Separate the Impact from the Intention

A useful communication lesson: clarifying what you meant is not the same as responding to what someone experienced. When those happen in the wrong order, an explanation can sound like a correction.

Imagine someone says, “I felt cut off.” A quick “I didn’t mean to interrupt” explains intention, but it doesn’t yet show that you heard the impact. Try first: “I can see I spoke over you. What did I miss?” Then, if it matters, explain your intention without using it to erase their experience.

This doesn’t require agreeing with every interpretation. It creates room to understand what happened before defending or revising the story. A small practice: when someone names an impact, reflect the specific effect you heard before explaining your intent—and invite correction if you’re unsure.