This has probably happened to you – you think your idea through and present it to others but, somehow, what you thought was crystal clear isn’t received as such and the results are less than expected.

Don’t worry. It happens to everybody, and hopefully less as time goes on.

But how does this happen and how can you change it? Because, in today’s world, the importance of a clear message has never been greater.
 
Here at Forte, we find that a clear message has two key elements. First, each of us is responsible for bringing as much clarity as possible to communication, whether it be verbal, written or visual. Secondly, it takes a true assessment of our listening skills, because that ultimately determines how we perceive what we have been presented.
 
Both are skills that, more often than not, we learn through real-life experiences of what has worked and what hasn’t. To succeed in life, we definitely want to rack up more successes as our communication with others evolves. The Forte Communication Style report is your first step to begin successfully communicating. Click here to get your complimentary report, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete and provides immediate results.
 
Some may say that good communication skills are only reserved for those lucky naturally charismatic individuals. Yet, even charismatic people will have stories to share about those times their message did not resonate, was misunderstood or – and this is where the listening skills come in – the recipient simply did not agree with the message.
 
This was one of the challenges in developing the Forte Communication Style Profile. How could we minimize - and hopefully, eliminate - the likelihood of miscommunication, because although the individual had worked hard to achieve clarity of the message, it was misperceived by the recipient.
 
Therefore, it comes down to perception. You have probably heard the saying, Perception is reality. That rings true, whether that reality be an experience, a message, a background, a methodology, a native language in a global world or simply a state of mind.
 
When we look at the Forte Communication Style Profile, we see three very different dimensions of actionable information. There is the individual’s Primary Profile – or who that person is – and how the individual is currently adapting to the specified environment over the most recent 30-day period. These two patterns are the result of self-perception, since they are the result of an individual’s own responses on the Forte surveys.
 
The third profile is the Perceiver Profile, which shares how the individual is most likely coming across to others in the current timeframe. It is based on observed behavior, meaning it is the product of feedback from others.
 
Ultimately, this is the potential point of miscommunication - an individual adapting to a certain environment a certain way but being perceived differently.
 
The good news is that once this is known, Forte offers a Communication Style Strategy (CSS) for the individual to use over the next 30 days to close that gap. With the ability to get Forte Adapting Updates as often as every 30 days, proactively utilizing the CSS strategy over a period of time will minimize the potential for miscommunication.
 
We have mentioned before that the best communicator is the best listener, and utilizing this Forte Technology to get your message across also enhances your listening skills.
 
If you would like to take advantage of this technology yourself, there are instructions at the top of this article that direct you to the Forte website. Try it, and we would love to hear your feedback.

C.D. “Hoop” Morgan, III is the founder and chairman of The Forté Institute, LLC, a global behavioral sciences firm best known for developing and providing innovative people, process and interpersonal performance improvement solutions. Forté provides online communication style reports to more than 6,000 corporate clients throughout the globe. To learn more about the company, go to www.theforteinstitute.com or call (910) 452-5152.