RE: Understanding verbal communication in a team

["Vest,Greg" <GVEST -at- cerner -dot- com>]

When I have dealt with this type of situation, I take two options whenever
possible:

1.  Use e-mail heavily.  Having the person write it can sometimes be a
little easier, and it's easier to follow-up with questions.

2.  Tactfully (it takes practice to do it well) work on your communication
and questioning skills.  Ask one, specific question at a time, then focus on
the answer for clarity.  For example, if he/she says "Button X does this..."
You casually respond such as "Oh, I see, Button X does this and leads to...
Is that about it?"  By repeating it back, they almost have to verify the
accuracy of what you said.

It's basically the same strategy I use when my excited 7-year-old daughter
has problems telling me stuff because she's jumping around topic-to-topic.
It slows down the conversation and seems to help.

Your mileage may vary...

Greg

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