Unit 1
Communication
Meaning
The word “Communication” has come from the Latin word “communis”, which suggests common. Thus, communication signifies sharing of ideas in common. The dictionary meaning of communication is to convey or exchange information and share ideas.
It is a process through which two or more persons transmit or exchange thoughts and concepts among themselves. Consistent with W. H. Newman and C. F. Summer, “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
Communication is the process of transferring information by means of speaking, reading, listening and writing. Although the act of communication is heavily dependent on these four skills, it goes beyond these and also incorporate non-verbal elements such as body language, expressions, sign language, electronically transmitted codes (Morse code etc.) etc. It is both an art and a science.
Although every individual communicates simply by being in the world, learning effective communication skills requires hard work and determination. Developing good verbal and body language skills involves learning and consciously using your skills to improve.
One must be thoroughly familiar with all styles of correspondence in order to facilitate effective communication. The form of communication intrinsically depends upon the purpose and the central idea of the message to be conveyed. For example, it is feasible to acquire information or provide information using a formal phone call or an email whereas while conveying bad news to a particular individual a face-to-face conversation is considered rather apt.
Importance
English Communication serves four major important functions within any group or organization. These are:
- Control
- Motivation
- Emotional expression
- Information
Control
Communication in English serves a controlling function in a hierarchical structure. When a teacher has to control her students or a manager has to control his employees and ask them to perform the required tasks, controlling words and tone has to be used. This function is mostly applicable in a formal setting however there may be some exceptions (Parents and children).
Motivation
Proper communicative English can be used to motivate employees to perform well. Motivational communication includes praising people for a well-done job, inspiring them to do even better and pointing out where they are going wrong and helping them rectify their mistakes. Motivational speakers also use communication as a tool to inspire and influence people.
Emotional Expression
Communication is useful tool for showing a whole range of emotions such as frustrations, happiness, anger. Therefore, it provides for the emotional expression of feelings which can be understood and provided with proper feedback.
Information
English communication facilitates decision-making, bypassing information from one party to another. News channels, newspapers, current affairs all provide information regarding the daily events taking place in the word, this keeping one well informed.
Cycle of Communication
The cycle of communication can be easily understood from the followingflowchart:
The communication process comprises of the following components:
- Sender: Sender is the individual who wants to send the message to the receiver. A sender makes effective use of words, symbols, pictures, graphs etc. available to him to construct the message. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender determine whether the message is approachable or not.
2. Encoding:Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible, its further passing requires use of certain symbols such as words, actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into these symbols is the process of encoding.
3. Message: The message comprises of the information that is to be exchanged between the sender and the receiver. The central idea of the message must be clear and should be easily understood by the receiver.
4. Channel: The medium of communication should be chosen with respect to the purpose of the message and the ability of the receiver to comprehend it. Hence, the sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message. The channel can be oral or written, the use of oral medium is preferred when the message is urgent and requires an immediate response, the written medium is preferred when the message is technical and there is a need for it to be documented.
5. Decoding:The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator tries to convert the same in such a way so that he may extract its meaning to his complete understanding.
6. Receiver: The receiver is the individual to whom the message is addressed. The ability of the receiver to decode the message depends on the knowledge of the receiver, the reliance of the encoder, responsiveness of the receiver to the message.
7. Feedback: After the receiver receives the message he tries to decode it, understand it and tried to provide a proper feedback to the sender, who then tries to interpret the feedback.
8. Noise:It is the hindrance in the process of communication. It can take place at any step in the entire process. It reduces the accuracy of communication e.g. 1) Disturbance in the telephone lines, 2) An inattentive receiver 3) Improper Decoding of Message etc.
Types of communication and their various mediums include:
1. According to Area of Operation
2. According to Relationship
3. According to Direction
4. According to Means
1. Area of Operation:
(i) Internal Communication:
‘Internal Communication’ may be a process of communication made within the organisation between the superiors and subordinates or between peer persons or between two or more groups. It's going to be formal or informal, oral or written. It's going to flow upward, downward or horizontal as per requirement.
The oral means of internal communication are face-to-face discussion, verbal instruction, message, telephone, intercom, meeting, conference or seminar, speech, etc. The written methods include notice, circular, memo, report, chart or graph, bulletin, e-mail, fax, etc.
(ii) External Communication:
A business organisation has to communicate with the external agencies like customers, suppliers, investors, other business houses, banks, insurance companies, government offices, etc. Such communication could also be called ‘External Communication’ as its area of operation is with the people outside the organisation.
International business organisations got to communicate with foreign individuals, government agencies/organisations, etc. Oral external communication is formed through face-to-face discussion, meeting, conference, seminar, telephone, speech, etc. The written process includes notice, letter, telegram, report, e-mail, advertisement, fax, handout, etc.
2. According to Relationship:
(i) Formal Communication:
‘Formal Communication’ is the transmission of knowledge or direction in formal organisation structure. Formal communication maintains superior-subordinate relationship. When a manager directs his deputy manager to hold out some task, it's an instance of formal communication. Formal communication directs the workers in a definite manner to understand what the managers intend them to do and is usually codified and expressed in writing in manuals, handbooks, bulletins, annual reports, etc. So, it's rigid and thus lacks the quality of flexibility.
(ii) Informal Communication:
‘Informal Communication’ is that the communication between the members of a gaggle or quite one group—not on the premise of formal relationships within the organisational structure but on the premise of informal relations and understanding among the people at an equivalent or different level. It's mentioned as the ‘grapevine’ which indicates informal means of circulating information or gossip. It doesn't follow any structural route or process. It moves towards any direction. It's direct, spontaneous, flexible, unplanned, and fast-flowing.
3. According to Direction:
(i) Vertical Communication:
Upward and downward flows of communication constitute ‘Vertical Communication’. In such kind of communication message or information is transmitted from the upper authority to the subordinates, and the other way around.
(a) Downward Communication:
Downward communication means the flow of data or understanding from the persons occupying higher positions to those at lower levels. It usually passes through written orders, reports and manuals and is the commonest feature of all business organisations. In the organisation, people at lower levels have a high degree of fear and respect towards such communication which results in high degree of its acceptance.
(b) Upward Communication:
Communication is claimed to be upward when it moves from the subordinates to the superior managers. Submission of reports and suggestions, opinions and attitudes, complaints and grievances belong to this category. ‘Upward Communication’ is less common because it's less favoured by the top managers because of its troublesome and perplexing nature.
(ii) Horizontal Communication:
‘Horizontal or Sideways Communication’ takes place between two subordinates or managers at an equivalent level and under an equivalent superior. It's especially important in large or decentralized organisations. Staff people help to transmit information among the positions and units at an equivalent level.
(iii) Diagonal Communication:
Communication among the executives or employees of various departments is named ‘Diagonal Communication.’ No definite direction is followed—upward, down-ward and horizontal communication takes place in it. Both oral and written means of communication are used. It's mainly informal. a good relation between the subordinates and superiors is made up. It's very useful in solving the issues and avoiding conflict, but the possibilities of spreading rumours are high.
4. According to Means:
(i) Verbal Communication:
‘Verbal or Oral Communication’ implies the transmission of orders, messages or suggestions through spoken words. It's going to be face-to-face or through a speaking instrument like telephone.
Verbal communication may pass directly between one person and another or group or indirectly through meetings and conferences. Whatever tool is employed, it saves much time and permits personal contact. This fosters a friendly and co-operative spirit, ensures quick understanding and proper explanation, encourages questions and answers, and stimulates interest.
The speaker is also during a position to understand the reaction of the listener. Again, it's best suited for confidential and emergent talks. But it's not suitable if the space between the speaker and therefore the listener is just too long. It's also unsuitable if the matter to be communicated is lengthy and is to reach many persons simultaneously. It also lacks recorded evidence and future reference and doesn't allow the listener much time to think, act, and react.
(ii) Written Communication:
A ‘Written Communication’ means the sending of message, order or instruction in writing through a letter, circular, manual, report, telegram, office memo, bulletin, etc. it's a proper method of communication and is suitable for long distance communication and repetitive standing orders. It creates the records of evidence and future reference, and may be sent to several persons at a time.
It gives the receiver sufficient time to think, act, and react. A written communication so as to be effective should be clear, concise and complete. Moreover, it's time-consuming and expensive, and it cannot maintain secrecy, offers difficulty in explaining all matters, has no chance of clarification, is less flexible and not effective in emergency.
(iii) Gestural Communication:
Communication are often made through movement of body, facial expression, smile, modulation of voice, sign, handshake, rubbing of hands, eye- to-eye contact, sort of walking, etc. As communication is formed through bodily gestures it's called ‘Gestural Communication.’
It should be kept in mind that, though the methods of communication are different, nobody method are often used exclusively. So, different methods could also be utilized in combination to suit the aim of the communication.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is the type of communication that includesthe utilization of language and words to pass on the intended message. Verbal Communication implies communication though spoken form only. Be that as it may, with regards to forms of communication, verbal communication can be in the spoken or the written structure. Therefore, the verbal form of communication may contain oral as well as written communication as discussed below:
Written Communication: This sort of correspondence includes any sort of trade of data in the composed structure. For instance, messages, emails, letters, reports, SMS, posts via web-based networking media, records, handbooks, banners, flyers, and so on.
Oral Communication: This type of communication is carried out orally through direct or indirect channels. Sound is the only channel through which oral communication can take place. Face to face conversations, chatrooms, voice podcast, telephone conversations are some examples of oral communication.
Verbal communication can be divided into 3 types:
- Interpersonal communication: This type of communication takes place between two individuals. It can be face-to-face, telephonic or written. The two individuals here will assume the role of sender and receiver in the communication process.
- Group communication: Here more than two people exchange information and ideas. Press conferences, social gatherings, board meeting, and group discussions are some examples of group communication.
- Public communication: In this type of communication, one individual addresses a large group of people. This is usually a one-way conversation except for questionnaires and feedback. Election speeches, presentations, public speeches are some examples of public communication.
Conversations and Their Types
Conversations are a tool and a vehicle for expressing ideas, feelings and experiences are very important. It's a great sight and a blessing and is one of the most important ways of preserving and expanding knowledge. One can better reveal one's mind, intentions, ideas, purpose and personality through word of mouth or speech. The man is known by his words and expressions. Speech expresses the inner man’s personality, thoughts and feelings.
Conversation is also participation, cooperation and communication. These are the best ways to communicate with a talk and the oldest and richest. Our oldest and most important religious and spiritual activities have been through oral communication, discussions and discussions. The promotion of information is vital to success, social interaction, business, learning and education. In a broad and general sense, the discussion is very comprehensive and includes speech, talk and public discourse. In conversation a talk is put on three-to-three people but in an interview or lecture it reaches a lot of people who make up a large audience.
In addition, talking is more or less an option. While conversation is about intimacy, education, equal participation, warmth, respect, etc. Good and pleasant conversation is an art in which the heart and mind are completely involved. It is respectful, fun, smart, endearing and intimate. Conversational art is crucial to influencing people to make friends, increase following and achieve success. It can be cultivated and developed. It is a great way to be caught by training, practice, patience and persistence.
The Four Types of Conversations: Debate, Dialogue, Discourse, and Diatribe:
When you talk to someone, it helps to know what kind of conversation you are having. You can do that depending on the direction of the communication (a one-way street or two) tone / purpose (competition or collaboration).
When you talk to someone, you talk with somebody, rather than to somebody. When in a two-way conversation, participants listen and speak. In a competitive discussion, people are more concerned about their opinion, and in collaborative discussions participants are more inclined to view everyone involved.
Based on understanding and voice, I have organized the discussion into four types: debate, dialogue, speech and diatribe.
- Debate is a competitive, two-way conversation. The goal is to win an argument or to convince someone, such as a participant or a sidekick.
- Dialogue is a collaborative, two-way conversation. The role of the participants is to exchange information and build relationships with others.
- Discourse is a collaborative, harmonious conversation. The purpose is to bring information from the speaker / author to the audience / readers.
- Diatribe is a competitive and one-way conversation. The goal is to express feelings, to attack those who disagree with you, and / or to include those with the same opinion.
To highlight the differences between these types of conversations, let's use politics as an example:
Debate:Two family members from opposite sides of the political spectrum argue for politics.
Dialogue: In a voting the two voters talk to each other about who they will vote for.
Discourse:A professor who gives lectures on international affairs.
Diatribe: An unassuming voter who goes public with the election results.
It is important to know what kind of conversation you are in, because that is what determines the purpose of the conversation. If you can see the purpose, you can better speak to the heart of that conversation. However, if you do not see the conversation clearly, you can fall into the traps of change.
Non-Verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is the type of communication that is carried out without the use of words. Nonverbal communication is usually utilized as an aid to verbal communication. This type of communication employs gestures, body language, symbols and expressions.
Nonverbal actions office set the tone of the conversation. Nonverbal communication is useful for expressing one’s mood, opinion or reaction. Below are some forms of non-verbal communication:
Physical nonverbal communication: This is the sum of the physically observable. For instance, hand gestures, visual communication, facial expressions, the tone of one’s voice, posture, stance, touch, gaze, and so on. Research shows that nonverbal communication constitutes about 55% of our daily communications
These are subtle signals that are picked up as a part of our biological wiring. for instance, if you rest your head on your palms, it'll mean that you simply are very disappointed or angry. Similarly, other subtle hints will convey your reactions to the person you want to communicate with and vice-versa.
Paralanguage:This type of communication is carried out by the tone of one’s voice. It almost 38% of all the communication that we do every day.
Along with the tone of voice, the style of speaking, voice quality, stress, emotions, or intonation all serve the purpose of expressing intent and reaction. All of these aspects are not verbal.
Visual Communication -
This type of communication is carried out with the help of drawings, illustrations, placards, presentations and symbols.
Aesthetic Communication: An important means of communication, however underrated, is art. Some of the strongest messages and inexpressible feelings and emotions have been conveyed through art throughout history.
Art as an effective form of nonverbal communication, has played an important role in influencing people even before documented history.
Appearance
First impressions formed by apparel, grooming, politeness, the colours one wears, all are essential mediums of communication.
Following are the various appropriate uses of Non-verbal Communication:
1. Replacing speech
Non-verbal communication is an effective way of communicating without speaking in both formal and informal settings. Not only can one express a lot without words through their expressions and gestures but one can also use non-verbal signs to supplement speaking.
Below are some ways by which non-verbal communication can replace or supplement verbal communication:
- Using hands, legs feet or the whole body to indicate something.
- Using gestures with fingers, hands and arms to express a point.
- Tilting of head such as nodding to say yes or no
- Using expressions to express joy, sadness, approval, disapproval, frustration etc.
2. Controlling conversation
During a conversation, both parties take turns to speak to express their thoughts. Therefore, if a conversation requires one to take control such as in a debate, non-verbal communication can be used to drag the ball into one's court.
Below are some ways by which one can take control of the conversation using non-verbal communication:
- Cutting into speech to take control.
- Using voice modulation and tone to retain control.
- Pausing between sentences to add dramatic effect.
- Stopping between sentences to allow others to speak.
- Leaning forward to show interest and request others to speak.
- Looking away or leaning backwards to show disinterest or unpreparedness to listen.
3. Impression through Appearance
As Non-verbal communication goes beyond bodily actions to anything that sends subtle messages, one's attire and the way they look in general can affect the audience in many ways. Thus, one's appearance can be a useful tool to create an impact on the listener.
Below are some things which can be used to create a lasting impression:
- Appropriate attire for a formal or informal setting and proper grooming.
- Personal accessories such as watches, jewelry, etc.
- Organization of workspace such as the setup of desks, chairs and computers.
- Status symbols such as cars, houses etc.
4. Expressing emotion
While Verbal communication is useful fro expressing thoughts, Non-verbal communication is useful for expressing emotions and subtle feelings. The tone of one's voice, their expressions and their body language can tell much more about a person than words can. In particular, if one feels that he is unable to express emotions verbally, their words and body language can easily be in contradiction, sending messages that may be interpreted as stress or deceit.
Barriers to Communication
Communication is only complete if the message received by the recipient is interpreted in the same way as was intended by the sender. But due to the presence of a wide number of factors the message may be destroyed. These factors act as barriers to effective communication. It is essential to locate and eradicate these factors in order to allow free flowing communication.
Some of the barriers that block communication are listed below:
- LinguisticBarriers– The linguistic ability of both the sender and receiver define their ability to effectively communicate. Especially when technical communication is concerned, the free flow of communication requires both parties to be sufficiently acquainted with the information that is being exchanged. For example, if two people from different backgrounds converse with the technical terminology of their own fields they are bound to misunderstand each other.
2. PsychologicalBarriers- The psychological state of the receiver plays a significant role when processing information. Factors such as personal issues, worries and stress might affect the receiver’s ability to decode information as they might be preoccupied with their own concerns.
Anger on the sender’s end is also an example of a psychological barrier, while angry one tends to convey thoughts one doesn’t mean only to regret later. Shyness, anxiety and depression may also act as barriers.
3. Interpersonal Barriers-There are six ways in which people can distance themselves from one another:
- Withdrawal - is an absence of interpersonal contact.
- Pastimes - Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.
Working - Work activities follow the rules and procedures of contact but no more than that.
Games - Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps".
Closeness - The purpose of interpersonal contact is closeness.Good interpersonal contact promotes honesty and acceptance.
4. PhysicalBarriers- Physical barriers such as noise, physical distance between the speaker and receiver, conditions of the topography, poor lighting, speech impediment, hearing disability also affect effective communication.
5. PerceptualBarriers- The difference in how individuals perceive things also play a role in communication. People often find themselves unable to accept messages that go against their upbringing and values. Here even though the communication is effective, the feedback suffers. A similar situation might be perceived differently by different individuals and therefore might create disagreement.
6. CulturalBarriers- Different cultures possess different norms of social interactions and communication. Something deemed appropriate in one culture might not be the same in another. Body language and gestures play a vital role in non-verbal communication which might suffer due to cultural differences.
7. Inattention- One of the most common barriers towards effective communication is inattention, the receiver might simply be uninterested or might be daydreaming while the message is being conveyed to him.
8. Organizational Barriers- Organisational policies should be clear to avoid misinterpretations. Expressly stated policies are better understood than implicit policies. As implicit policies are subject to interpretation of behaviour of top managers, people may be subjective in interpretation. Different people can draw different meaning of behavioural gestures which obstructs the effective flow of communication. Strict rules and regulations make observance to these rules also rigid. People lose creativity in transmitting messages. Choice of channels, medium and dimension of communication can be against the willingness of people and, thus, stand in the way of effective communication. Too many levels in the organisational hierarchy can delay processing of information. Information can be filtered, particularly in case of upward communication as negative information is generally not transmitted.
Overcoming Barriers
These barriers can be easily avoided with a little effort and dedication. Below are some methods useful for avoiding these communication barriers:
- Clarity of words and purpose - Clarity is one of the most essential requirements of communication. While writing, it is necessary to write in good handwriting with proper grammar and sentence formation. While speaking one should use proper vocabulary and speak each word clearly and carefully along with proper inflections.
2. Active Listening- One should listen carefully what the speaker is saying in order to understand properly and provide feedback. One should be attentive while listening, ask open ended questions and should be able to summarize the information provided by the speaker.
3. Focus should be the other - While conversing one should maintain eye contact with the speaker as this shows the speaker that the message is being received by the listener. While speaking the focus should always be on the receiver.
4. Non-Verbal Communication- One’s body language often speaks as loud as his words. While communication one should show one’s reactions and interests through their body language.
5. Avoid Interruptions- It is essential to let the speaker finish talking before conveying one’s own thoughts. Interrupting is not only rude but also can be disadvantageous as one may not totally grasp the meaning of the speaker. If an interruption is absolutely necessary, one must use polite words like “pardon me” or “excuse me” instead of cutting the speaker in the middle of their thought process.
6. Controlling Emotions and Thinking before Speaking- It is said one must think twice before they speak. One must always consider the opinions and feelings of others before speaking their mind. One must also consider one’s own emotions and not speak out of anger or frustration. The process of communication should be logical rather than emotional.
7. The Message- The message one wishes to convey must always be clear and concise, there should be no doubts in one’s mind while speaking. The central idea of the message should always be conveyed completely and indubitably.
8. Eliminating Noise- One must eliminate all the outside forces that might disturb the conversation in order to maintain the flow of the communication process.
9. Feedback- One must pay attention to what the other person is saying and try to understand it as closely as possible to his intended meaning. This will allow him to provide proper responses.
In a corporate structure, formal communication follows a hierarchical organization.Data can stream in four ways in an association: downward, upward, horizontally, and diagonally. The size, nature, and structure of the organization decides how and in which direction the information will flow. In more settled and conventional organizations, a great part of the correspondence streams in a vertical—downward and upward—heading. In informal firms, generally the information will flow horizontally and diagonally. This, obviously, is an element of the practically flat hierarchical progressive system.
Informal correspondences, for example, those conveyed in the organizational grapevine, show up in the both kinds of organizations.
Formal Channels of Corporate Communication
A formal communication channel transmits information such as the goals, policies and procedures of an organization. Messages in this type of communication channel follow a chain of command. This means information flows from a manager to his subordinates and they in turn pass on the information to the next level of staff.
An example of a formal communication channel is a company's newsletter, which gives employees as well as the clients a clear idea of a company's goals and vision. It also includes the transfer of information with regard to memoranda, reports, directions, and scheduled meetings in the chain of command.
A business plan, customer satisfaction survey, annual reports, employer's manual, review meetings are all formal communication channels.
Downward Communication Flows
Downward correspondence is when organization's managers and administrators share information with lower-level employees. In most cases the information transferred in a downward direction does not require a response. An instance might be a declaration of another CEO or notice of a merger with a different firm. Different types of higher-level downward communication incorporate speeches, web journals, digital broadcasts, and recordings. The most widely recognized ways of downward communication are daily mandates of office managers or line administrators to employees. These can even be in the form of instruction manuals or organization handbooks.
Downward correspondence conveys information that assists with notifying the workforce about key authoritative changes, new objectives, or procedures; give performance feedback at the hierarchical level; organize activities; present an official policy; or improve employee morale of consumer relations.
Upward Communication Flows
Data moving from lower-level employees to elevated level representatives is upward communication (also known as vertical communication). For instance, upward communication happens when employees report to an administrator or when team leaders report to an office manager. Things commonly conveyed upward incorporate progress reports, proposals for new projects, spending evaluations, complaints and grievances, proposals for upgrades, and scheduling concerns. In some cases a downward communication prompts a response form a higher level in the hierarchical structure, for example, when an administrator requests a suggestion for a new part or to gauge when an unfinished project will be finished.
A significant objective of managers in organisations today is to energize unconstrained or wilful upward communication from employees without the need to ask first. A few organizations go as far as to organize competitions and give prizes to the most inventive and innovative solutions and recommendations. Before employees are able to provide innovative solutions however, they must be able to trust the management that it would now hijack or sabotage their contributions. A few associations have even introduced "informant" hotlines that will let representatives report perilous, unethical, or criminal operations namelessly to maintain a strategic distance from conceivable counter by higher-ups in the organization.
Horizontal Communication Flows
Horizontal correspondence includes the trading of data across divisions at a similar level in an association (i.e., peer to peer communication). The reason for most horizontal communication is to co-ordinate events and activities and request assistance. Individuals at a similar level in the association can cooperate to deal with issues or issues in a informal and casual basis. The manager of the production division can work with the purchase administrator to quicken or postpone the shipment of materials. The fund supervisor and stock administrators can be circled in with the goal that the association can achieve the maximum profit by the coordination. Communication between two workers who report to the same supervisor is additionally a case of horizontal communication. A few issues with horizontal communication can emerge on the off chance that one manager is reluctant or unmotivated to share data, or considers endeavours to be work commonly as compromising his position (regional conduct). For a situation like that, the administrator at the next level of the hierarchy should convey downward to fortify the organization's value of co-operation.
Diagonal Communication Flows
Diagonal communication is the exchange of data among the various departments of the organisation. For instance, if the VP of sales sends an email to the VP of manufacturing asking when an item will be accessible for delivery, this is a case of horizontal communication. But if a sales representative communicates with the director of manufacturing, that would be an example of diagonal communication. At whatever point correspondence moves between different departments division, the sender's manager ought to be made a part of the loop. An administrator might be placed in a humiliating position and seem awkward in the event that he doesn't know about everything occurring in his department. Trust might be lost and careers harmed if key communication protocols are not followed properly.
External Communication Flows
Communication doesn't always begin and stop inside the association. External communication is the communication conducted outside of the association. For Example, the public relation departments with the help of senior management often deals with the image of the company in public eye. First-level and center level administration for the most part handle operational business interchanges, for example, buying, recruiting, and advertising. When communicating outside the association (paying little heed to the level), it is significant for representatives to carry on expertly and not to make commitments outside of their extent of power.
Informal Channels of Corporate Communication
Within a formal working environment, there always exists an informal communication network. The strict hierarchical web of communication cannot function efficiently on its own and hence there exists a communication channel outside of this web. While this type of communication channel may disrupt the chain of command, a good manager needs to find the fine balance between the formal and informal communication channel.
An example of an informal communication channel is lunchtime at the organization's cafeteria/canteen. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, discussions among employees are encouraged. Also managers walking around, adopting a hands-on approach to handling employee queries is an example of an informal communication channel.
Quality circles, team work, different training programs are outside of the chain of command and so, fall under the category of informal communication channels.
There are four different types of informal communication:
- Single Strand: One person communicates with one person and then they go and communicate with another one person. Communication is traveling from one person to another one person.
- Gossip Chain: Group conversation where everyone is talking to each other informally.
- Probability Chain: Each individual randomly tells another individual the same message.
- Cluster Chain: One person shares information with a group of selected individuals and in turn each of those individuals shares that information with others.
All of these different types of informal communication are all about how information flows between employees outside of a professional and formal meeting scenario.
All human communication can be divided into the following types:
Personal Communication
Personal communication refers to the exchange of information between two people. It may be formal or informal, social or business. Personal communication is usually carried out when both the sender and receiver of the message know each other personally and share a relationship.
Personal communications comprise of private letters, memos, some electronic forms of communications such as e-mails), personal interviews, and telephonic conversations.
Features of personal communication include:
- Clarity- Clarity is one of the most essential requirements of communication. While writing, it is necessary to write in good handwriting with proper grammar and sentence formation. While speaking one should use proper vocabulary and speak each word clearly and carefully along with proper inflections.
2. Active Listening- One should listen carefully what the speaker is saying in order to understand properly and provide feedback. One should be attentive while listening, ask open ended questions and should be able to summarize the information provided by the speaker.
3. Eye-Contact in Oral Communication- While conversing one should maintain eye contact with the speaker as this shows the speaker that the message is being received by the listener.
4. Non-Verbal Communication- One’s body language often speaks as loud as his words. While communication one should show one’s reactions and interests through their body language.
5. Two-Way Conversation- It is essential to let the speaker finish talking before conveying one’s own thoughts. Interrupting is not only rude but also can be disadvantageous as one may not totally grasp the meaning of the speaker. If an interruption is absolutely necessary, one must use polite words like “pardon me” or “excuse me” instead of cutting the speaker in the middle of their thought process.
6. Thought- It is said one must think twice before they speak. One must always consider the opinions and feelings of others before speaking their mind.
7. The Message- The message one wishes to convey must always be clear and concise, there should be no doubts in one’s mind while speaking. The central idea of the message should always be conveyed completely and indubitably.
Social Communication
Social communication refers to the emergence of verbal and nonverbal skills, social interaction, and social cognition. It may be verbal or non-verbal.
It is often viewed as a form of communication that is ‘unwritten’ and that people seem to ‘just know.’ Communication in this area includes interaction with peers, family members, friends andcolleagues. Social communication behaviours include understanding and using appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, and body language.
Types of social communications include public gatherings, group discussions, conversations between friends and/or colleagues, social and informal meetings, etc.
Social communication has the following characteristics:
- Formation through Social Relations:
This communication is born out of social relations who mean that it is beyond the restrictions of the organisation. No superior-subordinate relationship figures therein. A more sociable superior can gather much information through this channel.
2. Two types of Information:
Through this type of communication, both information about work and personal lives of different individuals can be collected and transferred.
3. Unstructured:
There is no hierarchical structure for social communication and hence they do not generally follow a pattern of information flow like business communication.
4. Possibility of Rumour and Distortion:
In social communication, there is always a possibility of distortion of the information being transferred. This is known as the grapevine effect where individuals may add or subtract information irrelevant to what was originally stated. Responsibility for the true or false nature of communication does not lie on any individual and, therefore, not much attention is paid to its meaning while communicating.
5. Quick Relay:
Social communication is essentially faster than other types of communication as it transfers information in an informal manner. It is especially useful for announcements when a large number of people are to be addressed in a social setting.
Formal or Business Communication
In this age of globalisation every business enterprise, big or small, requires proper communication for its existence. The success of any business concern largely depends upon successful communication.
In this age of speed, complexity and competition, sending of information regarding the product to the ultimate consumer is very important. Unless they know about the product of the business enterprise, it is not possible for them to make contact and buy the product. Communication plays a vital role in this sphere.
Communication made among persons to convey their personal information, message or thought are personal communication; but exchange of information, facts and ideas relating to business may be termed as “Business Communication”. Business Communication refers to the communication relating to business activity which means providing goods and services to the consumers with a view to earning profit.
It is a process through which information, facts, ideas, orders, advices, decisions, etc. are conveyed, sent or exchanged between/among the persons associated with business. Thus, Communication relating to trade, law, Finance, administration, management, etc. of a business enterprise may be termed as ‘Business Communication’.
Characteristics of business communication include:
Below are the six main characteristics of business Communication:
- Addresses a Particular Demographic
Documents and presentations are always created with the receiver in mind. Business communication is used to provide direct information regarding specific topics with no digressions. It is essential to create an audience profile before initiating conversation. Business conversations are direct and to the point therefore, it has no place for ambiguity or obscurity.
2. Problem Solving
Business communication is generally carried out in order to resolve an issue or problem. It only deals with information which is relevant to the problem at hand and works towards finding resolution. Analysis and synopsis are two important elements with regards to problem solving.
3. Reflects on Goals and Culture
Business communication is done with a common goal in mind. It respects the culture of an organisation and works towards the goal with the basic principle of being culturally appropriate. Words and phrases specific to an environment are used during discussions or discourses.
4. Is a Collaborative Effort
Forms of business communication such as documents, projects or letters are often a result of a team of business communicators. Any informational document requires a number of people working on it. Even when a project is to be finished by a single person, the way they acquire technical information is always dependent on a number of sources.
5. Use of Designing Features in Written Technical Communication
Documents often use various design features such as colour, typography, spacing and indenting, etc. to make the document look more attractive and professional. Apart from that design features allow the reader to navigate the document with greater efficiency and help them understand the document more easily.
6. Use of Technology and Terminology
The terminology used during a business conversation is of the specific field it is carried out in. Words and phrases used during business communication process are often only understood by the people who are involved in it. Technological tools such as computers are often involved in business communications. Presentations and graphical representation of various topics are extremely relevant to business communication.
Methods to Improve Interpersonal Communication Skills
Interpersonal communication skills are the skills one uses while communication with individuals or groups in their everyday lives. People with good interpersonal communication skills often tend to be more successful than people who lack them. Interpersonal communication skills are vital in all areas of one’s life. People with good interpersonal communication skills are able to work well with other people and are also good with social interactions.
Though they are more targeted towards communication, interpersonal skills also include understanding body language, active listening, using gestures to express thoughts and feelings, and also dealing with different attitudes. They also include the skills and attributes associated with emotional intelligence, or being able to understand and manage your own as well as others’ emotions.
Interpersonal skills are extensively useful in work environments, they help maintain good social relationships among colleagues and also help mitigate employer-employee affairs.
Some of the most common interpersonal skills are:
- Active listening
- Collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Conflict resolution
- Empathy
- Diplomacy
- Adaptability
- Leadership
- Mediation
- Patience
The development of interpersonal communication skills requires dedication and effort. The following are some of the ways in which one can improve their interpersonal communication skills:
- Clarity- Clarity is one of the most essential requirements of communication. While writing, it is necessary to write in good handwriting with proper grammar and sentence formation. While speaking one should use proper vocabulary and speak each word clearly and carefully along with proper inflections.
2. Active Listening- One should listen carefully what the speaker is saying in order to understand properly and provide feedback. One should be attentive while listening, ask open ended questions and should be able to summarize the information provided by the speaker.
3. Maintaining Eye-Contact- While conversing one should maintain eye contact with the speaker as this shows the speaker that the message is being received by the listener.
4. Non-Verbal Communication- One’s body language often speaks as loud as his words. While communication one should show one’s reactions and interests through their body language.
5. Avoid Interruptions- It is essential to let the speaker finish talking before conveying one’s own thoughts. Interrupting is not only rude but also can be disadvantageous as one may not totally grasp the meaning of the speaker. If an interruption is absolutely necessary, one must use polite words like “pardon me” or “excuse me” instead of cutting the speaker in the middle of their thought process.
6. Thinking before Speaking- It is said one must think twice before they speak. One must always consider the opinions and feelings of others before speaking their mind.
7. The Message- The message one wishes to convey must always be clear and concise, there should be no doubts in one’s mind while speaking. The central idea of the message should always be conveyed completely and indubitably.
There are 5 basic steps to develop interpersonal skills:
- Always Be Self-aware
Self-awareness implies being aware of one’s own thoughts, feelings and emotions. This activity helps in gaining emotional intelligence which in turn helps in effective communication. Every individual is projecting subconscious messages throughout the day that might affect other people around them, therefore it is essential that one is mindful of their thoughts and only share what they want to.
2. Being Respectful and Empathetic Towards Others
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions no matter how different or abstract they may be. To be a good communicator one must always respect another’s opinion with no judgment or condemnation. Empathy is a quality every great thinker and communicator throughout history, if one cannot be empathetic towards others one cannot understand how they feel or what they think in any given situation, therefore it is necessary that one should be compassionate and empathetic towards others.
3. Actively Listening to others
Listening is probably the most underrated and overrated skill among the 4 basic communication skills. But much like the other skills it has to be honed and developed. Only when one listens clearly can one respond to a given message. It is easy to passively keep on hearing the speaker but it is difficult to actively listen as it requires total attention on the receiver’s part.
4. Avoiding Talking Over Others
While listening one tends to convey his thoughts as soon as he thinks of them without considering whether the speaker has finished speaking or not, this leads to being perceived as rude and hasty. To avoid this one must let the speaker finish first and then convey their thoughts as clearly as possible.
5. Saying “Yes” Before Saying “No”
It is essential to not outright reject new ideas and thoughts without listening to them or acting upon them. If one does not hear a topic that appeals to his own ideals or opinions, he tends to reject the new without even listening to it. This process inhabits one’s ability to expand one’s horizons and should not be continued.
The nature of good communication can be understood from the following points:
1. Two-way process:Communication is essentially a two-way process of understanding between two or more persons – sender and receiver. A person cannot communicate with himself.
2. Continuous process:Exchange of ideas and opinions between people and groups is a continuous process in formal organisations as well as social groups. Continuous interaction promotes understanding and exchange of data relevant for decision-making.
3. Dynamic process:Communication between sender and receiver takes different forms and medium depending upon their moods and demeanour. It is, thus, a dynamic process that keeps changing depending upon the situations.
4. Pervasive:Communication is a pervasive activity. It takes place at all levels (top, middle, low) dealing with all functional areas (production, finance, personnel, sales) of a business.
5. Two people:A minimum of two persons — sender and receiver — must be involved in order to facilitate communication. It may be between superiors, subordinates and colleagues, intra or inter se.
6. Exchange:Communication involves exchange of ideas and opinions. People interact and develop understanding for each other.
7. Means of unifying organisational activities:Communication unifies internal organisational environment with its external counterpart. It also integrates the input of human and physical resources and converts them into organisational output.
8. Verbal and non-verbal:Though words are active carriers of data, gestures can sometimes be more powerful than words. Facial expressions, sounds, signs and symbols are the non-verbal varieties of communication.
9. Mutual understanding:Communication is effective when sender and receiver develop interdependent understanding of the topic. Messages conveyed should be understood by the receiver within the desired sense.
10. Goal-oriented:GoodCommunication is goal-oriented. Unless the receiver and sender know the aim, they intend to achieve through communication, it has little practical utility.
11. Foundation of management:Though communication could be a directing function, it's important for other managerial functions also. Designing organisation structures, motivating people to accomplish personal, short term and log term goals and controlling organisational activities; all require communication amongst managers at various levels.
12. A means, not an end:Communication is not an end. Effective communication may be a means towards achieving the end, that is, goal accomplishment. It smoothens administrative operations by allowing planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling functions.
13. Human activity:Since communication makes accomplishment of organisational goals possible, it's essential that individuals understand and like one another. If people don't understand each other’s’ viewpoint, there can't be effective communication.
14. Inter-disciplinary:Communication is essentially the art of how communicators use knowledge of various fields of study like anthropology, psychology and sociology. It is, thus, an inter-disciplinary area of management.
7Cs of Communication
The qualities of good communication are described by the 7Cs of communication which include: clarity, correctness, completeness, concreteness, conciseness, courteousness and coherentness.
The seven C’s of communication is a list of principles that you should ensure all of your communications adhere to. Their purpose is to help ensure that the person you’re communicating with hears what you’re trying to say. The seven C’s of communication include:
1. Clear
There are several stages to clarity.
Firstly, it’s important to be clear about the purpose of the message you’re delivering. The recipient should be made aware of why they are receiving the message and what you’re trying to achieve by delivering it. If there are multiple goals, each should be laid out separately.
Secondly, it’s essential that the content of the communication is itself clear. The use of jargon must be avoided, use simple language and simple structures and always focus on the core points of your message.
2. Correct
It’s essential that both the factual information and the language and grammar you use are correct. If your audience spots errors in either, they will be distracted and your credibility will be greatly reduced. This will reduce the effectiveness of your communication.
3. Complete
Completeness is often one of the most important of the 7 Cs of communication.
When creating a message, it’s important to give the recipient all of the information they need to follow your line of reasoning and to reach the same conclusions you have. This level of detail will be different in different situations, and you should adjust your communications accordingly.
In addition, you should make things as easy as possible for the recipient. For example, if you are issuing a “call to action”, provide explicit guidance on that action. Increasingly it’s common to include things like hyperlinks in written communications or to attach FAQs, both of which help audiences access a complete set of information while also ensuring that core communications focus on core messages.
4. Concrete
When shaping your communication, you must ensure that you are specific and that the logic and messages that you’re using fit together, build on each other and support each other. Your arguments should be based on solid facts and opinions from credible sources and you should share irrefutable data to support your argument.
It may be important to help bring the solid nature of what you’ve created to life for your audience through examples that show the relevance of your messages for them as individuals.
5. Concise
When communicating messages of this nature it’s important to stick to the point and keep your messages short and simple. If a message can be given in five words, don't make it ten. Don’t repeat your messages.
The more you say, the more risk there is of confusion. Avoid that risk by focusing solely on the key points you need to deliver.
6. Courteous
Not everyone knows how to use the 7 Cs of communication.
You can increase the effectiveness of your communications by being polite and showing your audience that you respect them. Your messages should be friendly, professional, considerate, respectful, open and honest.
To help ensure you are courteous, you should always use some empathy and consider your messages from the point of view of the audience.
7. Coherent
The last of the 7 Cs of communication is coherence. If your communications are not coherent they will not be effective. To help make sure your communications are coherent you should have a logical flow and your style, tone and language should be consistent throughout.
In addition to making sure that each correspondence that is issued is coherent within itself, you should also ensure consistency of message when delivering multiple communications.
