PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

 

What is Communication?

Communication is an English word that has its origin from Greek word “communicare”, which means to share.  We communicate every second of our life.  We share our emotions and thoughts with others by using many ways.  Communication could be best defined as “everything we do is communication”.  We communicate through speech or writing, which are a set of symbols or lexemes created and used by human beings.  We use words to communicate.  Usually the words, we use in our communication, are compared with the tip of an iceberg.  Tip of an iceberg is seen at the surface of the sea but its foundation is hidden inside the sea.  The foundation is usually very strong and well rooted.  So the words we use is just the tip, very less in amount, and other factors like volume, tone, eye contact, etc convey more than the words we use.  Real communication is reaching out to people in the right way.  It is the message received and not what is said.

 

Process of Communication

 

 

The communication process starts with the formation of ideas by the sender, who then transmits the message through a channel or medium to the receiver. The receiver gives the feedback in the form of a message or appropriate signal in the given time frame to continue the communication cycle.

 

Components of Communication

1.      Context

Context is a broad field.  Every message we communicate has a context.  Context could be the message we are going to communicate and it depends of country, culture, organization and the persons who are involved in the communication.

 

2.      The Message

The message is what a speaker is going to convey or share with his audience.

 

3.      The Speaker/Sender/Encoder

Sender is the person who communicates the idea, information, material, etc.  He/she encodes the message, which he/she is going to convey, in the form of words, gestures, appearance, mime, etc.

 

4.      Medium

Medium is also called as channel.  A medium in communication is by what means a speaker is going to convey his message.  A medium could be telephone, email, message, facebook timeline, etc.

 

5.      The Audience/Receiver/Decoder

The receiver is the person who is going to receive the message is said.  Receiver is called as a decoder because he/she is the person who is going to receive the message and understand it in his/her own terms and respond.

 

Types of Communication

            The following are the different types of communication:

1.      Verbal communication

Communication, which is done by using words, is called as verbal communication.  Verbal communication is divided as oral communication and written communication.  Oral communication is information spoken by mouth or speech.  The following are the kinds of oral communication:

a)      Monologue

Monologue is a speech made by one person expressing his thoughts to the audience.  There will be silent listeners when this person conveys his ideas.  There are two types of monologues.  Exterior monologue is when the speaker speaks aloud to the listener and interior monologue is when the speaker speaks as if to himself.

b)      Soliloquy

Soliloquy is also like interior monologue, wherein a speaker expresses his inner thoughts, when no one is there to listen to him.

c)      Dialogue

Dialogue is a formal exchange of ideas between two persons.

d)     Short conversation

Short conversations are informal spoken exchange between two persons.  Body language plays an important role in short conversations.

e)      Long conversation

Long conversations happen in both formal and informal ways.

Written communication is by means of written symbols.

 

2.      Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication takes place through sending and receiving wordless messages.  Messages sent through body language, gestures and postures are nonverbal.  Eye contact with the audience is the simplest thing you can do to establish a relationship.  Eye contact serves the following purposes:

It establishes that the audience is listening

It indicates receptiveness

It is basic expressive form

It fulfills the ego of the audience

 

3.      Formal communication

Formal communications happens through formal channels and usually through written modes like letters, notice, reports, etc.

The following are the advantages of formal communication:

Fixation of responsibility

Maintaining of the authority relationship in an organization

Disadvantages of formal communication:

It is time consuming

Leads to good deal of distortion

 

4.      Informal communication

Communications that take place outside formal communication are called as informal communication.  It is normally done to maintain and build social relationship.  Informal communication does not follow authority and it need not always be in written mode.

 

Barriers in Communication

Barriers to communication make a communication difficult or misunderstood.  The following are the common barriers in communication:

·         Physical Barrier – include large working areas and the distortions caused by the background noise and other acoustics

·         Perceptual Barrier – happens when we communicate with persons from the other world or culture

·         Cultural Barrier – every group has expressions unique to their culture and this could not be understood or misunderstood by the other group.  Idioms are good examples of this barrier.

·         Language Barrier – when a person uses inappropriate words while conversing or a different language that is unknown to us

·         Gender Barrier – there are different speech patterns between a man and a woman

·         Lack of subject knowledge

·         Stress

 

Overcoming Barriers to Communication

·         Orientation to employees

·         Developing proper interpersonal relationships

·         Protective listening

·         Using proper language

·         Communication through actions and deeds