U – Understanding

Whatever form of communication you need to conduct, an essential part of the process is ensuring that the recipient actually understands correctly the message you want to give them. You also want to be sure that resulting action by an individual or group is what you want and expect so that you achieve your communication objective.

You can’t afford to make any assumptions: you need to get confirmation from the recipient that they have the same understanding as you about what a situation may be and what the required action plan is. It is vital that you remember that comprehension is a two-way process. Not only do you need to know that others in the communication process understand you, but you also need to confirm that you have understood what they have told you.