Communication is a process of transferring or sharing of information between two or more points. It is a two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange information, news, ideas, and feeling but also create and share new meaning.
The scope of communication is not limited to only two or more people, instead, it involves the whole society. Man is a social animal, and he cannot remain in isolation. It is the basic needs to interact with others. Communication is the foundation of all human relationships. We communicate every day with our family, teachers, friends and pets. The need of communication is evolved from the stage of early humans and sign language which contribute to the development of verbal and written messages. We have now reached the age of satellite and computer technology which has brought about a revolution in the field of communication.
COMMUNICATION: A TWO-WAY PROCESS
Communication is a two-way process. Communication is not merely the translation of the message; it also includes an understanding of the message. In this process, person is the sender, and he conveys the message to another person or a group of persons who is the receiver. When the receiver gets the message, he sends back a response, acknowledging the message was received. So, effective communication also involves feedback from receiver.
An effective communication is a communication between two or more people where the intended messages is successfully delivered, received, and understood.
FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
- Communication is a meaningful process that involves a sender and a receiver. While communicating, both share mutually accepted code, i.e., a common language.
- A message should be clear. It should convey the right meaning to others.
- Listening to others is a very important aspect of effective communication.
- Communication is a process in which there is an input and an output. A meaningful communication results in a response from the receiver.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Effective communication is essential in every sphere of life, personal, professional, or social. It includes all the aspects of visual, auditory and body language to appeal to listener.
The following story illustrates the importance of clear and comprehensive communication.
A father planning urgent trip to his son’s home in another state. He sent an email to his son. In the Mail, he wrote ‘reach tomorrow’ instead of ‘reaching tomorrow’, by mistake. When the father reached his sons home, daughter in law was surprised to see him because the son had already left to visit his father. The daughter in law showed him the email which started reach more instead of ‘reaching tomorrow’.
The three missing letters ‘Ing’ Created miscommunication and a big confusion. Instead of receiving the message that the father was arriving the next day., the message that his father was asking him to come the next day. This example illustrates the importance of sending a message and receiving a message accurately. Miscommunication can cause serious problems. It can have far reaching consequences, resulting in loss of time, money, trust and may also impact relationships.
IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ON OUR LIVES
- It encourages active participation and group discussion and cohesive.
- It helps in building relationships with others.
- It enables a leader to cultivate a sense of common goal among the team members and drive them to work in a spirited manner.
- Ability of communication effectively builds your confidence and equips you to respond and articulate aptly in any situation.
- Effective communication helps in handling various conflicts or misunderstandings in an organization.
- Effective communication saves time and reduces stress and anxiety levels.
- It fosters success in professional and personal life.
ELEMENTS OF A COMMUNICATION CYCLE
As mentioned above, communication is a dynamic, two-way process. The essential elements of the communication process are:
- Message: Information to be conveyed.
- Sender: One who sends the message.
- Encoding: Formation of the message
- Communication Channel: Medium
- Receiver: One who receiver the message
- Decoding: Interpretation of the message
- Feedback: Response
Sender: A sender is an individual or a group, who has an idea or information which he wants to communicate with others. The sender selects the channel based on factors like nature of the message, the kind of the audience (receiver), and the situation. The sender becomes the source of the message. In the previously given example, the father is the sender.
Message: It is the encoded idea sent by the sender. The message could be verbal (written or spoken) or non-verbal (such as body movements, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, tone of voice, etc. The message in the example is what the father wanted to convey, I.e., ‘Reach Tomorrow’.
Encoding: Translation of the idea into a message by the source is called encoding. The message may be encoded in any combination of mutually understood words, signs or symbols. The symbols or signs used must be clear to both the sender and the receiver. While encoding a message, one needs to consider what content to include, how the receiver will interpret it, and how it may affect one’s relationship. Thus, encoding, is guided by the nature and the purpose of the communication as well as the relationship between the sender and the receiver. Encoding is the example of transcribing an e-mail.
Communication Channel: This is the means through which the message travels from the source to the receiver. Channels could be either written or oval. However, with the advancement in the technology, visual channels are now becoming more common. The standard channels these days include video-conferencing, video chat, telephone, etc. Written forms include text messages, memos, letters, reports, emails, fax, etc. In the example, the message is sent through the e-mail which is a transmission channel.
Receiver: The person or group that receives the message is known as the receiver. The receiver is the one who decodes or interprets the message. The message should be worded carefully so, that the receiver easily understands it. If the message is encoded while keeping the receiver in mind, it will be easier to decode it. For example, the words and the tone you choose to express your thoughts to a friend will be different from what you choose to express your thoughts to a friend will be different from what you choose for your parents and teachers. This is because you know they will interpret or receive the message differently. In the example, decoding is son’s interpretation of his father’s e-mail.
Feedback: The cycle of communication is complete when the sender receives the feedback from the receiver. Without feedback, the sender cannot confirm that if the receiver has interpreted the message correctly. Feedback is also given and received to improve behaviour and performance. A constructive feedback informs and motivates people to improve themselves. In the given example, feedback was missing, that is why the communication cycle broke down in this case.
The entire cycle of communication will start over again if the sender feels that the message was not understood correctly. This can be understood with the given communication process.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
A Barrier to effective communication is any factor, individual, situational, environmental, that prevents the receiver from receiving and understanding the message accurately. These barriers can lead to misunderstanding and confusion between a sender and a receiver. Some of the significant barriers are guided by the nature and purpose of communication as well as the relation between the sender and the receiver.
Environmental Barriers: These are the physical conditions that affect the communication process. For Example, defective instruments, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting arrangements, and unhygienic room and conditions distract listeners.
Situational Barriers: The factors like distance noise, and distractions can cause unnecessary disruption in the communication process. For example, loud music, noise from generators and other machineries.
Individual Barriers: Some of the individual barriers are as follow:
- Attitudinal: Factors like age, gender, lack of interest, discomfort with the topic, culture, and socio-economic or professional status define how a listener perceives and interprets the message.
- Linguistic Ability: Speech disorders or other physical disabilities can distort the communication process. Additionally, the lack of proficiency in the language affects the interpretation of the message as well.
- Inattention: If the listener is preoccupied or distracted or just not interested in the conversation, he will likely be not attentive. It may result in an adverse effect of the outcome of the communication.
- Emotional State: Emotions of the sender at the time of encoding may result in the usage of wrong words or tone that may lead to miscommunication. Likewise, the receiver may misinterpret the message due to his emotions.
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