The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
Whyte's line, and the source of the definition frequently misattributed to Gilbert's Law. The illusion is the hard part: both parties leave believing the exchange succeeded.
In practice
- A client says the brief is clear and the agency says the brief is clear, and the work that arrives is what neither had in mind.
- Both parties leave a meeting believing the exchange succeeded, which is what makes the failure invisible until the work arrives.