Definition of communication

Meaning and definition

Two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas and feelings but also create and share meaning.

Communication is the act of conveying information from one person to another or within a person (intrapersonal) for the purpose of creating a shared understanding. It is something that humans do every day. The word “communication” comes from the Latin “communis,” meaning “to share,” and includes verbal, non-verbal and electronic means of human interaction.

Our major concern is about the development of communication skills and how communication can be made more effective.

Humans convey information through a variety of methods: speaking, telephones, email, blogs, TV, art, hand gestures, facial expressions, body language and even social contexts. Communication can occur instantaneously in closed, intimate settings or over great periods of time in large public forums, like the Internet. However, all forms of communication require the same basic elements: a speaker or sender of information, a message, and an audience or recipient. The sender and recipient must also share a common language or means of understanding each other for communication to be successful. As such, a study of communication often examines the development and structure of language, including the mathematical languages used in computer programming.

Communication has always been known as a process which is continuous in nature. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him.

The act of communicating draws on several interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. These include speaking, listening, observing, questioning, processing, analyzing and evaluating. Recipients of a message must be able to identify the sender’s intent, take into account the message’s context, resolve any misunderstandings, accurately decode the information and decide how to act on it. Such skills are essential to learning, forming healthy relationships, creating a sense of community and achieving success in the workplace.

A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication channel to a receiver, or to multiple receivers.  The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form that is appropriate to the communication channel, and the receiver(s) then decodes the message to understand its meaning and significance.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process. Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication process.

An effective communicator understands their audience, chooses an appropriate communication channel, hones their message to this channel and encodes the message to reduce misunderstanding by the receiver(s).  They will also seek out feedback from the receiver(s) as to how the message is understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as possible. Receivers can use Clarification and Reflection as effective ways to ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.

Important Characteristics of Communication:

• It is a 2-way process.
• Communication process happens between or among two or more parties. (Sender and Receiver)
• Communication involves exchange of ideas, feelings, information, thoughts, and knowledge.
• Communication involves mutuality of understanding between Sender and Receiver.

Communicating the Right Way

Have you ever talked to someone they felt insulted without you actually wanting to insult them? Or maybe a friend told you later that you came over as being arrogant? And next you would say:”I didn’t mean to…what I meant was…”. Well, when that happens, our normal reaction is to mark this down as “miscommunication”, yet we don’t really learn from this, because we don’t think there is anything to learn. Well, there is, and something quite substantial as well!

One of the paradigms of communication is that the meaning of your communication is the outcome you get. It does not matter what you intended, but how the other person understood it! So when you piss someone off without wanting to, it is in fact your fault and what you now know is how to piss that person off. The great thing is that you can now experiment how to talk to that same person differently.

No one but you is responsible for your communication, and for the states you elicit in the people you talk to. Once you realize that, once you acknowledge the full impact of this, talking to anyone becomes a whole different ball game. Maybe you are a team leader, a manager, a parent, or anyone else having to talk to people and get something from them, and every time you talk to them, you can learn something from their responses to you. You can learn what this person reacts to and how you can use that reaction to gauge the way you speak.

Of course, this is just an idea, and as such you might accept it or not. Yet, if you do decide to take responsibility for your communication, suddenly opportunities for change will open up right in front of you, and the sentence:”But I didn’t mean to…” is banished from your life!

THE   COMMUNICATION   PROCESS

The  communication  process  consists  of  a  message  being  sent  and  received.  The message may be verbal or non-verbal.  The  same  basic  principles  apply  whether  humans,  animals,  other  forms of  life,  or  combinations  of  these  are  involved.  My challenge, as a teacher (lecturer), is to not merely communicate   with   you   students--but   to   communicate   effectively. Effective   communication   involves   a   message   being   sent   and   received.   Added   to   this   however, is  the  element  of  feedback  to  ensure  that  the  message  sent  was  received  exactly  as  intended.  This concept may be illustrated  using  the  three-step  communications  model  

Sending   the   Message

There are four elements involved in sending a message.  First,  as  the  teacher  (sender),  I formulate  the  message  I  intend  to  communicate.  Next, I consider possible barriers that may   affect   the   message.   This   includes   my   experience,   the   terms   I   will   use,   and   even my feeling   towards   the   subject   or   the   students. External   barriers   such   as   noise   must   also   be considered.  Third,  I will  encode  the  message;  that  is, putting  the  message  into  the  words  you want  to  use.  Last, you clearly communicate (send) the message. In receiving the message, there   are   also   four   elements   involved. The   students   (receivers)   will first hear and/or see the message sent.  Secondly, the message is affected by external barriers, if   any,   and   the   students’   own   internal   barriers.   Possible   internal   barriers   may   include   the students   experience   level,   their   understanding   of   the   terms   used,   their   attitude   toward   the material, or the way they feel about me. Third,  the  students  decode  the  message  through  the use  of  mental  images.  For instance, when you say the word “dance”, the   receiver   does   not   “see” the   letters   that   form   the   word.   Instead,   a   mental   image   of   some   sort   appears.   

The Communication Model

The goal of communication is to convey information—and the understanding of that information—from one person or group to another person or group. This communication process is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through a channel to the receiver. (Figure below shows a more elaborate model.) The sender first develops an idea, which is composed into a message and then transmitted to the other party, who interprets the message and receives meaning. Information theorists have added somewhat more complicated language. Developing a message is known as encoding. Interpreting the message is referred to as decoding

The other important feature is the feedback cycle. When two people interact, communication is rarely one-way only. When a person receives a message, she responds to it by giving a reply. Otherwise, the sender can't know whether the other parties properly interpreted the message or how they reacted to it.

The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common understanding. Understanding exists when all parties involved have a mutual agreement as to not only the information, but also the meaning of the information. Effective communication, therefore, occurs when the intended message of the sender and the interpreted message of the receiver are one and the same. Although this should be the goal in any communication, it is not always achieved.

The most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of resources expended. Time, in particular, is an important resource in the communication process. For example, it would be virtually impossible for an instructor to take the time to communicate individually with each student in a class about every specific topic covered. Even if it were possible, it would be costly. This is why managers often leave voice mail messages and interact by e-mail rather than visit their subordinates personally.

The main components of communication process are as follows:

1. Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. Every communication proceeds with context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context.
2. Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance - a training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal and non verbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender.
3. Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear.
4. Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication. For instance - Written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.
5. Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder.
6. Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in form of memos, reports, etc.

Communication Channels

Communication Channels is the term given to the way in which we communicate. There are multiple communication channels available to us today, for example face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages,  email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports to name just a few.

Choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective communication as each communication channel has different strengths and weaknesses.  For example, broadcasting news of an upcoming event via a written letter might convey the message clearly to one or two individuals but will not be a time or cost effective way to broadcast the message to a large number of people.  On the other hand, conveying complex, technical information is better done via a printed document than via a spoken message since the receiver is able to assimilate the information at their own pace and revisit items that they do not fully understand. Written communication is also useful as a way of recording what has been said, for example taking minutes in a meeting.

Encoding Messages

All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the communication channel chosen for the message.  We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts into spoken words or a written form.  However, other communication channels require different forms of encoding, e.g. text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a radio programme, and the short, abbreviated text used in text messages would be inappropriate if sent via a letter. Complex data may be best communicated using a graph or chart or other visualisation.

Effective communicators encode their messages with their intended audience in mind as well as the communication channel. This involves an appropriate use of language, conveying the information simply and clearly, anticipating and eliminating likely causes of confusion and misunderstanding, and knowing the receivers’ experience in decoding other similar communications.  Successful encoding of messages is a vital skill in effective communication.

Decoding Messages

Once received, the receivers need to decode the message, and successful decoding is also a vital skill.  Individuals will decode and understand messages in different ways based upon any barriers to communication which might be present, their experience and understanding of the context of the message, their psychological state, and the time and place of receipt as well as many other potential factors.  Understanding how the message will be decoded, and anticipating as many of the potential sources of misunderstanding as possible, is the art of a successful communicator.

Feedback

Receivers of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood the messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions.  Effective communicators should pay close attention to this feedback as it the only way to assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected.  Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary according to the communication channel used: for example feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet.  

Different Types of Communication

Based on Channels (verbal/non-verbal),

Verbal communication

Verbal communication is a type of communication where the information flows through verbal medium like words, speeches, presentations etc. Written communication is also a form of verbal communication. In verbal communication the sender shares his/her thoughts in the form of words. In organizations, individuals communicate verbally among each other in the form of dialogues, speech, presentations, and discussions to name a few. The tone of the speaker, the pitch and the quality of words play a crucial role in verbal communication. The speaker has to be loud and clear and the content has to be properly defined. Haphazard and unorganized thoughts only lead to confusions and misunderstandings among individuals. In verbal communication, an individual must understand the importance of words and how to put them across.

While speaking the pitch ought to be high and clear for everyone to understand and the content must be designed keeping the target audience in mind. In verbal communication it is the responsibility of the sender to cross check with the receiver whether he has downloaded the correct information or not and the sender must give the required response.

Sign Language (SL) is verbal; it is just not spoken-word verbal. It is a *language* that has its own grammar and vocabulary. A nonverbal gesture is singular, stands alone, such as a thumbs up gesture. SL is therefore a complete visual based language.

Non verbal communication

Imagine yourself in a situation, where you can’t speak but have to communicate an urgent information to the other person or for that matter, you are sitting in an important meeting and you want to express your displeasure or pleasure to your colleague without uttering even a word. Here non verbal mode of communication comes into picture. Facial expressions, gestures, hand and hair movements, body postures all constitute non verbal communication. Any communication made between two people without words and simply through facial movements, gestures or hand movements is called as non verbal communication. In other words, it is a speechless communication where content is not put into words but simply expressed through expressions. If one has a headache, one would put his hand on his forehead to communicate his discomfort - a form of non verbal communication. Non verbal communications are vital in offices, meetings and even in romantic chats. Visual communication as a subset of non-verbal communication involves sending or receiving information for example from signboards, displays, banners, maps, road signs etc. Vision plays a very important role in visual communication and it depends on the recipient how to interpret the message.

Types of nonverbal communication - body language

'Accidental' body language - all the different types of movements, postures and facial expressions

 Intentional body language - empathic movements and touch, postures and facial expressions

 Intentional body language - violent/abusive movements and touch, postures and facial expressions

 Observance and use/abuse of personal space

 Dance (see further down)

 Vocal sounds without words: laughter, crying, expression of pain, sounds like: "Mmmmm", "Aha", "Ugh!",etc.  These all express wordlessly a variety of feelings, such as surprise, disgust, happiness, anger, sadness.

*Emoticons in emails and text messages are the newest addition to this list

*Deliberately posting photos on Facebook and other social media to provoke a reaction is also a way of non verbal communication

The components of Non Verbal Communication are:

• Kinesics: It is the study of facial expressions, postures & gestures. Did you know that while in Argentina to raise a fist in the air with knuckles pointing outwards expresses victory, in Lebanon, raising a closed fist is considered rude?
• Oculesics: It is the study of the role of eye contact in non verbal communication. Did you know that in the first 90 sec - 4 min you decide that you are interested in someone or not. Studies reveal that 50% of this first impression comes from non-verbal communication which includes oculesics. Only 7% of comes from words - that we actually say.
• Haptics: It is the study of touching. Did you know that acceptable level of touching vary from one culture to another? In Thailand, touching someone's head may be considered as rude.
• Proxemics: It is the study of measurable distance between people as they interact. Did you know that the amount of personal space when having an informal conversation should vary between 18 inches - 4 feet while, the personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of people should be around 10-12 feet?
• Chronemics: It is the study of use of time in non verbal communication. Have you ever observed that while AN employee will not worry about running a few minutes late to meet a colleague, a manager who has a meeting with the CEO, a late arrival will be considered as a nonverbal cue that he / she does not give adequate respect to his superior?
• Paralinguistics: It is the study of variations in pitch, speed, volume, and pauses to convey meaning. Interestingly, when the speaker is making a presentation and is looking for a response, he will pause. However, when no response is desired, he will talk faster with minimal pause.
• Physical Appearance: Your physical appearance always contributes towards how people perceive you. Neatly combed hair, ironed clothes and a lively smile will always carry more weight than words.

Remember, “what we say” is less important than “how we say it” as words are only 7% of our communication. Understand and enjoy non verbal communication as it helps forming better first impressions. Good luck!

Based on Style and Purpose (Formal/Informal)

Based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories: formal and informal communication, that have their own set of characteristic features.

Formal
It includes all the instances where communication has to occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business or corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official. Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are used for this form of communication. It can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time. Hence, formal communication is straightforward, official and always precise and has a stringent and rigid tone to it.

Informal
Informal communication includes instances of free and unrestrained conversation between people who share a casual rapport with each other. It requires two people to have a similar wavelength and hence occurs between friends and family. It does not have any rigid rules and guidelines. The conversations need not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that matter since we all know that friendly chats with our loved ones can simply go on and on. Informal communications are those that are not based upon any set of organizational structure. This does not mean that such relations are only outside the networks of a formal organization. They allow people to take the initiative into their own hands. This enables them to come up with ideas and plans.

Even though the whole process of communication may seem so simple, the effectiveness of each type depends to a great extent on certain internal and external environmental factors and also the communicator's ability to send, receive, decode and send a response. This is why the field of communication has been and continues to be widely studied and is given a place of importance in any walk of life.

Based on Level (Intrapersonal/Interpersonal/Public/Mass).

Although successful communication is generally defined as being between two or more individuals, issues concerning the useful nature of intrapersonal communication made some argue that this definition is too narrow.

Intrapersonal communication can encompass:

• Day-dreaming
• Nocturnal dreaming, including and especially lucid dreaming
• Speaking aloud (talking to oneself), reading aloud, repeating what one hears; the additional activities of speaking and hearing (in the third case of hearing again) what one thinks, reads or hears may increase concentration and retention. This is considered normal, and the extent to which it occurs varies from person to person. The time when there should be concern is when talking to oneself occurs outside of socially acceptable situations.
• Internal monologue, the semi-constant internal monologue one has with oneself at a conscious or semi-conscious level.
• Writing (by hand, or with a word processor, etc.) one's thoughts or observations: the additional activities, on top of thinking, of writing and reading back may again increase self-understanding ("How do I know what I mean until I see what I say?") and concentration. It aids ordering one's thoughts; in addition it produces a record that can be used later again. Copying text to aid memorizing also falls in this category.
• Making gestures while thinking: the additional activity, on top of thinking, of body motions, may again increase concentration, assist in problem solving, and assist memory.

Interpersonal Communication

This includes message sending and message reception between two or more individuals. This can include all aspects of communication such as listening, persuading, asserting, nonverbal communication, and more. A primary concept of interpersonal communication looks at communicative acts when there are few individuals involved unlike areas of communication such as group interaction, where there may be a large number of individuals involved in a communicative act.

Interpersonal communication describes participants who are dependent upon one another. It can involve one on one conversations or individuals interacting with many people within a society. Interpersonal communication occurs within other contexts like groups and organizations. Interpersonal communication is the process that we use to communicate our ideas, thoughts, and feelings to another person. Our interpersonal communication skills are learned behaviuors that can be improved through knowledge, practice, feedback, and reflection.

Mass Communication

Mass Communication is a means of disseminating information or message to large, anonymous, and scattered heterogeneous masses of receivers who may be far removed from the message sources through the use of sophisticated equipment. In other words, communication is the sending of message through a mass medium to a large number of people. Mass Communication represents the creation and sending of a homogeneous message to a large heterogeneous audience through the media.

(To discuss model of mass communication and how it is been eroded by IT(Internet)

Electronic Media in Communication

Discuss Telecommunication, Phones (Text message, Voice, and MMS), Email, Teleconferencing (Video, Voice), Telecommuting, Radio, Television 

Differentiate between print communication and electronic communication

To hold a conference via a telephone or network connection. Computers have given new meaning to the term because they allow groups to do much more than just talk. Once a teleconference is established, the group can share applications and mark up a common whiteboard. There are many teleconferencing applications that work over private networks. When visuals are involved then it turns out to be called videoconferencing

 

Categorisation of Barriers to Communication

Language Barriers

Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication.  However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s).  For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. Regional colloquialisms and expressions may be misinterpreted or even considered offensive.

 

A conflagration is consuming my entrepreneurial domain.

What a show of pococurantism.

Salacious

 

 

Psychological Barriers (Emotions)

The psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received.  For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed.  Stress is an important factor in Interpersonal relationships. Your emotions could be a barrier if you are engrossed in them for some reason. In such cases, you tend to have trouble listening to others or understanding the message conveyed to you. A few of the emotional interferences include hostility, anger, resentfulness and fear. People who suffer from ailments such as anxiety and depression, tend to misconstrue what is being said about them. Also, as they are battling something in their head, they may or may not be able to pay full attention to the speaker, which may make them appear disinterested and spaced-out.

Physiological Barriers

Physiological barriers may result from the receiver’s physical state: for example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not grasp to entirety of a spoken conversation especially if there is significant background noise.

 

Physical Barriers

An example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the sender and receiver(s).  Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers.  

 

Systematic Barriers

Systematic barriers to communication may exist in structures and organisations where there are inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where there is a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication. In such organisations, individuals may be unclear of their role in the communication process and therefore not know what is expected of them.

Attitudinal Barriers

Attitudinal barriers are behaviours or perceptions that prevent people from communicating effectively.  Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, poor management, resistance to change or a lack of motivation.  Effective receivers of messages should attempt to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective communication.

Lack of Subject Knowledge

If a person who sends a message lacks subject knowledge then he may not be able to convey his message clearly. The receiver could misunderstand his message and this could lead to a barrier. This is visible in cases where people may try to cover-up their ignorance with some unverified facts

Overdose of Information (Information Overload)

When too much of information is conveyed in a short span of time, there is every likelihood that the receiver would not be able to comprehend the information fully.

Developing Effective Communication Skills

Communication is a two way process so improving communication involves both how we send and receive messages.

Understanding the Audience

You need to be able to understand your audience, as they are the ones for whom you are speaking. Do not send out your message before you are absolutely sure that they will grasp what you are saying. For example; suppose the quality of work of a junior employee is really hampering the overall performance of the team, and you are really concerned about his work, do not issue an official warning straight away. Try to understand the perception of the employee and then think of taking any action.

Feedback
Without taking proper feedback, you wouldn't know the perspective of the person in front of you. Only through feedback you will know why he or she did or did not do what they were asked to do.

Empathise

Empathy is trying to see things from the point-of-view of others. When communicating with others, try not to be judgemental or biased by preconceived ideas or beliefs - instead view situations and responses from the other person’s perspective.  Stay in tune with your own emotions to help enable you to understand the emotions of others.  If appropriate, offer your personal viewpoint clearly and honestly to avoid confusion.  Bear in mind that some subjects might be taboo or too emotionally stressful for others to discuss.

 

Learn to Listen

Listening is not the same as hearing; learn to listen not only to the words being spoken but how they are being spoken and the non-verbal messages sent with them.  Use the techniques of clarification and reflection to confirm what the other person has said and avoid any confusion.  Try not to think about what to say next whist listening; instead clear your mind and focus on the message being received.  Your friends, colleagues and other acquaintances will appreciate good listening skills.  

 

Avoid Arguments

Most often than not, whenever you are trying to have a healthy conversation, it turns into an argument. Arguing does nothing but wastes your time. Try to avoid getting into such situations. And even if you get into such a situation, instead of trying to win the argument, find an amicable solution in a constructive way.

Be Aware of Others' Emotions

Be sympathetic to other people's misfortunes and congratulate their positive landmarks.  To do this you need to be aware of what is going on in other people’s lives.  Make and maintain eye contact, it does help.  Do not be afraid to ask others for their opinions as this will help to make them feel valued.   Consider the emotional effect of what you are saying and communicate within the norms of behaviour acceptable to the other person. Take steps to become more charismatic.

 

Encourage

Offer words and actions of encouragement, as well as praise, to others. Make other people feel welcome, wanted, valued and appreciated in your communications. If you let others know that they are valued, they are much more likely to give you their best.  Try to ensure that everyone involved in an interaction or communication is included through effective body language and the use of open questions.

Expression
Honesty is very important here. Whenever you are expressing yourself, talking truthfully and honestly will send out a signal that you trust your audience. Speak clearly and properly. Also try to be precise about the subject that you are speaking on. Do not beat around the bush. This will only confuse your audience. Besides, if your audience is getting confused, the entire purpose of your self-expression is getting defeated.

Taking Criticism Positively

If someone comes to you with criticism, it's just a natural human response to defend your stance. Try to take criticism positively and constructively. If the criticism is very hard to take and emotional, then the chances are that the person you are communicating with is in distress. Try to empathize with the person and resonate your words in a very mild language.