Introduction to Communication

Man is a social animal and has had the need to communicate and socialize right from evolution.
The need to communicate is universal and transcends the language, location and lifestyle. People
convey and exchange their ideas, facts or feelings for personal or professional purposes.

Communication is derived from the Latin word “communis”. It means to share, that is sharing of
ideas, concepts, feelings & emotions. The science of communication is as old as man. We have
felt the need to communicate or share for many years. Different methods were identified & then
improvised for this purpose for transmission of ideas & concepts.

A study into these channels enables to get an Insight about the process of communication.

Importance of communication

We communicate in some form or the other almost every second of our lives. Whether be it
walking, talking, playing or even sleeping, a message is being formulated & transmitted. We are
constantly interacting with other individuals. Therefore, it is very important for us to apply the
art of communication or modify it to a suitable manner. We have the ability to communicate,
which is more than a composition of physical attributes, vocal chords, & so on. One can
symbolize or understand concepts in terms of symbols or images. This ability helps one
communicate.
Therefore it is may be stated that it is much more than an understanding of the spoken or written
language. It is a composite of symbols, gestures & illustrations that accompany either a spoken
or written word.
Communication is the means by which information is shared, activities are co-ordinated and
decisions are implemented. Whether it is an academic institution or business organisation to be
able to communicate, formal and technical messages, effectively is vital for its progress,
prosperity and sustenance. A number of communication challenges exist at workplaces.
Identifying a problem, arriving at an appropriate solution, supervising work, coordinating various
functions, coordinating with people and their activities and developing relationship all these
activities call for effectiveness and efficiency in communication.

Definition of communication

Communication is a two way process in which there is an exchange & progression of ideas
towards a mutually accepted direction or goal. For this process to materialize, it is essential that
the basic components of communication be identified. They are
1. Sender/encoder/speaker
2. Receiver/decoder/listener
3. Message
4. Medium
5. Feedback

Components of communication

Sender/encoder/speaker
Sender is the person who initiates the communication process. He selects ideas, encodes &
finally transmits them to the receiver. So the entire burden of communication lies on him. He
phrases the message and chooses the medium to convey the message. The choice of images &
words & the combination of the two is what makes the receiver listen attentively. If the message
is related in accordance with the expectations of the listener, then the level of acceptance is
higher.
Receiver/decoder/listener
Receiver is the person to whom the message from sender is directed. After receiving the message
the listener tries to interpret it i.e he attempts to understand the message. If the goal of the sender
is same as that of the receiver, then he becomes more interested.
Message
Message is the idea, thought, information, feeling or emotion sent by the sender.
The way message is formatted is very important, because if it is not in accordance with the
receiver’s cognitive level then it can lead to miscommunication or the receiver losing interest in
the communication process.
The message should be based on requirements of the listener so that the point is immediately
grasped. The minute the listener finds his goals in the message, he shows interest & responds.
The message thus makes an impact.
Medium/channel
Medium is the way through which the message is transmitted. It is an important element of
communication.
It can be verbal (oral, written) or non-verbal. The choice of medium depends upon:
 Urgency of message to be conveyed
 Content of message
 Complexity of message
 Number of receivers
 Physical distance between the sender and receiver(s)

For instance, for long and complicated message the written communication works best. On the
other hand for an urgent announcement oral medium of communication can be used.

Feedback
Feedback refers to the response that is sent by receiver to the sender. This can be verbal or non-
verbal. The sender has to pay special attention to non-verbal clues as facial expressions and
posture to understand the feedback. This feedback helps in the constructive progression of the
communication process. It tells the sender whether the receiver has understood his message, as
intended, or not and if required he can modify his message for better understanding on part of the
receiver.

Effective communication takes place only if there is a feedback.

Communication would be termed effective if there is a constructive feedback and all objectives
achieved. Communication becomes effective only when the language used is effective, the
message conveyed is clear and the predetermined purpose is achieved.

Process of communication

First the sender, according to his ideas, intentions, selects a message & transmits it to the
receiver through a medium (oral, verbal or non-verbal).

As soon as the message reaches the receiver, he decodes it & tries to

understand it. This completes the first phase of communication.
At this stage the words by themselves have no meaning.
It is the manner in which both the sender & receiver perceive the same word could give rise to
difference in encoding & decoding.
In the second phase, the receiver analysis the message, encodes it & sends it to the original
sender, nowthe receiver. This stage is referred as providing feedback & is very important.

Unless there is feedback, whether in verbal or non-verbal form, there hasn’t been effective
communication. If the feedback is in tune with the original message of the sender,
communication proceeds without a hitch.

But sometimes the receiver may not agree with the message of the sender. Then the
communication is stalled for the time being. It could resume after more discussions.

For the process of communication to be effective the sender should have a well-defined goal in
his mind. Harmony between the goals of the two communicators makes for good & easy
progression of ideas &concepts. Whatever be the initial situation, the sender necessarily needs to
adhere to the following stages:

1. Create awareness in the mind of the receiver on the topic.

2. Propose his point of view with clarity & preciseness so as to eliminate possibilities of
confusion in the mind of the receiver.
3. Enable smooth flow of discussion through observance of communication strategies.
4. Reinforce or correct ideas in the mind of the receiver concerning the goal of
communication.
5. Achieve the goal of communication.
Interpersonal Communication – Three Dimensions of Communication

Interpersonal communication refers to communication between two persons i.e. when there is
one sender and one receiver in the communication process. This type of communication can be
oral or written. Since only two persons are involved in this, the communication can be
personalized.

E.g.: Conversation between a supervisor and a subordinate.

Principles of Communication - 7 C’s & 4 S’s

In any business environment, adherence to 7 C’s & 4 S’s helps the sender in transmitting his
message with ease & accuracy.

7 C’s

Credibility: Building trust.

If the sender can establish his credibility, the receiver has no problems in accepting his
statement. Establishing credibility is not a one-shot statement. It is a long drawn process in
which the receiver through constant interaction with the sender understands his credible nature &
is willing to accept his statements as being truthful & honest.

Courtesy: Improves relationship.

Once credibility of the sender has been established, attempts should be made at being courteous
in expression. Almost everything starts with & ends in courtesy. Much can be accomplished if
tact, diplomacy & appreciation of people are woven in the message.

Expressions that might hurt or cause mental pain to the receiver should be avoided. For this it
becomes important that the “I” attitude is discarded in favor of the “you” attitude. Development
of the “you” will perforce make the other individual also see the point of view of the other. Only
the positive & pleasant you-issues should be considered.
If it is being used for corrective measures, then the results are not going to be positive or
encouraging.

E.g. Jane: “This is an interesting project. Do you think you would be able to do it? I know the
last time something went wrong with the project, but everyone makes mistakes. Suppose we sat
down & discussed it threadbare I’m sure you would be able to do wonders.”
Jane: “You can never do things right. Try working on this project. If you are lucky you may not
have to redo it.”

Clarity: Makes comprehension easier.

Absolute clarity of ideas adds much to the meaning of the message. The first stage is clarity in
the mind of the sender. The next is the transmission of message in a manner, which makes it
simple for the receiver to understand. As far as possible, simple language & easy sentence
constructions, which are not difficult for the receiver to understand, should be used.

Correctness: Builds confidence.

The sender has to know the level of knowledge, educational background & status of the decoder.
This will help him in formulating messages. If there is discrepancy between the usage &
comprehension of terms, miscommunication can arise. If the sender decides to back up his
communication with facts & figures, there should be accuracy in stating the same. A situation
where the listener is forced to check the presented fact should not arise. Finally, the usage of
terms should be nondiscriminatory.

Consistency: Introduces stability.

The approach to communication should be consistent. There should not be any ups & downs,
which may lead to confusion in the minds of the receiver. If a certain idea has been taken, it
should be observed without there being situations where the sender is himself confused about his
idea. If a sender likes to change his idea, he should ensure that the shift is gradual & not hard for
the receiver to understand.

Concreteness: Reinforces confidence.

Concrete & specific expressions are to be preferred in favor of vague & abstract expressions. In
continuation of the point on correctness, the facts & figures presented should be specific.
Abstract statements can cloud the mind of the sender. The receiver is more apt to listen &
comprehend the factual details.

E.g.: There has been a tremendous escalation in the sales figures.

There has been an escalation in the sales figures by almost 50% as compared to last year.

Conciseness: saves time.

The message to be communicated should be as brief & concise as possible. Weighty language
definitely sounds impressive but people would be suitably impressed into doing precisely
nothing. Brief & simple statements should be made. Excessive information can also deviate, the
receiver into either the wrong direction or into inaction. Quantum of information should be just
right, neither too much nor too little.
E.g. In most cases it has been seen that the date of the policy… - here the statement is long &
complicated. Usually the policy date…. – here the statement gives an appearance of being crisp
& to the point.

4 S’s

Shortness: Economizes.
If the message can be short & verbosity done away with, then transmission & comprehension of
message is going to be faster & more effective. If the sender is going to use high-sounding words
& long messages, he doesn’t realize that the receiver has waste a lot of time trying to decipher
the actual meaning to the message.

Simplicity: Impresses.
Simplicity in both ideas & words reveals clarity in the thinking process. When a person is
confused himself, then he tries to use complex terms & strategies, which will lead the receiver in
a maze.

Strength: Convinces.
The strength of a message comes from the credibility of the sender. If the sender believes in what
message he is sending, then there is bound to be strength & conviction in whatever he tries to
state.

Half-hearted statements that the sender himself does not believe in add a touch of falsehood to
the entire communication process.

Sincerity: Appeals.
If the sender is genuine, it will reflect in the manner in which he communicates. If there is a
small amount of deceit involved in the transaction or the sender, then the receiver if keen &
observant would be able to sense the situation & the transaction, even if in full swing, will not
materialize.
Classification of Communication

1) Verbal Communication

Oral Communication

Anything we speak is called oral. Words & the manner in which it is pronounced fall under this
component. Voice plays a major role in communication. The listener concentrates more on voice
modulation than the words spoken.

The listener pays attention to the verbal content 7%, 38% on voice modulation & 55% on body
language. If all three are in harmony then the listener has no problem in grasping the message.
Otherwise it creates conflict in the mind of the listener & he believes more on the body language
& voice modulation than the words.

In oral communication, words should be carefully chosen. Words denote (main meaning) &
connote (suggest) a meaning. The former will denote a literal meaning & the latter implied
meaning.

Merits
1. Oral communication saves time: In a number of cases where action is required to be
taken immediately, it is best to transmit a message orally. When the workload builds up,
the harassed executives stop writing, they reach for the telephone or call a snap
conference, or just walk down the corridor and give oral instructions to somebody. It
helps them to expedite work. Within half an hour their load is off their head, and their
equanimity and poise are restored.
2. In most of the cases (e.g., when it is within the organization) oral communication saves
money also.
3. Speech is a more powerful means of persuasion and control. Therefore executives often
prefer to transmit messages orally.
4. With the help of variations in the tone, pitch and intensity of voice, the speaker can
convey shades of meaning, which he would not be able to do through written
communication. This factor also contributes to the efficiency of oral communication.
5. Oral communication is flexible and fluid. If the sender feels that the receiver is not able
to understand his messages or feels the receiver is losing interest then he can modify his
language or insert example or anecdote; more interesting to arrest the receiver’s attention.
So in this case the message can be worked.
6. Although the employees feel more secure when in possession of written messages, they
find the oral messages more reliable, for they get an opportunity for feedback and
clarification.
7. The informal plane on which oral communication is mostly carried out helps to promote
friendly relations between the parties communicating with each other.
8. Oral communication is extremely useful while communicating with groups at assemblies,
meetings, etc.
.
Limitations
1. Oral communication is not possible if the communicator and the receiver are far removed
from each other and no mechanical devices are available to connect them.
2. Lengthy messages are not suitable for oral transmission, for there is very likelihood of
something of vital importance being missed.
3. Oral messages cannot be retained for a long time. In about a month’s time, not more than
twenty per cent of the original message may have been retained. Since these messages are
nowhere to be found in the record books, we cannot refer back to them in future.
 4. Oral messages do not have any legal validity unless they are taped and made a part of
permanent record.
5. Although oral messages offer a greater opportunity for clarification, there are also
inherent in them greater chances of misunderstanding. The speaker often gives the
message without having properly organized it earlier. So it is quite possible that he may
not be able to make himself quite clear. Or the receiver may miss the message on account
of his inattentiveness.
6. In oral messages, responsibilities for mistakes, if any, cannot be specifically assigned.

Oral communication

Merits Limitations

· Saves time Not possible for distant people in the absence of

mechanical devices
· More forceful Unsuitable for lengthy messages
· Saves money Messages cannot be retained for long
· Conveys shades of meaning No legal validity
· Immediate feedback Not easy to fix responsibility
in case of misunderstanding
· Immediate clarification
· Can be informal
· More effective with groups

Essentials for effective oral communication

1. Clear pronunciation: The first important prerequisite of effective oral communication is

that words should be pronounced clearly and correctly. Oral messages are often
misunderstood because the speaker does not talk distinctly. Inability to use the jaws
freely, to speak with a limber tongue and limber lips, and to speak slowly often makes for
poor oral transmission. If a person tries to talk as fast as he thinks, his words will run
together and get rammed into one another, so that when he intends asking ‘what did you
have?’ he will succeed only in saying ‘wajuhave?’.

2. Brevity: People take pleasure in talking, so oral communication tends to suffer from over
communication. But if a speaker keeps on talking for long, his message will get lost in a
sea of verbosity and distraction. It is important to keep the message as brief as possible
without appearing abrupt and discourteous.

3. Precision: Precision can make oral communication very effective. Instead of saying
 ‘total invoices as early as possible’, it is preferable to specify the time and say ‘could you
kindly total these invoices and bring them back to me in half an hour’s time’. ‘Come to
the office early tomorrow’ these letters have to be dispatched by the first mail.

4. Conviction: A person communicating orally must have conviction in what he says. Lack
of conviction causes lack of confidence, so that he is not able to impress the receiver with
the message. Conviction comes from sincerity of approach and careful thinking and
planning. Careful analysis and objective evaluation of the message while formulating it
also promote the speaker’s conviction in it.

5. Logical sequence: If the speaker has given a proper thought to his message, he will be
able to arrange the various ideas contained in it in their logical sequence. Jumbled ideas
create confusion, while logically arranged ideas make the message forceful.

6. Appropriate word choice: Words have different meanings for different people. So it is
important to be careful in the choice of words. The speaker, while speaking something,
knows what he means, so he presumes that his listener also does so, which may be a
wrong presumption. In oral communication it is more important to use the terms familiar
to the listener rather than the terms that are familiar to the speaker.

7. Avoiding hackneyed phrases and clichés: Speakers, often when they are grouping for
words, make use of hackneyed phrases like ‘what I mean’, ‘do you follow’, ‘isn’t it’, ‘I
see’, etc. Such words and phrases interrupt the flow of their speech and impede quick
grasp of meaning. They are used unconsciously, but the speakers should take deliberate
pains to exclude them from their speech.

8. Natural voice: Some speakers deliberately cultivate an affected style under the
impression that it would make them look more sophisticated. Nothing is farther from
truth, and nothing impresses so much as the natural way of speech. One of the manuals
for office employees in an American firm says, “The most effective speech is that which
is correct and at the same time natural and unaffected. Try to tone down an unusual
accent and discard all affectations of speech. Try to cultivate a pleasing voice and speak
clearly and distinctly.

9. Finding the right register: People belonging to different social, cultural and educational
levels use different kinds of language. If educated groups need five words to understand
an idea, uneducated groups may need ten. Educated people use more nouns, uneducated
ones, more verbs. An efficient communicator senses distinctions of this type and adjusts
his speech according to the needs of his listeners. This is called finding the right register.
An efficient oral communicator ‘tunes in to the listener’s wavelength by subtly, and
 perhaps unconsciously, adjusting his vocabulary, loudness, speed of delivery and accent.
The good oral communicator is almost multilingual’.

Written Communication

Written communication is the most formal of all types of communication. Many organizations
have a typical manner in which messages are written & sent. Any deviation from his can disturb
the functioning of the company.

Written communication can be in many forms. The writer has to take great care when
formulating a message, esp. when it is formal. Whatever is written formally is used for
documentation or circulation to all concerned. There could be errors like in oral communication,
but the chances are minimal.
With technology progress, written communication has widened its horizon to include electronic
means such as e-mail. Transmitting of messages within in a company or outside can be done in a
short span of time.

Merits

1. It is accurate and precise: Written communication is usually mutated with great care.
The very idea of writing makes a person conscious. He gives a serious thought to his
ideas and tries to organize them. Since written communication is open to verification, and
its authenticity can be easily challenged, there is an insistence on greater accuracy and
precision.

2. It can be repeatedly referred to: The receiver of a written communication can go over
the message again and again. He can read re-read it till he thinks he has properly
understood it. Besides, there is less danger of losing any part of the message. An oral
message is given just once. Even if it is not properly understood, the receiver does not
request for its repetition, for he is afraid that it might adversely reflect upon his own
competence. It is also possible that some vital part of the message may be missed through
oversight. In written communication, these possibilities are more or less eliminated.
3. It is a permanent record: Written communication becomes a permanent record of the
organization and can prove very useful for future reference. Old orders and decisions can
serve as precedents for fresh decisions. Previous years reports are found beneficial for
formulating new policies and fixing current targets.
4. It is a legal document: Written communication is acceptable as a legal document. That
is why some executives think that even if some messages have been transmitted orally,
they should later be confirmed in writing.
 5. It facilitates the assignation of responsibilities: If communications are preserved in
writing, it is much easier to assign responsibilities. In case a mistake is committed as a
result of oral communication, it is very difficult to ascertain whether the mistake has been
committed at the communicator’s end or the receiver’s. Managers may sometimes have a
tendency to shift the responsibility for a mistake to the lower staff. That is why the lower
staff feels more secure when it receives orders in writing.
6. It has a wide access: Postal facilities being really good, written communication enjoys a
wide access. If the communicator and the receiver are far removed from each other,
written communication is the cheapest and may be the only available means of
communication between them. Traveling salesmen cannot send trunk messages from all
the places they visit, nor would the manger like to send every message to the branch
office through telex, even if the telex facility were available.

Limitations

1. It is time consuming: One of the major limitations of written communication is that it is

time-consuming. A letter may take two or even three to four days to reach its destination,
whereas in oral communication through mechanical devices like the telephone not only is
the message instantly transmitted but even the response is received immediately.
2. It is costly: Writing letters is a costly process, not because of postage expenses which are
only nominal, but because a number of people are involved in sending out a letter from
an organization; and their time is definitely valuable.
3. Quick clarification is not possible: In case the receiver of a written communication has
certain doubts or questions about the message, he cannot seek immediately clarification,
as is possible in oral messages. He has to write back and wait for the reply, but he may
not be able to afford the time required for this lengthy process.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Merits Limitations
Accurate Time consuming
Precise Expensive not in term of
Quick clarification not possible
postage but of the time many people
Permanent record
Legal document
Can be consulted repeatedly
Can reach large number of people
 Simultaneously
Helps to fix responsibility

2) Non verbal communication

Nonverbal communication (NVC) is usually understood as the process of communication
through sending and receiving wordless messages. Such messages can be communicated through
gesture; body language or posture; facial expression and eye contact;

Personal appearance: The impact of the audience / listener is created by the personal
appearance of the speaker. Even before the speaker starts we try to form an opinion about him. A
person’s appearance may put the audience into a resistant mood or induce them into a receptive
mood which is important for success of communication. This is the reason why uniforms or the
kind of dress to be worn on specific occasions are prescribed by certain organisations.
Conventions have been established in regard to dress& physical appearance in respect to certain
communication situation such as interviews, convocations.

Posture: It is an important part of body language & mainly refers to the way one sits, the
movement of the body, hands, legs & other parts of the body reveals an individual’s personality.
eg: candidate sitting with drooping shoulders does not create a positive image in the mind of the
interview.

Stance: refers to the way one stands. If a person is always fidgety and shifts weight continuously
from one foot to another, it gives the impression of nervousness and not confident.

A well balanced stance communicates about the person’s confidence and smartness.

Gestures: Gestures too play a significant role in making communication effective. A well timed
gesture can drive a point home. Sometimes gesture do not accompany oral communication & are
used to to communicate short messages like yes or no, come here , be silent etc. But mostly
gestures are a part of oral communication like moving of head or hands. These gestures help in
adding greater value to what is being said & also creates a powerfully impact on the listener.

Facial expressions: Of all parts of the body, the face is the most expressive & adds to the
meaning to what is being conveyed through verbal means.

e.g., smile – friendliness, frown – not satisfied, eyebrows – not believable.

Biting of lips, blinking raising of eyebrows can interrupt smooth comm.

Eye contact: Eye contact with listeners is the most important aspect of communication. Eye
contact between speaker & listener tells whether the speaker is sincere & also if the listener is
interested. Eye contact enables the speaker to alter his message. Mostly this process is automatic
& it is unconscious.

Space distancing: Each communicator has a personal territory around himself. Social distance is
maintained in a formal situation. This includes standing and seating position. The person who is
superior usually stands & others are seated. Space distancing differs from culture to culture &
care should be taken to use the appropriate cross culture context.

Patterns of communication
Formal communication & informal communication

Formal communication refers to use of particular language or choice of words which show
respect and socio-cultural distance from the other person.
e.g.: communication with teachers, seniors,
parents

e.g.: would you mind passing the salt?

Always has an objective &
agenda

It could be recorded
Level of authority clearly defined

Informal communication refers to use of language which indicates closeness or socio-cultural

nearness eg : communication with friends, sister/brother
eg : hey, pass
the salt .
hi, How are
you?

brings the feeling & belonging which in turn results in high

work yields improves rapport among co-workers
good spirit comes across to guests &
customers less friction

Classification of Communication - On the basis of number of people involved

Intrapersonal communication – one person (talking to self)
Interpersonal communication – two people either face to face conversation or through a
medium.
Group communication - Communication between a group (more than two people)
Mass communication/external communication – advertisement, media, public relations,
presentations, negotiations, letters, mails.

Difference between face – to - face & any other medium of communication.

Face to face – more effective, aide of body language, expressions, feedback is

quicker. Tone of voice is to a telephone like body language is to face to face.

Difference between Face-to-face & telephonic conversation

Telephonic Face to face

No eye contact. Eye contact is very important.

Body language doesn’t distract the Body language plays a key role
listener or sender. Tone of voice plays a key role. too many changes in postures may be a distraction

Major chances of misunderstanding. Any clarification can be done & doubts cleared.

The receiver can be evasive when it Feedback is quicker

comes to feedback.

Only one idea be discussed to avoid confusion. More than one idea can be discussed

There could be disturbance due to faulty lines. No such disturbances.

Communication Mediums – letters, oral, emails, advertisements.

Barriers to Communication
An activity as complex as communication, is bound to suffer from setbacks if conditions
contrary to the smooth function of the process emerges. They are referred as barriers
 because they create obstruction

Enter into healthy discussions in the progress of the interaction. According to the roles observed
by the two participants, let us categorize the barriers as

1. Sender oriented
2. Receiver oriented

Sender oriented barriers

Here the barriers could be voluntary or involuntary. At any cost, efforts should be made by the
sender to identify& remove them. As he is the originator of the communication, he should be
extremely careful not to erect barriers. Some of the barriers that are sender oriented are

Barrier Causative Factors Remedies

1. Dichotomy in reception & Poor retention Jot down points
comprehension
2. Partial grasp of topic Inattentive listening Keep the mind open

3. Distancing from the speaker Tendency to evaluate Delay evaluation

4. Lack of interest Difference in interests &
attitudes Find an area of interest
5. Mental turbulence Conflicting information Check reliability & validity
6. Superior attitude Differing status/position/ Listen to ideas
self-experience
7. Mental block Resistance to change Be open to changes
8. Lack of provision of correct feedback Refutations & arguments

1. Badly expressed message

Not being well versed in the subject under discussion can create problems of this
 nature. The sender may not be able to structure his ideas accurately & efficiently.
What he wishes to say& what he finally imparts may not be the same. The
discrepancy shows as soon as the words are uttered.

One of the important criteria when initializing a communication is that the ideas
should be concrete& the message well structured. The receiver should not feel that
the interaction is a waste of time.

2. Loss in transmission
This is a very minor issue but one that becomes major when it leads to inability in
transmitting the actual message. If the choice of the channel or medium is not right,
the impact of the message is lost. This is mostly physical noise.
However, the responsibility lies with the sender to ensure that all channels are free of
noise before commencing communication.

3. Semantic problem
High & big sounding words definitely look & sound impressive. But if the receiver is
not able to understand the impact of these words then the entire exercise proves
futile. This problem The look on the face of the listener should be enough to warn the
sender that he has over stepped his limits or he has been misunderstood.
4. Over or under communication
Quantum of communication should be just right. Neither should there be excess nor
too scanty information. Excess information may confuse the receiver as he has to
figure out the exact message & too scanty information would make him grope for the
actual message.

The sender should try to get the profile of the receiver so that at the time of
communication he knows what material is needed & what can be done away with.
5. I attitude
If the sender starts every sentence with I, it gradually leads to what is referred to as to
“I” syndrome. He would not to be receptive to changes, if suggested by the receiver,
as they would be against his views.

The sender must minimize the use of “I”.

6. Prejudices
Starting any communication with a bias or know it all attitude can prove to be
detrimental to the growth of the process. When communication starts all kinds of
prejudices should be done away with, mind free of bias.
 This way it would enable the sender to keep in his mind only on the receiver & his needs.

Receiver oriented barriers

The receiver too can be guilty of erecting barriers in the course of the interaction. Although his
role is passive initially, he becomes active when he starts absorbing the information. He is
equally to blame if the communication comes to a stop or there is miscommunication.

Barrier Causative Factor Remedies

1. Loss in Impact Badly expressed message Think prior to speaking
2. Ineffective grasp of message Loss in transmission Remove physical noise
3. Misunderstood statements Semantic problem Use simple language
4. Groping for the right message Over/under communication Make the quantum of
communication just right

5. Lack of collaborative effort I – attitude” Minimise usage of “I”

6. Biased communication Prejudices Formulate messages with
an open mind

1. Poor retention
Retention is very important during interaction. If the receiver has poor retention
capability, he would probably get lost during the course of the proceedings. There
would be no connection between what was initially said & what is being said now.
If the receiver feels his retention capabilities are not good, a good strategy for him
would be to
jot down points. It does not portray him in a poor light but shows how conscientious he is
to get the message right.

2. Inattentive listening
The mind has its own way of functioning. It is very difficult to exercise control over the
changes in one’s mind. The errors in listening arise because the receiver is either not
interested in what is being said, or has other things to concentrate on.

The art of listening is an exercise in concentration. If this skill is honed, barriers to

communication would not arise.

3. Tendency to evaluate
Being judgmental & evaluative are both the starting points for miscommunication. Mind
 cannot perform two activities at the same time. The minute the sender opens his mouth, if
the listener is going to start mentally pronouncing judgments concerning his style or
content, he will miss out on a major part of what is being said. His response is then going
to be incorrect or will expose his misunderstanding.

Evaluation should always be a sequel to the listening process. It cannot be done

simultaneously with listening.

4. Interests & attitude

“I’m not interested in what you are saying” or “my interest lies in other areas”. Starting
any communication with this kind of indifference can mar any attempts at communication.
It is not possible to be interested in all that is being said. Fixed notions of this kind should
be done away with.

5. Conflicting information
The difference in the information the receiver possesses & what is being transmitted can
create confusion & result in miscommunication.

The receiver should be cautious & verify with the sender the reliability & validity of the
message. The sender should convince the receiver that whatever is now being said is
correct & relevant to further proceedings.

6. Differing status & position

Position in the organization is no criteria to determine the strength of ideas & issues.
Rejecting a proposal of a sub-ordinate or assuming that a junior cannot come up with good
ideas is wrong. If an individual has been working for some years in a particular company,
it is natural that his mind gets conditioned in a particular manner.

Youngsters should be encouraged to come up with ideas or solutions for a particular

problem. These ideas should be considered keeping in mind the workings & constraints of
the company. Ego problem should be done away with.