This exercise is designed to draw attention to a common source of miscommunication. The trainer (or meeting leader, etc.) will lead participants through the individual and group parts of the exercise. The latter is a form of debriefing that leads to a rich discussion about how to improve communication.
Ten common terms are presented–five terms used for describing probability and five that relate to descriptions of time. We have run this exercise many times over almost two decades, and always (and by always we mean 100% of the time) there has been a significant range of definitions/results on at least a few of the terms. Those differences contribute to a lively discussion concerning the use (or perhaps misuse) of these common terms.
Miscommunication Exercise Common Terms Used
Everyone will write down each of these words and record beside each one the probability it means to them (i.e., between 0% and 100%). (Full instructions below.)
Always _____
Never _____
Probably _____
Usually _____
Often _____
Next, everyone will write down each of these terms and beside them the amount of time it means (i.e., the number of minutes, hours, days, etc.).
ASAP _____
Soon _____
Today _____
Tomorrow _____
Right away _____
Conducting the Exercise
Begin with the probability terms. Each term is read aloud and displayed in the classroom. Participants are prompted to record each term and then their own interpretation of the probability it represents. For example, the trainer might say, “Please write each term and then a probability representing what it means to you. For the first term, write ‘always’ on your paper and then a number beside it that represents what percentage of the time it means to you. If you say you ‘always’ do something, a certain way, or you use the word ‘always’ in speaking to someone, what probability does it mean to you between 0 and 100 percent? Following this introduction and clarifying example, the other four terms are presented.
Once the probability terms are completed, the trainer announces, “OK, now let’s move on to some other terms. This time, you’ll be recording the amount of time each word or phrase means. The amount of time can be measured in whatever unit you believe is appropriate, from seconds to hours to days and weeks.” Then the first term is written on the classroom display, again with a clarifying example. The trainer might say, “The first term is ‘ASAP’ which of course means ‘as soon as possible.’ So please record ‘ASAP’ on your paper and then an amount of time that it means to you. If someone tells you to do something ‘ASAP,’ what length of time do you think they mean? Remember to include the amount of time, including what unit you’re using, for instance, 10 seconds, or 6 hours, or 2 weeks, or 3 months, etc. for this and the other terms I’ll be showing you.”
And so the trainer again proceeds to present the terms one at a time, with participants recording their interpretation of the length of time each term represents. After all ten terms are displayed, participants are prompted to ensure they have numbers recorded and not just a definition (e.g., for “probably” someone might have recorded “may or may not” where an actual probability is the proper response, such as 50% or 75%).
Once all participants have recorded the ten terms and their interpretations, the trainer announces that it is time to look at the results and moves to where he or she can record the responses on the display device (PC keyboard if projector is used, standing by a whiteboard or flipchart, etc.).
For the first term (“always”), a the presenter can ask the class if anyone has “100 percent” as a response. Usually (but not always!) there will be one or more such responses and the trainer records “100” to the right of the term, leaving room between it and the term for a second (lower) number. The trainer should next ask the class if anyone has less than 100 percent. This is the point when some participants begin to realize that there is something unexpected going on. Although there are occasions when no response is received to this inquiry (i.e., meaning that everyone has recorded “100 percent” for the term “always”), it is quite common to have responses of some lower number.
The trainer should not comment on any such differences yet. Instead, he or she moves on to each remaining term, asking for and recording the highest and lowest probability, and then longest and shortest length of time for the second set of terms.
The trainer might choose to personalize and add some fun to this process. For example, the trainer might ask a particular person for his or her response, then ask the class if anyone has a higher number (this would be the opposite for responses with expected lower number responses, such as “never” or “ASAP”). Alternatively, the trainer can ask if someone has a particular number and then prompt the participants for lower or higher responses (“Does anyone have 25%?” or “Does anyone have an hour or less?” or “Does anyone have more than two days?”). This method can create a fun, auction-like atmosphere.
After recording the low and high responses for all ten terms, the trainer can then focus on some of the larger ranges for a particular term(s). The leader or participants may describe possible scenarios of miscommunication in customer service based on such differences in interpretation. One example might be an employee at a retail establishment who tells a customer that the manager will be with them “right away.” The trainer can posit that the employee has a “within the hour” understanding of “right away” while the customer thinks this means the manager will be with him or her in less than 5 minutes. An hour waiting to talk to a manager can seem like a very long time to a customer. Many participants have their own favorite examples of these terms (or similar ones) and problems that have ensued from using them. For example, once, when conducting the exercise during an MBA class, one of our participants reported that his firm had banned the use of the term “ASAP” within company emails!
The trainer concludes the exercise with a debriefing. Listing lessons the experience teaches is a good way to emphasize the effectiveness of the exercise in improving communication by avoiding miscommunication. The trainer can state some of these examples and/or solicit lessons to take away from the participants. At a minimum, the following main points should be made clear in closing the exercise session: 1) use actual numbers to say what you mean, 2) ask questions to clarify when you hear the terms from this exercise (or similar terms) being used, 3) know that the terms are used purposefully at times (such as when the user is unsure about something and wants to buy some time).
We have conducted the communication exercise many times and have encountered a wide range of responses even in very small groups (as few as five participants).