Understanding Communication

Learning Objectives

• The first learning objective focuses on explaining the nature of communication
• The second learning objective focuses on discussing relationships between communication components
• The third learning objective focuses on discussing barriers to effective communication with examples/scenarios

Definition of Communication

• Communication involves sharing information, ideas, and feelings
• This sharing can occur through talking, body language, and other means

7 Major Points of Communication

• Communication is functional, meaning it serves a purpose or has a use
• Communication is dynamic, implying it is subject to change
• Communication is transactional, meaning it involves exchange of information, ideas, opinions, etc
• Communication involves participants, so there needs to be someone with whom to exchange
• Communication involves creating and sharing meaning; working together to create a shared understanding
• Communication uses an exchange of symbols like words, expressions, graphs, etc.
• Communication is a process that involves a feedback loop

9 Components of Communication

• The first is participant as sender, who initiates the message by encoding it using symbols
• The second is participant as receiver, who interprets or decodes the message based on their knowledge and experience
• The third is the message itself, or what is being said
• The fourth is medium, or how the message is sent: verbally, written, telephonically
• The fifth is channel, which describes direction of information flow, and can be upwards, downwards, or horizontal
• The sixth is feedback, which indicates two-way communication
• The seventh is noise, which references any barriers to communication
• Noise can be external in the form of physical or environmental barriers
• Noise can be internal, and include psychological barriers like prejudices, values, and beliefs
• Noise can also be semantic, when words are misunderstood
• The eighth component of communication is context: dyadic, small group, large group, or public
• The ninth is the result, which is the extent to which the message is understood

Feedback

• Interpersonal and small group communication provide the best opportunities for feedback
• Feedback is difficult in public communication
• Feedback can be challenging in large organizations, requiring managers to be careful of one-sided communication
• Paying attention to feedback is important, even if it is negative
• Feedback helps identify whether a message has been misinterpreted and allows for corrections
• Face-to-face communication offers direct feedback, including nonverbal cues
• In presentations, feedback appears as reactions and questions

Barriers to Effective Communication

• Cultural and professional backgrounds can be barriers
• Backgrounds form a frame of reference and ideas on how things should be
• Differences in culture, language or work background may lead to communication breakdowns and require open-mindedness and sensitivity
• Perceptions can be barriers
• Perceptions are how we see and interpret the world
• Past experiences, education, language, and culture influence how we see the world
• Perceptions are subjective and may be incorrect
• Needs and goals can be barriers to effective communication, different people have different priorities
• Pressures can be barriers, because people work under different circumstances
• Personal barriers
• Time and distance causes delayed response and lack of real-time interaction