The Real Reason Why "I Never Heard That" Happens

"I never heard about that."
If you have worked, you have likely heard this phrase at least once.

The boss says, "I definitely told you."
The subordinate says, "I had no such understanding."

In situations like this, it often tends to become a discussion about who is at fault.
However, in reality, both parties are often saying what is true, and it is not uncommon for the case to be that they "heard it, but interpreted it differently."
The difference lies not in the words themselves, but in the interpretation of those words. I would like to give a few examples.

1. The pitfall of "Please do it as soon as possible"

For example, suppose a boss says this:
"Please do it as soon as possible."
Now, what kind of timeframe do you all imagine?
By the end of the day, by tomorrow, or by the end of the week...
It is not a problem if it is done earlier than the boss's expectation, but when it is late, you will be told this and that based on the fact that "I told you it was urgent." Even though you did not agree on a clear deadline.
These kinds of vague instructions and lack of confirmation lead to the "I never heard that" problem.

2. "Think from the customer's perspective"

At first glance, this is an easy-to-understand instruction.
However, the boss might be saying it with the meaning of,
"I want you to prioritize usability even if it costs a bit more."

On the other hand, the subordinate might interpret it as,
"I should incorporate all of the customer's requests."

As a result, the finished deliverable ends up being something completely different.
Unless the customer's requests are clear and there is no discrepancy in interpretation between the boss and the subordinate, "from the customer's perspective" is a phrase that is prone to different interpretations. When working as a subordinate, it is better to confirm this part with your boss by saying,
"Is it correct to interpret it as such-and-such?"

3. "Just handle it appropriately"

Personally, I think this phrase is dangerous.
Bosses often use it to mean something like "process it the same way as the previous example," and naturally, they have the feeling that if you don't understand something, you will come and ask.

However, the subordinate might take it as,
"I am free to handle it as I like at my own discretion."

And when a problem occurs, it becomes a conversation of,
"That is not what I intended."

Summary

In all of these cases, the premises in each other's heads were simply different; it is by no means the case that it was not said, nor that it was not heard.
Why do these discrepancies occur?

It is because people do not receive words as they are, but interpret them through their own experiences and knowledge.
Even when hearing the same words, what comes to mind differs from person to person.
Therefore, the fact that you "said it" does not mean it was "conveyed."

The difficulty of communication lies here.
What you should confirm is not "Did you hear me?"
The person who gave the instruction tends to ask, "Do you understand?" but few people answer "I don't understand" to this question.

If you really want to confirm, it is better to ask,
[How did you understand it?]
.

By confirming how the other party received it, you can finally notice the discrepancy in understanding.

The real reason why "I never heard that" happens is not because they didn't hear it. It is because they understood the same words in different ways.
What was said and what was conveyed are different.
Communication is not about speaking words; it is established by the accumulation of things like confirming how the other party understood it, or reducing the room for interpretation as much as possible.