By Rachel Schwarz

On Saturday morning, I took the Law School Admission Test. A large part of my preparation involved familiarizing myself with the question types that commonly appear on the test. Despite months of studying, there were still a handful of questions that gave me a hard time. This test is designed to confuse its takers, but it reminded me that there are many instances in which we don’t intend to complicate our messages, yet our meanings get jumbled anyway.

In any social situation, and more importantly in business, your meaning and intention must always be clear and concise. Misunderstandings between friends can develop into silly fights, but miscommunication among coworkers or business partners can snowball into a blown sales opportunity or losing out on a new client.

Make sure that you’re always thinking about the most direct way to get your message across. Your listeners will appreciate it, and you’ll accomplish more as a result. While the LSAT almost prides itself on confounding the mind, you should not! Think before speaking, and unlike many post-college entrance exam test takers, you can score a perfect “180” on  your communication skills!