What is Communication?

Study Notes

Communication is a conscious attempt to share information, ideas, and attitudes with others.
It involves getting a sender and a receiver connected for the transfer of a message or series of messages.
Communication is only effective if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender is transmitting.

Communication is composed of three parts: sharing, understanding, and meaning.
Sharing involves conveying thoughts, feelings, ideas, or insights to others or to oneself (intrapersonal communication).
Understanding involves perceiving, interpreting, and relating our perception and interpretation to what we already know.
Meaning is what is shared through communication and can be discovered by looking at context and asking questions.

Effective communication is essential for organizational success at various levels (interpersonal, intergroup, intragroup, organizational, or external).
Effective communication can strengthen personal relationships, help form positive bonds, and prevent misunderstandings.
Communication helps individuals learn about others and themselves, persuade or influence others, and learn about the world around them.
People with good communication skills are more confident and can have fun and relax.

The communication process involves encoding and decoding.
The encoder develops and sends the message, determines how the message will be received, and makes adjustments accordingly.
Encoding is the process of turning thoughts into communication using a medium (e.g., phone call, email, text message, face-to-face meeting).
The decoder interprets the message for themselves, turning communication into thoughts.
Factors to consider in the communication process include noise that might interfere with the message and the level of conscious thought in encoding messages.