Playing with bubbles

Communication comes in many forms besides words: body language, tone, volume, timeliness, emotion, listening, and more.

What happens if we consider each component a bubble and start popping them?

Let's start a scenario by popping timeliness. We know employees create narratives based on misinformation if managers don't address issues immediately. Once the manager does schedule a meeting (after too long), the employee may come with this false narrative, assuming a posture of defeat, which can create annoyance with the manager. The manager reacts by rolling their eyes and crossing their arms before realizing their behavior. The emotion and body language bubbles have popped. No words have been spoken yet, but communication has eroded entirely by popping three bubbles. Communication is exceptionally fragile. Handle with care.