven-year-old triplets and their mothers to what she called, and believed she was clear on, a "Summer Party Play Date." Pizza, bouncy house and swimming were on the agenda, and something special for the ladies. I planned to seclude myself in the office, working on an upcoming book.

The first party guest to arrive was only the father (and coach of the boys' baseball team) and his son. As the many other guests showed up, most of them, including several with their husbands in tow, brought birthday gifts, thinking the event was a birthday party. It turned out that the communication with the ladies was not as straightforward as my wife thought. The something special for the ladies wasn't as fitting for the husband, and I didn't get much work accomplished on the book. Communication is often difficult in any of our relationships. What steps do you take to ensure your messages are clear, understood, and produce the desired outcome?

"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others." - Tony Robbins

"Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." - Mark Twain