The Two Types of Miscommunications: A Fundamental Misalignment and The Communication Gap
With the 2-year anniversary of ChatGPT's public release fast approaching, it feels right to reflect on how my use of it has evolved.
It has moved from something that I used to re-write birthday invitations in the tone of James Bond to become my go-to tool in many areas of my life (at the time of writing this I am strongly in the camp of Anthropic > OpenAI).
During this time, I have found many uses, from helping me understand and communicate concepts (as it has in this article) to writing code which I could only dream of being clever enough to put together.
There is, however, one place that it has completely shifted my perspective:
How we as humans communicate and how we could do so more effectively.
I promise we will get to how you can practically benefit from the insights to follow, but before we do, I'd like to take the time to lay the foundation for the coming articles with the following statement:
Communication breaks down for one of two reasons: a fundamental misalignment or a communication gap.
Let me expand...
A Fundamental Misalignment
Definition: All parties hold the same set of information ('facts') but have different interpretations due to personal perspectives.
This may sound weird as of course, a fact is a fact, how can we have different ways of viewing what is formally defined as "a thing that is known or proved to be true"?
These are the incidents where there is scope for objectivity when interpreting the information.
Analogy
Imagine two people standing outside on a chilly morning. The temperature is the same for both—a measurable fact—but one finds it refreshing and energizing, while the other feels it uncomfortable and harsh. One sees it as the perfect weather for a long walk; the other would rather stay inside and watch a movie. Unable to understand each other's perspective, they argue. One walks alone; the other retreats to the sofa. In the end, neither is happy.
Here, when we have two equally stubborn people, no amount of time spent trying to understand the other's perspective would've led to a resolution. They hold the same set of facts so personal beliefs and perspectives shape their interpretations, creating polarising views from a single shared reality.
The Communication Gap
Definition: All parties have similar sets of information and therefore assume that the other knows everything that they do, when in fact there are gaps.
When either party is explaining their point, they feel like they are hitting their head against a brick wall. They are conveying their perfect line of reasoning, and the other party just isn't getting it.
Sound familiar?
Little do they know, if they took a step back to understand the others' base assumptions, the proverbial wall would disappear allowing them to rejoice in a storm of productivity (maybe this is a bit over the top, but you get the idea).
Analogy
Imagine two friends standing outside on a chilly morning. One knows the day will warm up soon and eagerly suggests going for a long walk, convinced it's the perfect way to enjoy the weather. The other, unaware of the forecast, shivers and insists they stay indoors where it's cosy. They argue back and forth, each convinced the other is being unreasonable. One walks alone; the other retreats to the sofa. In the end, neither is happy.
Here, both friends hold almost the same set of facts but miss crucial details, leading to frustration. Each assumes the other fully understands their perspective, resulting in a communication gap that blocks any chance of resolution. Without clarifying their base assumptions about the other's knowledge, they remain stuck in disagreement, unable to see the shared potential in their plans.
Let's pause.
Thank you for making it this far.
You've just read through the culmination of many thoughts, notes and conversations that have been floating around in my brain for the past few months.
Of course, in reality, it is never this clear cut and the analogies I have used are meant in their purest form, but the principle still stands, for as long as you don't either:
a) Understand the foundation of the information the other party holds
or,
b) Take the time to check the assumed knowledge.
You'll inevitably face either A Fundamental Misalignment or The Communication Gap.
The former is much harder to tackle, and while some of what I go on to write about in future articles will be transferable to this type of miscommunication, the focus will be on the latter.
But now we've made it to the end I hope you are thinking a few things:
- Firstly, and most importantly, I enjoyed reading that.
- Secondly, I agree with (at least some) of the premise.
- Thirdly, what on earth does this have to do with AI?
And for that, you will have to wait and see…
Thank you again.
Oli