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The Essence of Communication
Communication is an overused word with underused results.
Effective communication is a key factor in business success. Results in business are dependent on three vital ingredients of Communication - Understanding, Trust and Co-operation.
Creating Understanding is the Problem and Promise of Communication. Our communication is effective only if it is properly understood.
So, our emphasis while communicating needs to be on Understanding: Understanding the Self, Understanding Others, Understanding Situations and then, consciously working to create better Understanding leading to trust and co-operation.
One Definition of Communication:
“A Positive,
Ceaseless, and
Challenging
Leadership Responsibility of Creating and Maintaining
Understanding and Trust between people.”
This definition of communication recognizes that whenever messages are sent to a receiver, the whole purpose is to create understanding between the two. What is conveyed may be words, actions, facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures, and even silence: but each contributes in some way to an understanding of what is intended.
The Three Dimensions of Communication are:
- Convey information
- Receive feedback
- Create Understanding
Skills involved in the Communication process are:
- Verbal and Nonverbal
- Speaking and Listening
- Writing and Reading
- Observation
Factors That Determine Whether Your Communication Will Be Effectiveness
1.The Degree to which filtering and distortion of the original message takes place at successive organizational levels.
2.Extent to which the communication is seen by the recipient as a possible threat or being in conflict with past experience or the norms of the peer group.
3.The sender of the message, the receiver and the medium.
“Who says what in which channel to what effect.”
Research Finding By Social Scientists
- The credibility of the communicator and the motives attributed to him have a profound influence on the reception of his message.
- The most successful communications are those which reinforce at least some of the audience's beliefs, that which states conclusions as well as premises and those which call for action.
- People are first interested in people, then in things, last in ideas. Their attitudes and opinions are strongly influenced by the groups to which they belong or want to belong.
- It is better to communicate information little by little or over a period of time than all at once. Repeating a communication obviously prolongs its influence.
- Short sentences, familiar words and active verbs make communication both interesting and persuasive.
- In changing opinion, oral
presentation tends to be more effective than written words.
- Only rarely is it possible for communication, particularly over the short range, to change deep- seated ideas and beliefs.
- Mass communication alone is hardly ever an effective agent of change.
Kartik Vyas, is a management trainer, yoga mentor and consultant as well as a motivational speaker. He has trained more than 30,000 people from 14 nations over the last 22 years. You can reach him at www.kartikvyas.com
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