Noise comes in many forms. It can be actual sound to thoughts in our own head that impede the ability to listen to what others are saying to us. Preconceived notions or assumptions or biases or distractions, including lack of confidence to the feeling of being overwhelmed, all of these can be noise that prevent us from not only hearing but also listening and understanding the message. When we assume that speaking or writing words to someone is the only action we must take to make sure that the communication is heard, we will only cause miscommunication. Unfortunately, people have the habit of saying "Yes" or "Uh Huh" which leads us to believe they heard what we said. They may have heard it but they may not have listened to what we said or understood what we meant by what we said. Repeating or asking them to confirm may seem redundant and even offensive, but it is the only way to insure that the message was communicated properly.
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