COMMUNICATION REPAIR

This implies something is broken and needs to be repaired.  In talking with different people, some are easier to understand than others.  This is true whether or not you have a hearing loss.  When there is a misunderstanding or a breakdown in communication, it needs to be fixed.  How do you do that?

Usually, when we don’t understanding something, we say, “pardon me,” “what,” “huh.”  The person speaking then repeats the entire sentence, when in fact we only missed one word.  And frequently, the repeat is softer, faster and not any easier to understand.  Communication repair is telling the speaker what to do, what part you missed and how they can make it easier for you to understand.  Everyone wins in this situation. 

Example:  “I am going out to the farmer’s market and then the grocery store.  I hear the peaches are delicious, would you like me to pick some up?” 

From this message, you heard everything except “peaches.”  Rather than say “pardon me” and have the message repeated, tell the speaker you missed “what was delicious.”  If the sentence is repeated in its entirety, you may still miss the key word.  Also at this point, the speaker will have your undivided attention and you will also see the word “peaches” by using your lipreading skills.  This is an effective communication repair strategy.  It helps the person you’re speaking with become a more effective communicator and accept some responsibility helping you to cope with your hearing loss.