Understanding Communication

• Communication is a continuous process that begins at birth and ends at death.
• Communication includes the use of words, speed of delivery, pitch modulation, and body language.
• Communication is vital for personal and professional success and plays an important role in society.

Definition and Process

• "Comunicare," a Latin word meaning "to share" or "to make common," is the origin of the term "communication."
• Louis Allen defines communication as creating understanding in another's mind through telling, listening, and understanding.
• Keith Davis describes communication as the transfer of information and understanding between individuals.
• Peter Little defines communication as the transmission of information between individuals or organizations through agreed symbols.
• Bartol and Martin define communication as the exchange of messages to achieve common meanings.
• Birvenu defines communication as transmitting feelings, attitudes, facts, beliefs, and ideas between living beings.

Process Components

• Sender (Encoding): Initiates communication, encoding ideas into an agreed-upon code (e.g., language).
• Message: The encoded idea or information, the substance of communication.
• Medium: The vehicle used to send the message (verbal or non-verbal).
• Channel: The actual instrument through which the message is transmitted (e.g., newspaper, microphone).
• Receiver (Decoding): The message's destination, who must decode and understand the message.
• Feedback: The receiver's response to the sender, indicating successful or unsuccessful communication.
• Communication environment is an important aspect of communication and can affect it either positively or negatively

Feedback

• Feedback indicates whether the message was understood and may be positive (continue as before) or negative (change approach).
• Feedback can be immediate or delayed.
• No feedback indicates disagreement or reluctance.
• Feedback is crucial for the sender to know if communication was successful and to take corrective action if needed.

Communication Environment

• The communication environment is important and can be affected by psychological barriers, external noise, language, or cultural differences.

Example

• Example of communication process: An artist displays paintings (message) in a gallery (channel) to people (receivers) who show appreciation (feedback).

Objectives

• The basic objective is to elicit a reaction.
• Objectives are primary (contribute to growth/survival) and secondary (sustain growth).

Primary Objectives

• Information: Companies need knowledge about the market, competitors, customers, government policies, and the economy.
• Order and Instructions: Directives from superiors to start, stop, or modify activities.
• Education and Training: Helps employees keep contact with each other.
• Education for future managers: Training for junior personnel for future assignments.
• Education for new recruits: Training to accustom new employees with the company's culture.
• Educating the public: Maintaining a good rapport with the public through advertising and informative seminars.
• Advice: Opinions given as to the action to be taken.
• Persuasion: Influencing others through marketing to sell a product, service, or idea via promotional activities.
• Suggestion: A mild form of communication, like suggestion boxes, to boost morale and involvement.
• Warning: Informing a person about the consequences of not changing behavior.

Secondary Objectives

• Motivation: Essential to boost workers motivation and can be provided through various factors.
• Raising Morale: Maintaining high morale to improve overall efficiency and productivity.

Methods

• Communication can be broadly classified into verbal and non verbal methods.
• The methods of communication are verbal and non-verbal

Verbal Communication

• Verbal communication makes use of spoken words
• Types of verbal are oral and written communication

Oral Communication

• Oral communication is communicating by spoken words, either face-to-face or via telephone.

Advantages of Oral Communication

• Confidential: No written record exists
• Time-saving: Faster than writing.
• Saves money: No expenses on stationery or postage.
• Immediate feedback: Allows immediate responses.
• Useful for illiterates: Accessible to those who cannot read.
• More effective: Enhanced by paralinguistic features and body language.
• Modification possible: Adjustments can be made based on the receiver's response.
• Personal: Direct approach with body language, tone, and pitch.

Disadvantages of Oral Communication

• No legal value: Not admissible as legal evidence.
• Low reference value: Cannot be referred to later unless recorded.
• Lack of accountability: Difficult to assign responsibility.
• Distortion possible: Listener misunderstanding can distort the message.
• Dependent on speaker: Success depends on the speaker's skills.
• Unfit for lengthy messages: Not suitable for technical details or statistical data because important information may be missed.
• Might not go as planned: success dependent on receiver's response requiring speaker to manage the situation

Written Communication

• Written communication is an integral and important part of every organization's communication.

Advantages of Written Communication

• Legal proof: Can be presented in court as evidence.
• Wide reach: Can be easily duplicated and widely disseminated.
• Reference value: Can be stored and retrieved when required.
• Accountability: Signed documents make it easy to assign responsibility.
• Suitable for long messages: Lengthy, detailed messages can be communicated accurately.
• Can be planned: Unnecessary words and details can be edited out
• Precision: Focus is on message which should not be unecessary
• Convenient: The writer can compose the message at his convenience and the receiver can read the message at his leisure.

Disadvantages of Written Communication

• Time-consuming: It involves drafting, editing, typing, posting, printing the message
• Unsuitable for illiterates: Oral communications are better used for promotions or services.
• Formal: Precise, but formal, lacks personal touch compared to oral communication.
• Expensive: managing incoming and outgoing mail and maintaining records for cost
• Delayed feedback: It takes time for the message to reach the receiver.
• Storage problem: Requires physical space for filling and storage

Non Verbal Communication

• Nonverbal behaviors send strong messages through gestures, posture, and eye contact.
• Nonverbal signals such as gestures can give clues and additional information of communication.
• Bartol and Martin define non-verbal communication as communication by means of elements and behaviors that are not coded into words.
• Body Language 55%
• Tone of Voice 38%
• Words 7%
• Signals, cues and symbols are universally acknowledged and interpreted

Body Language (Kinesics) Elements

• Personal appearance: Creates first impression through clothing, hairstyle, and hygiene.
• Posture: Reflects emotions, attitudes, and intentions.
• Gestures: Can be different from culture to culture.

Non Verbal Communication (Eye Contact and Distancing)

• Eye contact: Gives and receives feedback, shows confidence and honesty, communicates relationships.
• Space (Proxemics): Personal territory affects interpersonal relations; physical space needs vary by culture, situation, and relationship.
• Intimate zone: Space to 1.5 ft shared only with family and friends
• Personal zone: Extends to 4ft shared among friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
• Social zone: Stretches from 4 to 12 feet. Used for formal interactions
• Public area: Greater than 12ft used between the speaker and audience

Paralanguage Elements

• Elements which are not strictly part of the message
• These signal indicate feelings about what is being said
• Signals also include the tone and pitch of the voice

Paralanguage features include

• Volume: important in gaining acceptance, must suit the size and location
• Rate: Ideally we speak in rate of between 125 to 150 words
• Pauses: Short silences inbetween words for the listener and speaker
• Pitch: Variation in the rise and fall of the voice
• Voice modulation: Varying the volume, itch tone of the voice

Other Key Communication Tools

• Pronunciation and articulation: Speak clearly
• Silence: Can be an important tool in communication
• Chronemics: Use of time to generate reactions
• Haptics: Study of how physical contact generates communication
• Visuals: Graphs, maps, charts e.t.c
• Graphs can be used in visual representation e.t.c
• Maps are used to show geographical data
• Charts are to depict any information
• Signs and Signals are used as a method through language to use
• Olfactics: Sense of smell may evoke the most of all senses

Channels of Communication in an Organization

• Includes external communication and internal communication

External Communication

• Goal is to create a message that receiver communicates
• Includes press releases, advertisements, web pages and customer communications

Internal Communication

• Consists of transfer of information within a department of organization and is
• Types are formal and informal