It’s raining. No really it is! What do you do when it starts raining? Do you frown and run for cover? Do you mutter under your breath ‘i wish it would stop raining’? Strangely that one doesn’t work (!). Do you skip around with excitement like a young child? Or maybe you ignore it completely and carry on about your business.

All of these reactions are possible, and fairly common. Which do you think would feel the best?

People interpret events differently. The same weather could have people jumping with joy (metaphorically), or hiding away under cover. We all have different filters or beliefs, and these affect the way we see the world, and the way we react to things.

This is particularly important to remember when you are trying to explain something to someone. They may not understand quite what you mean. At this stage you might try explaining it again, maybe by s p e a k i n g s l o w l y, or RAISING YOUR VOICE - but it is unlikely this will make the explanation any clearer to them.

By realising that people view things differently, you could instead explain it a different way. This could be as simple as using less-technical words - they may not be familiar with the jargon or terms you are using.

Another approach is to consider why they want to know. Maybe you could simplify what you are describing (they probably aren’t as keen on the finer details as much as you) they might just want to know what the outcome will be and how long it would take (or cost).