Communication Breakdowns in Communication the

Communication Breakdowns in Communication The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze types of communication breakdown. Specifically it will discuss three personal interactions where communication breakdown was experienced. Communication breakdown is quite common in society today. These three breakdowns occurred fairly recently, and indicate the importance of good communication skills and the ability to give meaningful feedback. The first communication breakdown occurred in a retail shop where I was shopping for clothing.

I attempted to describe a certain pair of jeans to the clerk, who did not understand what I was trying to describe. She kept showing me jeans that did not match my description, and it was extremely frustrating. As she showed me more and more jeans that were not what I wanted, I finally gave up and simply walked out of the store.

I was certain this store carried the jeans I wanted, but I could not find them myself, and I could not get the clerk to understand what I was specifically looking for. Now I realize there were several things I could have done to create a better experience. I could have given more feedback about exactly what I was looking for, rather than giving up and walking away. I could have drawn a picture of the jeans, or tried to find someone wearing something similar.

On the other hand, the clerk could have asked me more probing questions about the style of the jeans, which would have created more feedback and information for her to follow. Neither one of us used feedback effectively, and that helped lead to the breakdown in communication. Another breakdown came in a discussion with my mother when I was still in high school.

My mother wanted me home by a certain time after a party, and I wanted to stay out later, because many of my friends were staying out later. My mother got angry, and insisted I follow her rules. I got angry and told her she was being unfair, and didn't trust me. We got into a shouting match, and I ended up grounded. Now I realize that we both ignored feedback because of our anger.

I was angry I couldn't do what I wanted to do, and my mother was angry that I was not doing what I was told. We did not have a meaningful dialogue, and I never asked why she wanted me home by a certain time. She never told me, either. Today, I would have asked her why she wanted me home earlier than I thought I should be home, and I would give her my reasons for wanting to stay out later.

We did not use feedback effectively; we let our emotions rule instead. Finally, I'm remembering a conversation I had with a friend that totally broke down. We were just hanging out, talking about stuff, and I said something that he misconstrued. I didn't realize it at the time, and did not realize I had offended him.

Later, he made a rude comment to me about something, and it made me stop and think, "What's up with him?" I realized that he was mad, but didn't know why, and I didn't ask. That was a breakdown in communication and got in the way of our friendship for a.