Communication Process
Communication Process
Communication refers to the transfer of information between two or more agents. This information may be in the form of opinions, thoughts, delivered through speech, signs or writing. The communication process involves sending and receiving information. It is referred to as interpersonal since there are two parties involved i.e. the sender and the receiver (Baxter and Braithwaite, 2008). The sender is the person transmitting the message. The receiver is the person receiving the message. The medium refers to the means or channel through which communication is effected. In order to convey information the sender encodes his message in a particular format such as written, oral or visual.
Encoding is the process where information is converted into a format that can be best understood by the receiver. This message has to go through a medium or channel such as letter, e-mail, phone or face to face conversation. Once the information reaches the receiver he or she will decode the message. Decoding is simply the interpretation process. The message might be correctly or incorrectly interpreted by the receiver depending on various factors such as fear, noise, time of the day, attitude etc.
Communication can either be verbal or nonverbal. Verbal communication is the use of spoken or written communication. It includes articulation, pitch, rate, volume as well as pronunciation. The use of sign language is also considered verbal communication. On the other hand nonverbal communication is whereby wordless messages are sent and received. This communication may be in the form of facial expressions, pictures, sounds, gestures, eye contact and posture. It also includes other features such as symbols, hairstyles and clothing. In speech there are nonverbal elements such as intonation, rhythm, voice quality, stress and emotion.
Barriers to Effective Communication
As much as everyone seeks to be understood, there are barriers that stand on the way of effective communication. These barriers may or may not be realized by those in the communication process. It is important to understand some of these barriers in order to have a meaningful communication
There is language barrier. Nationalities and regions are represented by different languages, accent and vocabulary. Words have different meaning to different people depending on the context used. In some cases pronunciation of some words may give different meaning. It is evident in our communication that sometimes use of difficult language leads to wrong assumptions or interpretation. Confusion may also be evident when messages are poorly explained.
There are a number of cultural barriers which differentiate people from one another. In the society there are people are of varying ages, social status, religion, gender, values, education etc. It is a little complicated for instance for a person with high level of education to communicate effectively with those with low level of education. Sometimes religious or political beliefs act as a barrier to communication. An individual may decide not to pay attention to a particular speaker simply because he is affiliated to a certain political ideology or religion. This is also true with social status. It is common for the rich and poor to misunderstand each other due to terms of references and their circumstances in life.
Effective communication is also hindered by individual barriers. Each person is unique and different hence we always have dissimilar perception of reality. It is less likely to have an identical perception of the same event between two persons. Sometimes these differences in mental perception emerge from poor attention, close mindedness, power of retention, style and selective perception (Robertson, 2005). There are also psychological barriers which are typical of individuals.
Apart from the individual barriers there is organizational barrier. The surrounding atmosphere of an organization or institution can hinder effective communication. An organization with a poor climate and culture will hinder effective communication. Some of these barriers include rules and regulation, availability or lack of facilities, working conditions, relationships and status. In some cases juniors find it hard to communicate with their seniors. There is limited and or less meaningful interaction between the two. This inhibits communication as the two parties need to communicate often.
This communication can also be hindered by interpersonal barriers. Individuals tend to have specific biases that affect their ability to communicate effectively. For instance in an organization employers may not trust their employees, lack of consideration of their needs, fear of losing power, overloading the employees with information and allowing a limited time with them (Jain, 2008). On the other hand employees may face barriers such as fear of penalties, lack of co-operation, motivation and trust.
Attitude can also be a hindrance to effective communication (Mehrabian and Ferris, 1967). In our day to day activities we tend to develop attitudes regarding different aspects of our lives. There are things which will attract us while some will repel us. Normally, these attitudes arise from our mental or physical abilities, pre-conceived notions, intelligence and general understanding (Jain, 2008). The result is a divided attention which significantly affects our opinion and attitude.
The channel chosen for a particular communication can also hinder effectiveness of communication. An inappropriate medium or channel might lead to break up of communication cause delays or misunderstandings between sender and receiver. There are instances where access problems, inter-personal conflicts and lack of interest may render the channel inappropriate (DeVito, 2008). In addition an illegible hand-writing, a phone that cracks or an inaudible, hoarse or boring voice will lead to misunderstandings. This becomes a barrier as it directly affects the effectiveness, accuracy and clarity of the message being sent.
Factors to Assist Effective Communication
In order to have an effective communication there must be complete understanding between the person sending the message and the one receiving the message. To have such communication there is need for right atmosphere. The surrounding environment in which communication takes place must be devoid of visual distractions or noise (Baxter and Braithwaite, 2008). An environment that is quite and without external disruptions is conducive for an effective communication. In addition physical factors such as temperature, ventilation, place or venue cannot be ignored if one has to achieve effective communication. Particular attention must be paid on the time of the day, weather and general feeling of both sender and receiver. There are times of the day when the mind is more receptive to information. At such times, mostly early in morning, the mind is fresh and receptive to information. On the other hand midday or late in the evening can prove inappropriate time to convey lengthy information. The parties might be tired, hungry or bored. This will reduce the effectiveness of the information. It is therefore important that physical factors be kept into consideration.
Communication skills for both sender and receiver of information are vital for effective communication. Good listening skills such as attentiveness, involvement in the topic at hand, active listening and avoiding distractions are essential for communication (Scott, 2009). In addition the sender of information must deliver his or her message clearly and precisely. He should endeavor to maintain eye contact and effectively use nonverbal techniques.
Further, the listener and sender of information need to position themselves positively in order for communication to be effective. They must be aware of each others attitudes. The listener should be in a receptive mood, give back appropriate response or feedback whenever it is needed (Robertson, 2005). Positive response from the listener encourages the sender to continue communicating with a positive attitude. The response also ensures that unclear statements or words are made clear.
The sender and the receiver of the information must both be in agreement over the interpretation of the words used. The words must be familiar and free from ambiguity. Any new word or concept must be defined beforehand. This is important to ensure there is no misinterpretation of information. Again, it is important for the receiver of the message to understand it just like the sender intended it to be understood. Assumptions must not be made over what is known or not known by the other party. Every statement must be clear and well understood by the intended recipient.
People with special needs require consideration for there to be an effective communication. In our society there are those who are physically and mentally challenged. Special needs group include the deaf, blind etc. There are also victims of various traumatizing experiences. Communication to these groups of people must be sensitive to their specific needs. An appropriate medium of communication must be used to ensure the message reaches them. Similarly, the medium should allow them to respond accordingly.
There are also social and emotional factors which cannot be ignored by the sender and receiver of the information. The social factors include cultural background, religion, age, gender etc. It is very important to be sensitive to these factors as they determine how the message will be received (Craig, 1995). For instance, in some communities and religions women are expected to behave or be addressed in a certain manner. It is also true that certain language is suitable only to a group of people say the youth. The way an individual will talk to senior members of the society varies greatly from the way the same individual will address the youth. Communication can only be effective if this age difference is kept into consideration.
Finally, effective communication takes into consideration the emotional status of parties concerned. It is important for those who indulge in exchange of information to understand the emotions of the other party. Sometimes particular information can only be understood once an individual considers the emotional status of the receiver or sender. An individual who is sad, annoyed or insulted might say or use words unintentionally. It is also true when someone is overjoyed. In order to effectively interpret the information one has to take into account the emotions of the individual. Similarly, in sad situations such as a mourning audience need to be addressed in a particular manner.
Strategies to Improve Communication
There are various ways to improve the effectiveness of communication. One of these strategies is through improvement and evaluation of listening ability. It is a common habit to want to interrupt a speaker or give wrong responses to questions. This is so because instead of listening when someone is talking most people are preoccupied trying to find a response. For one to be a good listener, undivided attention is required to the talk of another person (DeVito, 2008). The urge to add something should be suppressed until the speaker is through. Communication can be improved if both the receiver and sender of information are willing to listen actively.
Another strategy to improve communication is to learn to communicate vital information to listeners. This could either be in written or verbally. After one has come up with the main points then the points need to be focused and communicated effectively (Scott, 2009). Explanations and irrelevant information which may detract the main points or issue should be eliminated. In personal relationships people are tempted to bring up past conflicts in an attempt to solve current problems.
Finding a solution becomes difficult since the issue is clouded. To avoid confusion and lengthy statements one has to learn to stay focused on the current issue. It takes time and effort for one to achieve clarity and conciseness in speech and writing. Further, to remain focused on the topic throughout a discussion can prove difficult for most people. However, these challenges can be overcome with constant practice.
Communication can also be improved by exercising integrity, respect, honesty and open-mindedness. It is important to say exactly what someone means and avoid the temptation to play games with people. Sometimes in the words that an individual uses people are misled and end up granting favors or unintentionally offer private information. All these temptations should be avoided. One can easily gain the respect of others and increase own reputation if these principles are adopted.
It is important to try and mirror the other persons verbal style, posture and movements (DeVito, 2008). This will to a great extend help build rapport. For instance an individual might be talking in a slower pace, forcing one to adjust to the speed. In this way the individual becomes comfortable and relaxed. Again, one has to try as much as possible to see the other persons point of view. As much as we all seek to be understood and heard one should endeavor to see in the way of the other person. Once the other side is understood then one can be better able to advance his point of view. Sometimes it may require one to ask questions, empathize or try and look for compromise.
Conclusion
In order to become a successful communicator there are a number of things to be effected by an individual. One has to be able to recognize barriers to effective communication and observe strategies to avoid them. There should be a conscious effort on the part of the communicator to be concise and clear in delivery of the message. The fact that communication process is difficult, one must endeavor to seek understanding to those listening. Similarly, it is important for the individual to try and understand the other person. In this way one improve communication effectiveness.
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