There is a special encrypted language that you encounter when a person wants to tell you something but they have to be careful about what they are saying with the intention of protecting the innocent.

While their intention can be to protect others or themselves or to intentionally confuse you,  the end result is that it is very difficult for you to decode the language, regardless your cognitive ability, and misunderstandings can occur. 

Here are examples of how communication can be so unclear that it seems encrypted:

*  Sometimes the speaker substitutes names with vague, qualifying terms like "the person you just met the other
    day" in an attempt to avoid calling names.  What if you met a number of people of late?  And when was the
    other day again?
*  Then there are others who use metaphors that mean something to them but they don't mean anything or the
    same thing to you. 
*  Others speak so softly that you can't hear what they are saying
*  Some use vague responses to throw you off their scent to confuse or mislead you.  They leave out important
    information that is key to a solution or decision.
*  Then there are people who use "big" words to confound you and sometimes themselves, in order to sound
    knowledgeable or increase their status.

Here are a few tips to help you to break the code:

Learn to read verbal and non-verbal language with equal competence.  Read the communicator's body language.  Ask yourself if it is aligned with what they are saying.  Is the body language defensive while the words are apparently calm and soothing?  Learning to read body language, facial expressions and other aspects of non-verbal language can help you to learn to decode unclear language effectively.  Remember, non-verbal language accounts for more than 90% of communication.

Another helpful hint is to consistently use active listening skills.  We all have different backgrounds and so we filter information differently.  Diversity is very real in the Bahamian corporate or business environments, therefore, we can't assume that we understand what is being said.  The best listeners ask questions to test their understanding or paraphrase what the speaker just said to ensure they grasped the INTENDED meaning.

Too many people walk away from conversations with their bosses or others without asking questions or paraphrasing because they don't want to seem incompetent.  What generally happens is the person that walks away without testing their understanding can end up wasting valuable time.  One of the "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" (Steven Covey) is to seek first to understand and then to be understood.  Active listening skills can help you to understand what is really being communicated and break the encryption.