Communication

Communication is derived from the Latin word ‘Communico’ which means “to share”. Hence the word
“communication” means: the process of sharing. One may ask, sharing what? Obviously – sharing
information, which could be facts, ideas, thoughts, feelings, needs, etc. This sharing takes place from one
person to another so that it is understood. This process involves systematic and continuous process of
speaking, listening, and understanding as well as writing reading and understanding. Therefore,
Communication is a process, which involves purposeful exchange of messages between people to
create a common understanding.

Why is Communication Important?

Communication is a learned skill. Most people are born with the physical ability to talk. But in order to
speak well and communicate effectively you have to learn the art and improve upon your ability to talk.
Speaking, listening, and ability to understand verbal and nonverbal meanings are the skills we develop in
various ways. We learn basic communication skills by observing other people and changing our behaviors
based on what we see. We also learn communication skills directly through education, practice and
constant evaluation of the responses we get from people around us.

Importance of communication has always been realized in all times because it is the most vital means by
which people are connected together in the society. However, today communication plays a crucial role in
almost all aspects of life. Work in business, government or organizations are impossible without
communication. People have to communicate with each other, exchange information, make decisions,
talk about new ideas, plans, proposals etc. They also have to communicate externally with foreigners and
people of other races and languages.

For a moment, turn your eyes inward and see how much of your waking hours you spend in
communication. Nearly 70% – writing, reading, speaking, & listening. As a college student, 69 percent
of your communication time is spent on speaking and listening. You spend 17 percent of your
communication time on reading and 13 percent writing. Don’t forget, therefore, that communication is
inevitable in one’s life. Today, in this age & world, a successful person is the one - who can communicate
effectively.

 Pick up any newspaper and scan the jobs wanted advertisements. You will find that
communication skills are one of the essential prerequisites in most of the occupations. Be it
engineers, business managers, sales officers, operators, etc. Any vocation you choose- oral
communication skills are identified as valuable for both obtaining employment and successful job
performance. Big corporations and multinational organizations need better communication skills
in their employees so that they are able to work in teams and with people from diverse
backgrounds.

Remember we are living in a communication revolution; we are living in an age of increasing

communication. When we have to communicate, we must communicate well, and communicate
wise.

Many of the problems that occur in an organization are the direct result of people failing to communicate.
Faulty communication causes the most problems. It leads to confusion and can cause a good plan to fail.

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 The Communication Process or Cycle

Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another. It involves
a sender transmitting an idea to a receiver. And effective communication occurs only if the receiver
understands the exact information or idea that the sender intends to transmit. Studying the communication
process is important because you coach, coordinate, counsel, evaluate, and supervise through this process.
It is the chain of understanding that integrates the members of an organization from top to bottom,
bottom to top, and side-to-side.

Let us look into the details and see, “What is involved in the communication process”?

The steps involved in this process are:

1. Idea: Information exists in the mind of the sender (who is the source). This can be a concept, idea,
information, or feelings.
2. Encoding: The source initiates a message by encoding the idea (or a thought) in words or symbols and
sends it to a receiver - The Message: is the core idea. It is the actual physical product from the source
encoding. When we speak, the speech is the message. When we write, the writing is the message. When
we gesture, the movements of our arms and the expressions of our faces are the message.
3. The Channel: The channel in the communication process is the medium that the sender uses to
transmit the message to the receiver. Care needs to be exercised in selecting the most effective channel
for each message. Even though both an oral and a written medium may be appropriate to transmit a
particular message, one medium may be more effective than the other. To illustrate, let’s assume that an
individual desires an immediate reply to a question. Although the message could be in either an oral or a
written form, the oral medium most likely will be more effective because of the immediacy.
In selecting an appropriate channel, the sender must assess the following factors, as the situation
demands:
-need for immediate transmission of message, (Fax instead of letter)
-need for immediate feedback, (Phone instead of fax)
-need for permanent record of the message, (Written rather than oral)
-degree of negotiation and persuasion required, (Personal meeting – face-to face)
-the destination of the message, and (Far flung area – letter only)
-nature of the content of that message (Has to be a contract –written)
In addition, the sender should take into consideration his/her skill in using each of the alternative
channels, as well as the receiver’s skill in using each of the channels. Communication rarely takes place
over only one channel; two or three even four channels are normally used simultaneously.
Example: in face-to-face interactions, we speak and listen but we also gesture and receive these signals
visually.
4. Decoding: It is the act of understanding messages (words or symbols). This is known as Decoding.
When the sound waves are translated into ideas, we are taking them out of the code they are in, hence
decoding. Thus, listeners and readers are often regarded as Decoders. During the transmitting of the
message, two processes will be received by the receiver i.e., Content and Context.
 Content is the actual words or symbols of the message which is known as language – i.e. spoken
and written words combined into phrases that make grammatical and semantic (meaning) sense.
We all use and interpret the meanings of words differently, so even simple messages can be
misunderstood (Are you going to give me or not?). And many words have different meanings to
confuse the issue even more (You are smart.).
 Context is the way the message is delivered and is known as Paralanguage - tone of voice, the
look in the sender's eyes, body language, hand gestures, state of emotion (anger, fear, uncertainty,

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 confidence, etc.). Paralanguage causes messages to be misunderstood as we believe what we see
more than what we hear; we trust the accuracy of nonverbal behaviors more than verbal
behaviors.
Many managers think they have communicated once they told someone to do something, "I don't know
why was not the work done?...I told my Secretary to do it." As a matter of fact, the secretary
misunderstood the message.
Remember: A message is never communicated in the true sense unless it is understood by the
receiver correctly.

5. Feedback: Question arises then, how do you know a message has been properly received? The
answer is: by two-way communication or feedback. This feedback will tell the sender that the receiver
understood the message, its level of importance, and what must be done with it. So the feedback loop is
the final link in the communication process. Feedback is the check on how successful we have been, in
transferring our messages as originally intended. It determines whether understanding has been achieved
or not. The purpose of feedback is to change and alter messages so the intention of the original
communicator is understood by the second communicator. It includes verbal and nonverbal responses to
another person's message.

There are five main categories of feedback. They are listed in the order in which they occur most
frequently in daily conversations.
i. Evaluation: Making a judgment about the worth, goodness, or appropriateness of the sender's
statement.
ii. Interpretation: Paraphrasing - attempting to explain what the sender's statement means.
iii. Support: Attempting to assist or support the sender.
iv. Probing: Attempting to gain additional information, continue the discussion, or clarify a point.
v. Understanding: Attempting to discover completely what the sender means by his/her statement.
i. Quality of Feedback
Feedback is a supportive process, which should contribute to the reinforcement of ongoing behavior. It
also can be a corrective process, which induces changes in behavior. Both of these roles are beneficial if
the following principles are executed:
 Feedback is given within an atmosphere of mutual trust rather than a culture of hostility or blame.
 The feedback is specific rather than general, using clear and concise language.
 Feedback is offered at the right time for receiving the message.
 Feedback is assessed to check for agreement and acceptance.
 Feedback should match the ability and authority of the receiver so the key messages can be
applied.
 A balanced level of feedback is provided, neither too sparse nor overwhelming.
 The feedback allows the receiver to see him or herself as others see them and provides them with
opportunities to adjust behaviors if necessary.

Characteristics of Human Communication

Human communication has several key characteristics.
 The process of communication is continuous, ongoing, and dynamic.
 Communication begins with the self.
 Communication is irreversible, or inerasable.
 Communication is reciprocal.
 Communication is unrepeatable.
 Communication is transactional.
 Communication exists in some kind of context, or setting.

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