Along with your view of self, your perception of others determines how you communicate. Although it may seem as though your view of other people is both accurate and objective, it is anything but. Understanding the process of perception will help you avoid errors that might cause you to communicate incompetently.

Despite the fact that she’s one of the greatest tennis players ever, people’s perceptions of Serena Williams span the gamut, from admiration as a role model to adulation as a hero to denunciation as a disgrace (because of her angry outbursts). At the Indian Wells tournament in 2001, the crowd viewed a triumphant Williams as undeserving—even though she clearly won the match—and booed and taunted her as a result. This incident reminds us that all communication arises from perception: the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information from your senses. Simply put, perception is the gateway to the world around you, and what you “see” through this gateway determines the communication path you’ll pursue as you walk through it.