How can 2 people experience the same thing yet come up with 2 completely different versions of it?
Well, it’s known as ‘fact fudging’ and it causes many misunderstandings and even mistrust.
Jane and Bob give a joint sales presentation. But afterwards Jane thinks the meeting was a flop while Bob feels completely confident the client was ready to buy. Frank, their manager, has no idea what really happened!
All of our communication actually takes the form of a story. Debriefing a meeting is as much a story as regaling someone with your weekend antics!
That’s because everything we experience comes in through our mental and emotional filters, is analyzed by other filters and is then retold through yet even more filters. All these different filters change the information into sometimes unrecognizable events.
Action – Acknowledge the vulnerability of so-called ‘facts’ and you will avoid disagreements and miscommunications that often get in the way of personal and professional relationships.