Coming into college, I wanted to master the art of communication. Whether it was working on better conveying my feelings, leading workspaces I occupied, or synthesizing how others felt and thought, being able to accurately develop ideas into productive conversations was something that I always admired and wished to execute. But I soon realized that it’s easier said than done. Although communication has a lot to do with perception and perspective, most people don’t take intention into account. The misunderstanding of intention can lead to being siloed- the act of being isolated from others by a system, department, or process.
In regards to my own feelings and self-development and how they related to the ways I communicated, I realized it was very important that I understand myself – to establish my goals, my interests, and most importantly, my intentions. Intent may be the most significant concept around communication to take into consideration because its ever-changing and translates differently depending on the situation. It takes true self-awareness and understanding to identify your own intentions. The more you realize your own intentions behind everything you do, the more you have discovered about yourself. The ability to learn how to identify your own intentions before being able to properly communicate them to different people in different spaces is a very special skill; and requires educating oneself first before connecting with a larger group.
The self-discovery that you come to on your own can be translated over to your work/school space. If not translated properly, it can create silos. Silos can cause inefficiency and a lack of cohesiveness. For example, you may have a group assignment given by a professor or superior, but you decide that your intentions for this project are to do your part and just hope your classmates do theirs. But you never check in with them, compare progress, or even discuss the topic much. By the time around the assignment is due, you realize that you did the exact same work as another member of the project, or worse, the work done doesn’t match the assignment. The lack of communication created a silo, an isolated amount of work, that did not help the group or you. It is important when working with others to communicate intent, as well as purpose, so that work isn’t neglected.
Even within relationships, the same principle applies. Knowing your intentions and properly communicating it can save a lot of work and stress. Think about a relationship as the group project I talked about earlier, this time the topic is clear – right? The intention is to be together – love each other? And there should be no miscommunication? But that is not always the case. A lot of people are inexperienced when it comes to relationships, so they might not know how to communicate their intentions, or don’t even know what their intentions are.
Your intentions are driven by factors that are internally established. But because they’re self-determined, others are not aware of it. This can create complications. A silo is anything that divides individuals by task and department. If communication isn’t established despite the silo, others may have opposing views and overall intentions that don’t align, thus causing potential failure within these relationships. Knowing and understanding yourself, and then others, can help identify and properly convey your intentions, thus saving yourself from a whole lot of drama. This is just one part of the art of communication.
