What I Heard vs What Was Said

Today reminded me how easily things can get misunderstood… even when everyone is doing their best.

I spoke with a patient who explained what he needed. I listened, wrote it down exactly how he said it, and repeated it back in my mind.

And it didn’t make sense.

Not because he was wrong.
Not because I wasn’t listening.

But because what he meant and what I heard were not the same thing.

That’s where the disconnect happens.

He had the full story in his mind—his surgeries, his doctors, his plan.
I was hearing pieces of it, trying to build the picture in real time.

So I slowed it down.

I listened again.
I asked myself, “What is he really trying to do?”

And when it finally clicked, everything lined up.

He didn’t need what he originally said.
He needed help coordinating care between two providers and a test.

That’s a big difference.

This is what people don’t always see.

Communication isn’t just talking.
It’s understanding.
It’s translating.
It’s making sure both sides are standing in the same place before moving forward.

Because if we don’t catch it in that moment…
that small disconnect turns into delays, frustration, and people feeling like they’re not being heard.

And sometimes, all it takes is slowing down long enough to say:

“Let me make sure I understand you correctly.”

That one step can change everything.

— Lady Flava