Comments on: Define your terms or face the consequences http://www.jacksonwightman.com/2010/02/define-your-terms-or-face-the-consequences/ Carrying out the revolution Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:05:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jackson Wightman http://www.jacksonwightman.com/2010/02/define-your-terms-or-face-the-consequences/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Jackson Wightman Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:52:31 +0000 http://www.jacksonwightman.com/?p=253#comment-37 Hey Justin, Thanks. I saw your post that touched on how sometimes in biz it can be good to have a supplier who you can extract a lot from. Totally agree - and like you I've been on both sides (exploiter and exploited). My rule if I am the vendor is to try and spell out scope of work with greatest possible precision (and also delineate what happens if scope is exceeded - e.g. more cash etc). The downside of unclarity is scope creep out the yin yang from my experience. Re your pt about the burden of clarity being on the listener, I think this is why practicing reflective listening is SO very important in business and a great communications technique no matter where one sits in an organization or biz relationship. Hey Justin,

Thanks.

I saw your post that touched on how sometimes in biz it can be good to have a supplier who you can extract a lot from. Totally agree – and like you I’ve been on both sides (exploiter and exploited). My rule if I am the vendor is to try and spell out scope of work with greatest possible precision (and also delineate what happens if scope is exceeded – e.g. more cash etc). The downside of unclarity is scope creep out the yin yang from my experience.

Re your pt about the burden of clarity being on the listener, I think this is why practicing reflective listening is SO very important in business and a great communications technique no matter where one sits in an organization or biz relationship.

]]> By: Justin Kownacki http://www.jacksonwightman.com/2010/02/define-your-terms-or-face-the-consequences/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Justin Kownacki Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:13:38 +0000 http://www.jacksonwightman.com/?p=253#comment-36 Sometimes people prefer vague terms, so it leaves more room for interpretation. If you can convince a client to pay you to do "community outreach" and THEY don't ask you to specify what you're specifically referring to, it gives you free reign. Whereas, if you're TOO specific, your ability to improvise is constricted -- and perhaps it should be. I believe in the specificity of words, and I also appreciate creative interpretations thereof. It's a tricky balance, and as long as we make room for variations, we'll always run the risk of miscommunication. In the end, the burden of clarity must be on the listener, to make sure s/he's hearing what s/he thinks s/he's hearing. Sometimes people prefer vague terms, so it leaves more room for interpretation. If you can convince a client to pay you to do “community outreach” and THEY don’t ask you to specify what you’re specifically referring to, it gives you free reign. Whereas, if you’re TOO specific, your ability to improvise is constricted — and perhaps it should be.

I believe in the specificity of words, and I also appreciate creative interpretations thereof. It’s a tricky balance, and as long as we make room for variations, we’ll always run the risk of miscommunication. In the end, the burden of clarity must be on the listener, to make sure s/he’s hearing what s/he thinks s/he’s hearing.

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