Silence, Snacks, & Lagging Communication

This week’s reflection explores a common but often overlooked communication phenomenon: signals sometimes drop along the path from hearing to understanding. Through a leadership story, a memorable lesson from health system leader Ellen Zane , and a bit of cognitive science about inattentional deafness, this piece explores why important ideas often need more than one pass through a conversation before they truly land. The takeaway: the path from hearing to understanding is more complex than we think. Normalizing that can lower frustration and improve how we communicate.