In 1970, I began kindergarten in a small town in mid-southwest Oklahoma.  At the same time I was learning letters and running around in the aisle to avoid the swinging ping-pong paddle when our teacher got mad, Led Zeppelin released their now-classic hit, “Communication Breakdown.”  One of the more compelling lines in that song is: “Communication break-down….drives me in-sa-a-a-a-a-a-a-nnneeee!!!” Then cool riffs begin to play, and we’re rocking to the rhythm once again.

I have a love/hate relationship with that song.  I love the music.  The lyrics are way too real, however.  Every day I silently witness communication breakdowns and at times they really do drive the parties insane.

I heard a story on NPR yesterday over a gentleman who is trying desperately to instill some peace talks in the Middle East.  He said, “If the enemies can first agree on what is wrong, THEN we can begin making progress.”  That’s true, isn’t it?  If you are having a difficult time deciding exactly where you are struggling with communication, then you might feel lost in trying to improve things.

Therefore, I’ve decided to give you a bullet point list today…just a few things that tend to happen frequently when people have communication problems.  If you find yourself in this list, then perhaps you can find a way out: Continue reading Diagnosing Your Own “Communication Breakdown” →