This barricade stood outside of the administration building of the college where I spent a month at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication. When I first saw the barricade, I was struck by the irony of it. “American Barricade” is the company name. However, to me it says so much more. I won’t go into all the details of what I thought, but the important thing is the sign communicated to me something that was not intended. This is the complexity of communication. Like the childhood game of Broken Telephone Wire, sometimes the message we are sending is not what is received.
I am also reminded of a former co-worker. She is a lovely, caring lady. Yet, she often comes across as rude. At one time I mentioned to her how her actions in a situation had been perceived and she was astounded. She had no idea of how others saw her.
This former co-worker and the American Barricade make me stop to think. How do others see me? Am I sending a message that I don’t intend to send?
Challenge What might you be communicating to others that you don’t mean to? What is your sign saying?
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