Title: Oral Communication Quiz: Kyle and the Instructor
Course: PIM: Tricky Communication: Intent vs. Impact > Section: Oral Communication

Q: What do you think is the intent on the instructor's part?
Feedback: Intent can be hard to gauge. We can't always get inside other people's heads and be sure what is motivating their behaviors. Be sure to watch the debriefing video after you complete this quiz!

Q: What is the impact on Kyle?
Feedback: Intent obviously does not always align with impact! Have you thought about your own inclinations to prioritize intent or impact? Many people find that that they consider intent more important when they are the agent or do-er -- that's when their intent matters and should be recognized by others. In contrast, when others' actions are affecting them negatively, many people emphasize the importance of impact -- that's when what was intended doesn't matter so much as what was actually experienced. Does that ring true for you? It's a pretty subjective perspective. What if we flipped the scales, so that other people's intentions mattered as much as or more than our impacts, or other people's impacts mattered as much as or more than our intentions?

Q: Imagine that the instructor circles back to Kyle near the end of class after they've both had time to reflect on their exchange. How could Kyle OR the instructor (choose one) apply the strategy of curiosity and assuming positive intent to develop a more productive relationship? Specifically, what could that person ask or say?
Feedback: It can be difficult to reconcile mis-aligned intent and impact. First, we have to recognize that there was a mismatch. Then, we have to be willing to do something about it. And all of that might not be enough if the other person does not reciprocate. Watch the video next to debrief this case study.