Communication

Communication is a process whereby information is enclosed in a package and is channeled and imparted by a sender to a receiver via some medium. The receiver then decodes the message and gives the sender a feedback. All forms of communication require a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, however the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication in order for the act of communication to occur. Communication requires that all parties have an area of communicative commonality. There are auditory means, such as speech, song, and tone of voice, and there are nonverbal means, such as body language, sign language, paralanguage, touch, eye contact, through media, i.e., pictures, graphics and sound, and writing.

Effective communication:
Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly and unambiguously. It's also about receiving information that others are sending to you, with as little distortion as possible. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the receiver. And it's a process that can be fraught with error, with messages muddled by the sender, or misinterpreted by the recipient. When this isn't detected, it can cause tremendous confusion, wasted effort and missed opportunity. In fact, communication is only successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively. When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you actually send do not necessarily reflect what you think, causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals both personally and professionally. In a recent survey of recruiters from companies with more than 50,000 employees, communication skills were cited as the single more important decisive factor in choosing managers. The survey, conducted by the University of Pittsburghs Katz Business School, points out that communication skills, including written and oral presentations, as well as an ability to work with others, are the main factor contributing to job success. In spite of the increasing importance placed on communication skills, many individuals continue to struggle, unable to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively whether in verbal or written format. This inability makes it nearly impossible for them to compete effectively in the workplace, and stands in the way of career progression. Being able to communicate effectively is therefore essential if you want to build a successful career. To do this, you must understand what your message is, what audience you are sending it

to, and how it will be perceived. You must also weigh-in the circumstances surrounding your communications, such as situational and cultural context.

Communications Skills The Importance of Removing Barriers

Problems with communication can pop-up at every stage of the communication process (which consists of the sender, encoding, the channel, decoding, the receiver, feedback and the context see the diagram below). At each stage, there is the potential for misunderstanding and confusion.

To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to lessen the frequency of problems at each stage of this process, with clear, concise, accurate, well-planned communications. We follow the process through below:

Source...
As the source of the message, you need to be clear about why you're communicating, and what you want to communicate. You also need to be confident that the information you're communicating is useful and accurate.

Message...
The message is the information that you want to communicate.

Encoding...
This is the process of transferring the information you want to communicate into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded at the other end. Your success in encoding depends partly on your ability to convey information clearly and simply, but also on your ability to anticipate and

eliminate sources of confusion (for example, cultural issues, mistaken assumptions, and missing information.) A key part of this is knowing your audience: Failure to understand who you are communicating with will result in delivering messages that are misunderstood.

Channel...
Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal channels including face-to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written channels including letters, emails, memos and reports. Different channels have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, it's not particularly effective to give a long list of directions verbally, while you'll quickly cause problems if you give someone negative feedback using email.

Decoding...
Just as successful encoding is a skill, so is successful decoding (involving, for example, taking the time to read a message carefully, or listen actively to it.) Just as confusion can arise from errors in encoding, it can also arise from decoding errors. This is particularly the case if the decoder doesn't have enough knowledge to understand the message.

Receiver...
Your message is delivered to individual members of your audience. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope your message will get from this audience. Keep in mind, though, that each of these individuals enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtedly influence their understanding of your message, and their response. To be a successful communicator, you should consider these before delivering your message, and act appropriately.

Feedback...
Your audience will provide you with feedback, as verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message. Pay close attention to this feedback, as it is the only thing that can give you confidence that your audience has understood your message. If you find that there has been a misunderstanding, at least you have the opportunity to send the message a second time.

Context...
The situation in which your message is delivered is the context. This may include the surrounding environment or broader culture (corporate culture, international cultures, and so on).

Removing Barriers at All These Stages

To deliver your messages effectively, you must commit to breaking down the barriers that exist within each of these stages of the communication process. Lets begin with the message itself. If your message is too lengthy, disorganized, or contains errors, you can expect the message to be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Use of poor verbal and body language can also confuse the message. Barriers in context tend to stem from senders offering too much information too fast. When in doubt here, less is oftentimes more. It is best to be mindful of the demands on other peoples time, especially in todays ultra-busy society. Once you understand this, you need to work to understand your audiences culture, making sure you can converse and deliver your message to people of different backgrounds and cultures within your own organization, in your country and even abroad.

About Barriers to Communication

Overview Scientists and rhetoricians who study human communication often fail to agree on the perfect model for the process. The various models that have been published in text and professional journals include many like elements, however, and there is general agreement about several known barriers to communication. Internal Barriers in the Sender There are many barriers to communication in the way a message is constructed. The person sending the message may have trouble conveying it clearly and concisely. The language may pose a problem and create confusion for the receiver attempting to accurately translate the message, since the speaker has biases, beliefs and background experiences that color the message that is sent. Dr. Edward G. Wertheim, Instructor at the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University, reports that people involved in organizations spend approximately threequarters of their time communicating in a one-to-one situation. Problems with the initial message can create a fundamental barrier for the majority of messages sent. Barriers in the Communication Channel The channel, the way in which the message is carried, also creates barriers to communication. Person-to-person discussions have a different give-and-take than a discussion on a cell phone that requires one of the speakers to pause until the other

has finished speaking. "Noise" is the term used by professionals in the analysis of communication. Noise in all forms is a barrier to effective communication. The most obvious noises are direct physical background noise that creates problems with hearing all the message, or electronic interference such as on a cell phone, obscuring parts of the conversation. Internal Barriers in the Receiver The listener also brings prejudices, beliefs and background experiences that create barriers to receiving a message. A clear message from a sender that arrives in perfect condition through a communication channel might not be received by a listener due to internal barriers. Other barriers might be less focused. The listener, for instance, may be mentally developing an answer before the other speaker has finished, contributing to a communication failure. Physical Barriers The human brain is capable of processing 1,000 to 3,000 words per minute, and the average person speaks 125 to 175 words each minute. During this speaking lag, the brain is involved in other processing that increases distractions. Compounding this difference is the fact that people have a comprehension rate of approximately 50 percent. These two physical issues create additional barriers that must be overcome, according to Joseph DeVito in his text "The Interpersonal Communication Book," published in 2009. One of the keys to a successful relationship is good communication. Communication is a process of transferring information between two individuals, the sender and the receiver. For communication to be a success, the receiver must understand the message that the sender intended. However, there are barriers that interfere with good communication. Physical Barriers One of the major barriers to communication is the physical barrier. Physical barriers are present in the area surrounding the sender and receiver. Physical barriers include a work environment that has a lot of background noise, poor lighting or unstable temperature. These barriers can affect how individuals try to send and receive messages. If there is a lot of background noise than the receiver may not hear what the sender is saying. If the temperature in a work environment is too hot or too cold the sender may not be as focused on the message that they are trying to send. If people in the work place are separated by others, communication is not as effective. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, proximity to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another.

Lack of Subject Knowledge According to the College of Marin, if a person who sends a message lacks subject knowledge, they may not be able to convey their message clearly and the receiver could misunderstand the message, thus affecting communication. If the sender is not familiar with the subject content that he is trying to send, then it may be too vague and the receiver may not receive relevant details. Language The inability to converse in a language that is known by both the sender and receiver is the greatest barrier to effective communication. Communicationtype.com reports that when a person uses inappropriate words while conversing or writing, it could lead to misunderstanding between the sender and a receiver. If the sender doesn't clearly speak the same language as the receiver then they may be using words that do not make sense. Emotions Your emotions could be a barrier to communication. If you are engrossed in your emotions for some reason, you tend to have trouble listening to others or understanding the message conveyed to you. According to the College of Marin, if someone is angry, resentful, happy or excited, that person may be too preoccupied with emotions to receive the intended message. Emotions mainly involve fear, mistrust and suspicion. Excessive fear of what others might think of us and what we say can interfere with what we want to communicate and our ability to form meaningful relationships

Whether at home or in the workplace, communication is essential to maintain any healthy relationship. Through communication you're able to talk and listen for the bettering of your situation. Unfortunately, at times communication can be stilted or even blocked because of barriers that cause you to have a difficult time. By identifying or acknowledging the barriers for effective communication, you can find ways to remedy them for a better result.

Culture At first glance, "culture" is often confused with "language" in communication, when both are equally disadvantageous barriers to your message. While language can certainly be a barrier to effective communication when you speak a different language than the person you're communicating with, culture can cause the same problems for two people speaking the same language. The University of Colorado Conflict Research Consortium points out that two people who speak the same language, yet use different expressions can often confuse the meaning of the message. Listening Skills Poor listening skills can disrupt your communication, even if you are the speaker, according to the Ohio State University Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics. Effective listening skills allow you to listen to your partner's words, read her body language and take her tone into consideration while communicating. It also allows you to hear concerns and brainstorm solutions while communicating. If you lack these basic listening skills, the person you're talking to could become offended or frustrated that she isn't being properly heard. Communication is a two-way street, and to be heard you must also listen. Feedback Consider the following scenario: you are trying to convey a point to a coworker or partner, and instead of being engaged in what you're saying, he's ignoring you or sitting wordlessly while you talk. It's not the most effective way to communicate. Without the proper amount of feedback, it can be difficult to communicate. While you cannot force someone to talk to you, issuing questions that need more than a "yes" or "no" answer could persuade someone to offer intelligent feedback. Perception Andrews University defines perception in communication as interpreting what is being said in your own mindset. When you already nurse preconceived notions or have ideas that have been developed without proper communication, you may be hesitant to talk. Even if your perception isn't close to reality, it is real to you which is why it can block communication. In fact, the communication can sometimes alter your perception, if you'd let it. How you think and the ideas you perceive can have an effect on how willing you are to communicate and how open you are to new ideas.

Develop Effective Communication Skills In 5 Easy Steps

1. Kill righteousness. The need to be right is a serious communication mistake couples make in their communication. In an argument, you cannot be certain you are right because I nearly guarantee you the other person thinks the same. Stop believing your perception is accurate. Liberate yourself from righteousness in arguments and you'll be surprised at how open another person becomes. Good relationship communication comes from a curiosity to learn about another person's perspectives. Your challenge today is to suspend judgment and to say to someone, "Tell me your side of the story because I could be wrong." It can be scary to be wrong because your understanding of the world is reversed. 2. Question your assumptions. You can only question your assumptions once you kill righteousness. If you're like most people, a dangerous area you create assumptions in is during conflict. You may assume that when you went shopping after a fight, a family member would appreciate your kind action, but little do you know they interpreted it as avoidance. I know in this example the other person assumes, but you have no control over this. Assuming someone understands your positive intentions behind an action, which hurt them, creates destructive conflict. What do you assume about someone you're communicating with? Paul Broca said, "The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable." Think about it. Powerful stuff. 3. Seek to understand before being understood. It is tempting to express what you want and need before you hear what another person wants and needs. The counterintuitive lesson of this is failing to understand this law of effective communication does not get you what you want. It's often when you understand another person in business, family, and life in general, does the person seek understand you. Kill your need to be right and

question your assumptions while listening to understand another. Then you can express yourself and get your needs and wants met. 4. Create flexible behavior. Evolution states that what changes to its environment survives. You would not be here today if your ancestors failed to be flexible. Create options. NLP states the more options you have, the healthier you are. What a life-changing reframe of health, habits, and happy-living! How healthy are you? 5. Observe filters. Better communication begins by observing the filters you use in your relationships. This law of effective communication skills is difficult to obey! Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, in his lesser known "Vital Lies, Simple Truths", states that humans are masters of deception. You probably don't even know you are deceiving yourself because your filters stop you from honest inner and outer communication. Sun Tzu said, "War is based on deception." Deception in your relationships comes from righteousness, assumptions, ignoring another, ignoring options, and filters the five laws of effective communication that kill relationships when ignored. Keep learning good communication skills and you'll awaken from the blinding matrix you don't even know you're living with colleagues, family, and friends.

Three ways for effective communication

effective business communication, for the business professional, is already above average. However you and I know that business communication needs to be constantly added, improved and enhanced in order to keep us growing and to stay in the race of effective leadership. Three important areas of communication in business are found in meetings, writings and presentations. Two of these require verbal activities and one written. Effective business communication means that meetings need to be lead (not let to happen). Writing needs to be clear, and presenting needs to be credible. Here are three ways to enhance your effective business communication: #1 - Effective business communication - Meetings need to be lead (not let to happen): Let's face it, most business colleagues hate meetings. Why? Because they are usually too long, unfocused, un-lead, boring, and too frequent.

So how does one undo this image of meetings? For one thing, don't call meetings on a moment's notice, as too many do, and drag your people on for hours, taking away from their already overloaded work schedules. That's one sure way to discourage them from coming to your meetings -- let alone liking them. It is good to realize that meetings cost a company a lot of money. If you have 5 people in your meeting who make twenty dollars an hour and you keep them for three hours, that's three hundred dollars direct financial loss right there. Then you have the actual time and productivity loss that each of the people is responsible for within each their department. While they are in the meeting, they are not working at their job function. If these are sales people the value lost is even multiplied. So, one way to enhance your effective business communication within your meeting activities is to think of the cost of the meeting, then decide if it can wait for another day, then plan ahead, organize and edit it for maximum impact, giving it a definite shortest possible time-frame to get to the result that is expected of the meeting. #2 - Effective business communication - Writing needs to be clear: From what I hear people tell me, not many business folks like putting letters and memos together. It is a very happy person who enjoys this task. How efficient is your writing? Do you have a process that you go through before you begin writing? If not, here's some help: First, know the purpose you are writing about. Write directly to your reader. Write a draft first and don't worry about mistakes. Then re-arrange your draft into 1) a summary of your idea or purpose. 2) a summary of the actions you require of your reader as to who will do what (I, we, you, or personal name). If the content is long, it is better to use two easy-to-read pages than one page stuffed with too much information and data that's hard to follow. Break it down with the summary of your idea or purpose then refer to the actions to be taken which you outline clearly on the second page. Revise and correct for sentence construction and grammar. Read as if you were receiving the letter. Then edit out unnecessary wordings. Add summary headings to paragraphs to make for easy scanning and reading. #3 - Effective business communication - Presentations need to be credible: You've all heard that the first impression counts. Well the last does too, and everything in between. The first impression captures the attention, the last leaves a feeling (bad or good) on your audience and the content in-between gives you credibility.

To make the introduction positive, point out the benefits to the audience of listening to what you have to say. Show the relevance to the concern or purpose. The idea is to answer the question: "Why should we listen to you?" before they even ask silently or out-loud. Organize your presentation as you do your writing, first on a draft. Then break it down into point-form items, which you each write up on 3x5 or 4x6 cards to keep you on track or use transparencies or power-point. Effective business communication is a continuous effort that is not drudgery but that is fun and interesting and required for continuous business success and leadership./dmh
Listening barriers: Interrupting the speaker Not maintaining eye contact with the speaker Rushing the speaker to complete what he/she has to say Making the speaker feel as though he/she is wasting the listener's time Being distracted by something that is not part of the on going communication Getting ahead of the speaker and completing his/her thoughts Ignoring the speaker's requests Topping the speaker's story with one's own set of examples Forgetting what is being discussed Asking too many questions, for they sake of probing Barriers while speaking: Unclear messages Lack of consistency in the communication process Incomplete sentences Not understanding the receiver Not seeking clarifications while communicating The other barriers include: An individual's subjective viewpoint towards issues/people, which leads to assumptions. An emotional block, which can lead to an attitude of indifference, suspicion or hostility towards the subject. An emotional block or bias that is based on a third party's view point, or on what you have read/heard. Words can have different meanings to different people, thus blocking communication. Use of negative words