Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Inconsistency in Communication
Inconsistencies are to be expected. What is said in one document con-
tradicts what is being said in another. Some of these contradictions may
be obvious and identifiable. Others may not be so obvious. They may
turn out to be contradictions only when things are viewed at different
levels. For example, a law may be very consistent within a state but may
become contradictory when applied across states. The design of a module
may be consistent but contradictions appear when different modules are
integrated into a larger system. This also happens in resource planning;
resources are allocated at a project level and appear well balanced, but
when all the projects are looked at at the department level, then contra-
dictions arise and the overall set of plans becomes infeasible.
Inconsistencies can also emerge over time. Contradictions can emerge
due to subsequent changes in the environment invalidating an otherwise
perfectly valid situation.
All inconsistencies do not necessarily pose problems. Two applications
may be exporting data in different formats. Unless these applications
actually need to exchange data, the inconsistency need not pose any
problem. Standards imposed on organizations often ignore this aspect of
enduring inconsistency, forcing either or both those applications to spend
time and energy in working out a common format because “consistency
is always better.”
Omission or Incompleteness
Omission or incompleteness is difficult to determine without a good
baseline against which to compare it. How would one know whether
something is missing unless one knows that it should have been there?
Such baseline information comes from experience (or some template or
process) underlying the work. Such a template would remind one, for
example, that a project estimate should include the costs associated with
data migration. Organizations that invest in such templates and processes
improve communication and reduce mistakes.
Whether there is a transmission error or a mistake made in selecting
the information to be sent, or a misinterpretation of the information
received, they all result in a situation where miscommunication has
occurred. If one knew that such a miscommunication has occurred, then
there is, at least, an opportunity to correct it. In many situations, one is
not even aware that a miscommunication had occurred until its effects
are noticed at some later time. That is why feedback, sometimes in the
form of playback, should always be part of the communication plan.
