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The article specifically says that native english speakers are to blame, not the word. > When such misunderstandings happen, it’s usually the native speakers w
by hn8788 5y ago
The article specifically says that native english speakers are to blame, not the word.
> When such misunderstandings happen, it’s usually the native speakers who are to blame. Ironically, they are worse at delivering their message than people who speak English as a second or third language, according to Chong.
- phkahler 5y ago>> Months later, senior management investigated why the project had flopped, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. “It all traced back to this one word,” says Chia Suan Chong, a UK-based communications skills and intercultural trainer, who didn't reveal the tricky word because it is highly industry-specific and possibly identifiable. “Things spiralled out of control because both parties were thinking the opposite.” Yeah, where does it say that? We could blame the sender for choosing an ambiguous word, or we could blame the recipient for not getting clarification, but they clearly place it on the word without pointing a finger at either human. The overall article does point a finger at native english speakers for being imprecise, but the specific example doesn't IMHO.