The following sequence of words appeared in my Facebook feed recently:

“I’m only responsible for what I SAY, not for what YOU understand.”

Ugh. I shared the post with a friend who immediately called it “the hallmark of a lazy communicator.”

If you have an idea worth sharing, it’s your job to ensure you are understood. To blame your audience for not understanding is to selfishly miss the entire point of communication.

Making a difference in the lives of those around us requires that we take responsibility for not only being heard, but also for the much more difficult work of being understood.

Oh, and If you don’t have an idea worth sharing, it’s quite alright to sit quietly until you do.