Unit 1
Understanding Communication
Introduction
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.
Communication can be formal or informal
- Formal communication: Formal Communication is the exchange of official information that flows along the different levels of the organizational hierarchy and conforms to the prescribed professional rules, policy, standards, processes and regulations of the organization.
- Informal communication: Informal Communication is the casual and unofficial form of communication wherein the information is exchanged spontaneously between two or more persons without conforming the prescribed official rules, processes, system, formalities and chain of command.
Nature
The nature of 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:
Communication 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.
Importance
English Communication serves four major important functions within any group or organization. These are:
- Acquiring Jobs
- Control
- Motivation
- Emotional expression
- Information
Acquiring Jobs
Most Organizations today, be it abroad or in India deal with other countries due to globalization. And English being a world language most of the documentation and day to day operations are carried out in English. Therefore, having command over both spoken and written forms of the English language makes one desirable for these jobs. Not only fluent English makes a good impression but also facilitates deeper understanding and better communication between colleagues and external organizations.
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, by passing 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.
Purpose of Communication
The purpose of communication is a key factor in deciding the content and style of communication. Depending upon your purpose – to inform, to analyse, or to persuade – you can create a communication that will elicit your required response from the audience and eliminate possibilities of unexpected output from them.
Below are some key points one must keep in mind while having a purposeful communication:
What's the Purpose of Your Communication?
- Specific. The objectives of communication must be precise, if they are too general or unspecific you might digress from the central idea of the communication.
- Measurable. They only way to know if you have achieved the purpose of your communication is by measuring it. Therefore, it is essential to set measurable goals and not some far-fetched wayward objective.
- Achievable. A good communication is made with the audience in mind. The goals of communication should always be achievable with regards to the audience. If the goals are too distant the communication might fail to make an impact on the audience.
- Relevant. The communication should be relevant to your audience and locale. It should be perfectly understood by every member of the audience.
- Time. Is your purpose achievable in the available time? This is because a fifteen-minute communication might be too short for a detailed understanding of a new product or a new piece of technology. But it might be just sufficient enough to explain a new procedure to a well experienced audience.
The process of communication can be easily understood from the following flowchart:
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.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is the type of communication that includes the 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.
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:
- Language Barriers – 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. Psychological Barriers- 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. Physical Barriers- 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.
4. Perceptual Barriers- 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.
5. Cultural Barriers- 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.
6. 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.
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.
