COMMUNICATION

Defining communication:
Communication is a process by which information is transmitted and understood between
two or more people. It should include both transference and the understanding of meaning.
Communication is the life blood of social as well as corporate world. We exist because we
communicate. Even our silence communicates a lot. We all have a laymans idea of what
communication is, but let us try to understand the concept fully so that we can use it
effectively.
Communication is the process by which we exchange meanings , facts , ideas ,opinions or
emotions with other people. It is an essential condition of our existence and the most
important activity of ours. The word communication has been derived from Latin word
communicare /communis that means to share or participate . Everybody knows that
most of the time , through speech or writing or any other means like exchange of a common
set of symbols , we are sharing information with other human beings. It is, therefore , first
and foremost a social activity. Man as a social animal has to communicate.
Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas , opinions or emotions by two or more
persons.
General communication is different from business communication / Administrative
communication.
Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. However it
is said to be effective only when the message is understood and when it
stimulates action or encourages the receiver to think in new ways.

Nature of communication
People define terms in different ways, and those differences in definition can have a
profound impact on the extent to which we understand
each other and the way we move forward with both academic and everyday pursuits.
Given the variety of ways in which words are used and understood, we are often illserved to search for the single, so-called correct definition of a term. In other words, it
is better to evaluate definition in terms of their utility rather than in terms of their
correctness. So we should not assume that there is always a single right way to define a

concept. There is a great deal of variation in

the definitions. Some are very abstract and some are extremely specific.
Few definitions are cited below.

Communication is

the process

by which an individual

(the communicator)

transmits

stimuli

(usually

verbal) to modify the behaviour of other Individuals (the audience).

Communication is the process by which we understand others and in turn endeavour to

be understood by them. It is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting in response to
the total situation (Anderson, 1959) Communication is all of the procedures by which one
mind can affect another (W. Weaver, 1949). Communication means that information is
passed from one place to another. (Miller, 1951)

These definitions are incomplete in

the sense that Weaver's definition is incredibly

broad;

it includes all

the

procedures by which one "mind" could have

an effect on another, whereas the other definitions exclude too many activities that we
normally think of as communication. However through this definitional turmoil many
conceptual features have emerged as important points of discussion.

Conceptualizing communication: points of convergence

Communication is a process:
Process-oriented conceptualization of communication suggests that it is continuous and
complex and cannot be arbitrarily isolated. David Berlo in 1960 popularized this idea in
these words. "If we accept the concept of process, we view events and relationships as
dynamic, on-going, ever-changing, continuous. When we label something as a process
we also mean that it does not have a beginning, an end, a fixed sequence of events. It
is not static at rest. It is moving. The ingredients within a process interact ; each affects all
others.

So when we look at communication as a process, we see that even simple

interactions are influenced in complex ways by
the past and will also have important implication for the future. In early
conceptualizations of communication this process was seen as a primarily linear one,
in which communication moved from a source to a receiver.

The nature of communication: Communication can be pervaded in every area of human

existence. By simply crying and moping fully new-born babies convey what is this great
about their appearance in this world. By means of creating your seem these people
probably express his or her anticipation with regard to mothers appreciate as well as love.
Communication represents the important role inside personal existence, family members
existence, cultural existence, company existence and many others. Development
Communication with relationships, cultures, civilizations and many others the two inside
micro as well as macro amount are determined by successful effective communication.
The nature of communication is discussed below:
1. Communication is related to human activity: Communication exchanges are actually
directly linked with every single ball of human being lifetime. It is necessary within
primary some sort of substantial human being lifetime. Taking pleasure in restful
lifetime, acquiring person-to-person interactions, creating a flourishing point out and
so on. Arent probable without having communication exchanges.
2. Communication involves two or more parties: At least, two parties are involved in
virtually any communication exchange process. This party exactly who communicates
information is known as sender and the party exactly who is provided with the info is
known as a device. Even so in some instances some sort of sender could send out a
message for you to many receivers.
3. Communication could be one-way or maybe two-way process: Communication might
take the design involving two-way or maybe one-way process. With two-way
communication, the receiver sends his feedback to the sender after receiving the
message. One-way communication means you move involving information style
sender to be able to receive only. In this particular means of communication receiver
doesnt present his or her reaction to your sender.
4. Success of communication depends on a proper understanding of the parties
involved: Powerful communication comes about if your receiver feels your concept
you might say your sender posts the idea. If the receiver doesnt deliver his or her
reaction to your sender, your sender is not going to fully grasp your receivers view. In
this case, your communications are going to be inadequate. As a result, to make your

communication prosperous the two senders and receiver got to know your side effects
of different.
5. Conversation in organization flows in a variety of styles: With organization,
information flows in a variety of recommendations, for example way upward direction,
down way, horizontal way and many others.
6. Communication is media or channel based: Every single person communication comes
about by means of suing a selected method. This media could be composed, common
and non-verbal or maybe a mixture of spoken and non-verbal media.
7. communication is multidimensional :

Importance of Good Communication in Business

Communication is an aid used in everyday life be it personal or business. In the
business world, good communication is important for the daily operation of the
company, but can also affect sales and profitability. Without good business
communication, the internal and external structure of a business can face numerous
challenges that can ultimately lead to its demise.
Good communication is an essential tool in achieving productivity and maintaining strong
working relationships at all levels of an organisation.
Employers who invest time and energy into delivering clear lines of communication will
rapidly build up levels of trust amongst employees, leading to increases in productivity,
output and morale in general.
Poor communication in the workplace will inevitably lead to unmotivated staff that may
begin to question their own confidence in their abilities and inevitably in the organisation.

The Importance of Communication in the Workplace

Defined as the interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or

signs, communication is one of the most important work ethics that can be used within the
work place. Communication is used by everyone in the work place at all times. Employees
communicate with each other to get their jobs done. Supervisors communicate with their
staff to run a business proficiently. Everyone working within a business communicates with
customers and consumers to make sure all of the clients' needs are met. Without it, no work
could ever be accomplished. With communication from each worker, duties can be fulfilled
smoothly with very few troubles. Any business lacking communication would automatically
fail. Every company is based around good communication between employees and patrons.

There are numerous positive aspects of communication in the work place.

If a misunderstanding is discussed rather than spoken about behind someone's back, the
problem could be cleared quickly, avoiding a possible crisis. Instead of putting up with
something that one feels to be morally wrong, if the employee speaks of his or her
disappointment or dismay, the situation could be overturned, therefore, providing a
healthier, improved work atmosphere and a boost of self-worth. By conversing with
managers and co-workers about the individual's feelings towards the job, better job
satisfaction can be gained.
With communication, many problems can be solved before they even have an opportunity
to arise. For example, if an employee does not completely comprehend his or her assigned
task, by approaching his or her overseer with the problem, a potential catastrophe could be
avoided. If the employee would have just gone about the duty without asking for clearer
directions, he or she may have faced dismissal from the job, therefore, leaving unemployed.
Being fired on the spot for something as trivial as not asking questions can possibly damage
your future job opportunities. So as one can see, a little communication can take someone a
very long way. It may even take the employee as far as potentially saving his or her future
work reputation with different companies.
Along with positive aspects of communication, there are quite a few negative facets as well.
It requires one's own judgment to deem certain types of communication as negative. Such
harmful communication may include a situation in which a worker openly expresses his or
her complaints about the job simply because he or she is feeling too lethargic to do it. By
grumbling about the work instead of accepting the job he or she was asked to do, an
employer may reason this employee to not be of any use to the company. Another situation
involving negative communication may include a person that bluntly gives negative criticism
rather than positive criticism. If a worker constantly criticizes a co-worker, the morale of the
whole company may plunge consequently decreasing the workers' productivity. Such
disparagement may make employees feel insecure or apprehensive about their work, thus
causing them to work less or inefficiently. Workers must be sure to always use clear
judgment when deciding which type of communication is negative and which is positive. A
lapse in judgment could be detrimental to one's life.
In order to avoid all of the negative outcomes of poor communication, all problems, issues,
and complaints should be discussed with higher authority in the work place. By discussing
everything with a supervisor, all assignments are elucidated, which allows a better chance
for sufficient work. If there are any issues or conditions that must be met, a worker and his
or her manager may be able to work out a compromise, making a job run more smoothly. If
workers do not speak up when a problem arises, the dilemma will never be solved, and all

productivity will decline. Miscommunication troubles harm not only the individual with the
problem but also the whole company as well as the company's clientele.
In conclusion, communication is the key to a satisfactory work environment.
Communication is valuable to every person within the work place. If no communication
were ever used, it would be impossible to conduct any type of business efficiently. If ever
faced with a problem, be sure to discuss it thoroughly with a supervisor. Matters should
never be taken into one's own hands when the assignment is unclear. They should always
be clarified to make sure the job is done correctly. Communication will make not only the
professional life easier to conduct but the private life easier as well. Never use
communication in the work place as a weapon. Communicating can be a very powerful act,
so always think before speaking. By discussing thoughts, problems, issues, plans, opinions,
or ideas, things will be handled in a very proficient manner.
______________________________________

OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNICATION -1
The basic ones are : to Inform , to Persuade & to Motivate ..
1. FOR STEADIER WORK FLOW - Communication acts as tool for the effective work related
flow of information.
2. STRONG BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS & ENHANCED PROFESSIONAL IMAGE - You can
shape the impressions you and your company make on colleagues, employees , supervisors ,
investors ,and customers in addition to perceiving and responding to the needs of these
stakeholders(the various group you interact with ) without effective communication , people
misunderstand each other and misinterpret information. Ideas misfire or fail to gain
attention and people and companies flounder.
3. CLEARER PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS - Your organizations need for effective reach of
company name and public promotions are based on effective promotional material such as
advertisements , bill boards , online add , posters etc are all communicated for effective
message delivery and meaning.
4. PROVIDE ADVICE - Giving advice is based on individual-oriented and work-oriented
,advice should not given to the person for pinpointing his mistakes rather it should be helpful
for his improvement. Effective advice promotes understanding and it can be a two way
process if the subordinate staff given freedom.

5. PROVIDE ORDER - Order is an authoritative communication pattern and it is directive to

somebody always a subordinate to do something. Orders will be written and oral orders ,
general and specific orders ,procedural and operational orders , mandatory and
discretionary order. Order should be clear and complete , execution should be possible and
given in a friendly way.
6. SUGGESTION - Suggestion is supposed to be very mild and subtle form of
communication. Suggestions are welcomed for it is not obligatory to accept them, it
can be voluntary and anonymous and submitted through suggestion boxes.
7. PERSUASION - Persuasion may be defined as an effort to influence the attitudes ,
feelings ,or beliefs of others , or to influence actions based on those attitudes ,
feelings , or beliefs. Persuasion can be done to others if you are convinced, you do not
impose , you are not rigid are prepared to meet half-way and you can look at the
situation from the other persons angle also.
8. EDUCATION - Education is a very conscious process of communication, it involves
both teaching and learning by which organizations provide to their employees in the
form of training. Education is given for management, employees and outside public.
9. WARNING - If the employees do not abide by the norms of the organization warning
is a power communication tool and it can be general and specific. Specific warning
should be administered in private and after thorough investigation. The aim of the
warning should be the organization betterment.
10. RAISING MORALE AND MOTIVATION - Morale stands for mental health and it is a
sum of several qualities like courage , resolution , confidence .High morale and
effective performance go hand to hand. Motivation is a process that account for an
individual intensity, direction , and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal.
11. TO GIVE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION - Communications main idea is to give and
receive information because managers need complete , accurate and precise
information to plan and organize employee need it to translate planning in to reality.
Information will cover all aspects of the business.
12. TO PROVIDE COUNSELLING - Counselling is given to solve employees mental stress
and improve the employees productivity.

13. TO IMPROVE DISCIPLINE - . Finally discipline is the foremost part of any business
communication. The various disciplinary codes are effectively communicated to
employees through disciplinary codes.
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Objectives of Communication - 2
Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. It is the vehicle that ensures proper
performance of organizational functions and achievement of organizational goals. As a
separate field of study, business communication has the following objectives:
1. To exchange information: The main objective of business communication is to
exchange information with the internal and external parties. Internal communication
occurs within the organization through orders, instructions, suggestions, opinions etc.
2. To develop plans: Plan is the blueprint of future courses of actions. The plan must be
formulated for attaining organizational goals. In order to develop a plan, management
requires information. In this regard, the objective of communication is to supply
required information to the concerned managers.
3. To implement the plan: Once a plan is prepared, it is to be implemented.
Implementation of a plan requires timely communication with the concerned parties.
Thus, communication aims at transmitting a plan throughout the organization for its
successful implementation.
4. To facilitate policy formulation: Policies are guidelines for performing organizational
activities. Policies are also termed as standing decisions to recurring problems. Every
organization needs to develop a set of policies to guide its operation. Preparing
policies also require information from various sources. Therefore, the objective of
communication is to collect necessary information for policy formulation.
5. To achieve organizational goal: Collective efforts of both managers and workers are
essential for achieving organizational goals. Communication coordinates and
synchronizes the efforts of employees at various levels to achieve the stated goals of
the organization.
6. To organize resources: Various kinds of resources are available in organization such as
human resources, material resources, financial resources and so on. In organizing
these resources in an effective and efficient way is a key challenge to the managers.
Communication is the vehicle to overcome this challenge.

7. To coordinate: Coordination is a basic management function. It involves linking the

various functional departments of large organizations. Without proper and timely
coordination, achievement of organizational goals is impossible. Therefore, the
objective of communication is to coordinate the functions of various departments for
the easy attainment of organizational goals.
8. To direct the subordinates: The job of a manager is to get the things done by others. In
order to get the things done, management needs to lead, direct and control the
employees. The performance of these managerial functions depends on effective
communication with subordinates.
9. To motivate employees: A pre-requisite of employee motivation is the satisfaction of
their financial and non-financial needs. Financial needs are fulfilled thorough monetary
returns. However, in order to satisfy non-financial needs, management must
communicate with employees on a regular basis both formally and informally.
10. To create consciousness: Employees of an organization must be conscious regarding
their duties and responsibilities. Communication supplies necessary information and
makes them conscious about their duties and responsibilities.
11. To increase efficiency: In order to increase employee efficiency, they should be
provided with necessary information and guidelines. Communication supplies such
information and guidelines for them.
12. To bring dynamism: Organizations should be dynamic to cope with the internal and
external changes. Bringing dynamism requires finding new and better ways of doing
things. For this purpose, communication helps to seek new ideas and suggestions from
the internal and external parties.
13. To improve labour-management is relationships: Harmonious relationship between
workers and management is a prerequisite for organizational success. In this regard,
the objective of communication is to ensure the free and fair flow of information and
to create good understanding between them.
14. To increase job satisfactions: Communication enhances job satisfaction level of
employees. It creates a friendly environment where employees can express
themselves. As a result, they become more satisfied with their job.
15. To convey employee reaction: Communication conveys employees reactions,
opinions, suggestions and complaints to their superiors about the plans, policies,
programs and strategies of the company.
16. To orient employee: Communication orients the new employees with the companys
policies, rules, regulations, procedures etc.

Types of Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of ideas,
feelings, intentions, attitudes, expectations, perceptions or commands, as by speech, nonverbal gestures, writings, behavior and possibly by other means such as electromagnetic,
chemical or physical phenomena and smell. It is the meaningful exchange of information
between two or more participants (machines, organisms or their parts).
Communication requires a sender, a message, a medium and a recipient, although the
receiver does not have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the
time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and
space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of
communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver
understands the sender's message.
Communicating with others involves three primary steps:

Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept, idea,
information, or feeling.
Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols.
Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or
information that a person can understand.

There are a variety of verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. These include body
language, eye contact, sign language, haptic communication, and chronemics. Other
examples are media content such as pictures, graphics, sound, and writing. The Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also defines the communication to include the
display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia, as well as
written and plain language, human-reader, augmentative and alternative modes, means and
formats of communication, including accessible information and communication
technology.[5] Feedback is a critical component of effective communication.
Verbal communication
Effective verbal or spoken communication is dependent on a number of factors and cannot
be fully isolated from other important interpersonal skills such as non-verbal
communication, listening skills and clarification. Human spoken and pictorial languages can
be described as a system of symbols (sometimes known as lexemes) and the
grammars (rules) by which the symbols are manipulated. The word "language" also refers to
common properties of languages. Language learning normally occurs most intensively
during human childhood. Most of the thousands of human languages use patterns
of sound or gesture for symbols which enable communication with others around them.
Languages seem to share certain properties although many of these include exceptions.
Communication is the flow or exchange of information from one person to another or a
group of people.
Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication describes the process of conveying meaning in the form of nonword messages. Some forms of non -verbal communication include chronemics,
haptics, gesture, body language or posture, facial expression and eye contact, object
communication such as clothing, hairstyles, architecture, symbols, infographics, and tone of
voice, as well as through an aggregate of the above. Speech also contains nonverbal
elements known as paralanguage. This form of communication is the most known for
interacting with people. These include voice lesson quality, emotion and speaking style as
well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation and stress. Research has shown that up
to 55% of human communication may occur through non -verbal facial expressions, and a
further 38% through paralanguage.[6] Likewise, written texts include nonverbal elements
such as handwriting style, spatial arrangement of words and the use of emoticons to convey
emotional expressions in pictorial form.
Oral communication
Oral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also
employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of meaning. Oral
communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal
communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and choice
tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than
informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate feedback, and
generally involves the cooperative principle.
Business communication
A business can flourish only when all objectives to the organization are achieved effectively.
For efficiency in an organization, all the people to the organization must be able to convey
their message properly. Communication skills have proven to be the most powerful element
to possess for in a skill set of employee. To equip yourselves for a smooth career in the field
of management, it is even more essential to grasp, practice and put on display high levels of
communication skills in regular and crisis situations. Effective communication skills act as
ladder to the managers and leaders for quick progression in their careers.
Written communication and its historical development
Over time the forms of and ideas about communication have evolved through the
continuing progression of technology. Advances include communications psychology and
media psychology, an emerging field of study.
Communication is thus a process by which meaning is assigned and conveyed in an attempt
to create shared understanding. This process, which requires a vast repertoire of skills
in interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, gestures,
and evaluating enables collaboration and cooperation.

Misunderstandings can be anticipated and solved through formulations, questions and

answers, paraphrasing, examples, and stories of strategic talk. Written communication can
be clarified by planning follow-up talks on critical written communication as part of the
every-day way of doing business. A few minutes spent talking in the present will save
valuable time later by avoiding misunderstandings in advance. A frequent method for this
purpose is reiterating what one heard in one's own words and asking the other person if
that really was what was meant.
Effective communication
Effective communication occurs when a desired effect is the result of intentional or
unintentional information sharing, which is interpreted between multiple entities and acted
on in a desired way. This effect also ensures that messages are not distorted during the
communication process. Effective communication should generate the desired effect and
maintain the effect, with the potential to increase the effect of the message. Therefore,
effective communication serves the purpose for which it was planned or designed. Possible
purposes might be to elicit change, generate action, create understanding, inform or
communicate a certain idea or point of view. When the desired effect is not achieved,
factors such as barriers to communication are explored, with the intention being to discover
how the communication has been ineffective.

Communication Channels
Introduction
In an organization, information flows forward, backwards and sideways. This information
flow is referred to as communication. Communication channels refer to the way this
information flows within the organization and with other organizations.
In this web known as communication, a manager becomes a link. Decisions and directions
flow upwards or downwards or sideways depending on the position of the manager in the
communication web.
For example, reports from lower level manager will flow upwards. A good manager has to
inspire, steer and organize his employees efficiently, and for all this, the tools in his
possession are spoken and written words.
For the flow of information and for a manager to handle his employees, it is important for
an effectual communication channel to be in place.
The Working of a Communication Channel

Through a modem of communication be it face to face conversations or an interdepartment memo, information is transmitted from a manager to a subordinate or vice
versa.
An important element of the communication process is the feedback mechanism between
the management and employees.
In this mechanism, employees inform managers that they have understood the task at hand
while managers provide employees with comments and directions on employee's work.
Importance of a Communication Channel
A breakdown in the communication channel leads to an inefficient flow in information.
Employees are unaware of what the company expects of them. They are uninformed of
what is going on in the company.
This will cause them to become suspicious of motives and any changes in the company. Also
without effective communication, employees become department minded rather than
company minded, and this affects their decision making and productivity in the workplace.
Eventually, this harms the overall organizational objectives as well. Hence in order for an
organization to be run effectively, a good manager should be able to communicate to
his/her employees what is expected of them, make sure they are fully aware of company
policies and any upcoming changes.
Therefore, an effective communication channel should be implemented by managers to
optimize worker productivity to ensure the smooth running of the organization.

Types of Communication Channels

The number of communication channels available to a manager has increased over the last
20 odd years. Video conferencing, mobile technology, electronic bulletin boards and fax
machines are some of the new possibilities.
As organizations grow in size, managers cannot rely on face to face communication alone to
get their message across.
A challenge the managers face today is to determine what type of communication channel
should they opt for in order to carryout effective communication.
In order to make a manager's task easier, the types of communication channels are grouped
into three main groups: formal, informal and unofficial.

Formal Communication Channels

A formal communication channel transmits information such as the goals, policies, and
procedures of an organization. Messages in this type of communication channel follow a

chain of command. This means information flows from a manager to his subordinates and
they in turn pass on the information to the next level of staff.
An example of a formal communication channel is a company's newsletter which gives
employees as well as the clients a clear idea of a company's goals and vision. It also includes
the transfer of information with regard to memoranda, reports, directions, and scheduled
meetings in the chain of command.
A business plan, customer satisfaction survey, annual reports, employer's manual, review
meetings are all formal communication channels.
Informal Communication Channels
Within a formal working environment, there always exists an informal communication
network. The strict hierarchical web of communication cannot function efficiently on its
own and hence there exists a communication channel outside of this web. While this type of
communication channel may disrupt the chain of command, a good manager needs to find
the fine balance between the formal and informal communication channel.
An example of an informal communication channel is lunchtime at the organization's
cafeteria/canteen. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, discussions among employees are
encouraged. Also managers walking around, adopting a hands-on approach to handling
employee queries is an example of an informal communication channel.
Quality circles, team work, different training programs are outside of the chain of command
and so, fall under the category of informal communication channels.

Unofficial Communication Channels

Good managers will recognize the fact that sometimes, communication that takes place
within an organization is interpersonal. While minutes of a meeting may be a topic of
discussion among employees, sports, politics and TV shows also share the floor.
The unofficial communication channel in an organization is the organization's 'grapevine'. It
is through the grapevine that rumors circulate. Also those engaging in 'grapevine'
discussions, often form groups which translate into friendships outside of the organization.
While the grapevine may have positive implications, more often than not information
circulating in the grapevine is exaggerated and may cause unnecessary alarm to employees.
A good manager should be privy to information circulating in this unofficial communication
channel and should take positive measures to prevent the flow of false information.
An example of an unofficial communication channel is social gatherings among employees.

Conclusion
In any organization, three types of communication channels exist: formal, informal and
unofficial.

While the ideal communication web is a formal structure in which informal communication
can take place, unofficial communication channels also exist in an organization.
Through these various channels, it is important for a manager to get his/her ideas across
and then listen, absorb, glean and further communicate to employees.

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Barriers to effective human communication

Barriers to effective communication can retard or distort the message and intention of the
message being conveyed which may result in failure of the communication process or an
effect that is undesirable. These include filtering, selective perception, information
overload, emotions, language, silence, communication apprehension, gender differences
and political correctness.
This also includes a lack of expressing "knowledge-appropriate" communication, which
occurs when a person uses ambiguous or complex legal words, medical jargon, or
descriptions of a situation or environment that is not understood by the recipient.
Physical barriers
Physical barriers are often due to the nature of the environment. An example of this is the
natural barrier which exists if staff are located in different buildings or on different sites.
Likewise, poor or outdated equipment, particularly the failure of management to introduce
new technology, may also cause problems. Staff shortages are another factor which
frequently causes communication difficulties for an organization.
System design
System design faults refer to problems with the structures or systems in place in an
organization. Examples might include an organizational structure which is unclear and
therefore makes it confusing to know whom to communicate with. Other examples could be
inefficient or inappropriate information systems, a lack of supervision or training, and a lack
of clarity in roles and responsibilities which can lead to staff being uncertain about what is
expected of them.
Attitudinal barriers
Attitudinal barriers come about as a result of problems with staff in an organization. These
may be brought about, for example, by such factors as poor management, lack of
consultation with employees, personality conflicts which can result in people delaying or
refusing to communicate, the personal attitudes of individual employees which may be due
to lack of motivation or dissatisfaction at work, brought about by insufficient training to
enable them to carry out particular tasks, or simply resistance to change due to entrenched
attitudes and ideas.

Ambiguity of words/phrases
Words sounding the same but having different meaning can convey a different meaning
altogether. Hence the communicator must ensure that the receiver receives the same
meaning. It is better if such words are avoided by using alternatives whenever possible.
Individual linguistic ability
The use of jargon, difficult or inappropriate words in communication can prevent the
recipients from understanding the message. Poorly explained or misunderstood messages
can also result in confusion. However, research in communication has shown that confusion
can lend legitimacy to research when persuasion fails.
Physiological barriers
These may result from individuals' personal discomfort, causedfor exampleby ill health,
poor eyesight or hearing difficulties.
Cultural differences
Cultural differences affects communication between people from different departments in
the organisation. It occurs frequently between people who have experienced different social
and religious environments. For example: words, colours and symbols have different
meanings in different cultures. In most parts of the world, nodding your head means
agreement, shaking your head means no, except in some parts of the world.[13]

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BARRIERS
There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In many
communications, the message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended
and hence it is important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their
message is clearly understood.
There exist many barriers to communication and these may occur at any stage in the
communication process. Barriers may lead to your message becoming distorted and you
therefore risk wasting both time and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding.
Effective communication involves overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and
concise message. Some common barriers to effective communication include:

The use of jargon, over-complicated or unfamiliar terms

Emotional barriers and taboos

Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver

Differences in perception and viewpoint

Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties

Physical barriers to non-verbal communication

Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents

Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping.

People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and
jump to incorrect conclusions.

Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different

cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept
of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings.

A skilled communicator must be aware of these barriers and try to reduce their impact by
continually checking understanding and by offering appropriate feedback.
A Categorization of Barriers to Communication
Language Barriers
Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication. However,
even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may
act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that
includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who
is not familiar with the terminology used. Regional colloquialisms and expressions may be
misinterpreted or even considered offensive. (See our page on effective speaking to help
you get your message across).

Psychological Barriers
The psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For
example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by
personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed. Stress
is an important factor in Interpersonal relationships - see What is Stress? and Avoiding
Stress for more information. Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to
communication, please see our pages on anger: Introduction to Anger and Anger
Management.
Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers may result from the receivers physical state: for example, a receiver
with reduced hearing may not grasp to entirety of a spoken conversation especially if there
is significant background noise.
Physical Barriers
An example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the
sender and receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more
communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern

technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and
disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate
channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers.
Systematic Barriers
Systematic barriers to communication may exist in structures and organisations where there
are inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where
there is a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication. In such
organisations, individuals may be unclear of their role in the communication process and
therefore not know what is expected of them.
Attitudinal Barriers
Attitudinal barriers are behaviours or perceptions that prevent people from communicating
effectively. Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts,
poor management, resistance to change or a lack of motivation. Effective receivers of
messages should attempt to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective
communication.

________________________________

No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they misunderstood others.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to
another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver (U.S.
Army, 1983). Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact
information or idea that the sender intended to transmit. Many of the problems that occur
in an organization are (Mistry, Jaggers, Lodge, Alton, Mericle, Frush, Meliones, 2008):

the direct result of people failing to communicate

processes that leads to confusion and can cause good plans to fail

Studying the communication process is important because you coach, coordinate, counsel,
evaluate, and supervise throughout this process. It is the chain of understanding that
integrates the members of an organization from top to bottom, bottom to top, and side to
side.

The Communication Process and its elements :

Communicating with others involves three primary steps:

Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept, idea,
information, or feelings.
Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols.
Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or information
that he or she can understand.
During the transmitting of the message, two elements will be received: content and
context. Content is the actual words or symbols of the message that is known as
language the spoken and written words combined into phrases that make grammatical
and semantic sense. We all use and interpret the meanings of words differently, so even
simple messages can be misunderstood. And many words have different meanings to
confuse the issue even more.
Context is the way the message is delivered and is known as paralanguage it is the
nonverbal elements in speech such as the tone of voice, the look in the sender's eyes, body
language, hand gestures, and state of emotions (anger, fear, uncertainty, confidence, etc.)
that can be detected. Although paralanguage or context often cause messages to be
misunderstood as we believe what we see more than what we hear; they are powerful
communicators that help us to understand each other. Indeed, we often trust the accuracy
of nonverbal behaviours more than verbal behaviours.
Some leaders think they have communicated once they told someone to do something, I
don't know why it did not get done. I told Jim to do it. More than likely, Jim misunderstood
the message. A message has NOT been communicated unless it is understood by the
receiver (decoded). How do you know it has been properly received? By two-way
communication or feedback. This feedback tells the sender that the receiver understood the
message, its level of importance, and what must be done with it. Communication is an
exchange, not a give, as all parties must participate to complete the information exchange.
Barriers to Communication:
Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood. Freeman Teague, Jr.
Anything that prevents understanding of the message is a barrier to communication. Many physical
and psychological barriers exist:

Culture, background, and bias We allow our past experiences to change the meaning of
the message. Our culture, background, and bias can be good as they allow us to use our past
experiences to understand something new, it is when they change the meaning of the
message that they interfere with the communication process.

Noise Equipment or environmental noise impedes clear communication. The sender and
the receiver must both be able to concentrate on the messages being sent to each other.
Ourselves Focusing on ourselves, rather than the other person can lead to confusion and
conflict. The Me Generation must be tossed aside for effective communication to occur.
Some of the factors that cause this are defensiveness (we feel someone is attacking us),
superiority (we feel we know more that the other), and ego (we feel we are the center of
the activity).
Perception If we feel the person is talking too fast, not fluently, does not articulate
clearly, etc., we may dismiss the person. Also our preconceived attitudes affect our ability to
listen. We may listen uncritically to persons of high status and dismiss those of low status.
Message Distractions happen when we focus on the facts rather than the idea being
communicated. Our educational institutions reinforce this with tests and questions.
Semantic distractions occur when a word is used differently than you prefer. For example,
the word chairman instead of chairperson, may cause you to focus on the word rather than
the message.
Environmental Bright lights, an attractive person, unusual sights, or any other stimulus
provides a potential distraction.
Smothering We take it for granted that the impulse to send useful information is
automatic. Not true! Too often we believe that certain information has no value to others or
they are already aware of the facts.
Stress People do not see things the same way when under stress. What we see and
believe at a given moment is influenced by our psychological frames of references our
beliefs, values, knowledge, experiences, and goals.

These barriers can be thought of as filters, that is, the message leaves the sender, goes through the
above filters, and is then heard by the receiver. These filters may muffle the message. And the way
to overcome filters is through active listening and feedback.

Active Listening
Hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is the act of perceiving sound. It is
involuntary and simply refers to the reception of aural stimuli. Listening is a selective activity
which involves the reception and the interpretation of aural stimuli. It involves decoding the
sound into meaning.
Listening is divided into two main categories: passive and active. Passive listening is little
more that hearing. It occurs when the receiver of the message has little motivation to listen
carefully, such as we often do when listening to music, television, or when being polite.
People speak at 100 to 175 words per minute (WPM), but they can listen intelligently at 600
to 800 WPM. Since only a part of our mind is paying attention, it is easy to go into mind
driftthinking about other things while listening to someone. The cure for this is active
listeningwhich involves listening with a purpose. It may be to gain information, obtain
directions, understand others, solve problems, share interest, see how another person feels,
show support, etc. It requires that the listener attends to the words and the feelings of the
sender for understanding. It requires the receiver to hear the various messages, understand
the meaning, and then verify the meaning by offering feedback. It takes the same amount
or more energy than speaking.

The following are a few traits of active listeners:

Spend more time listening than talking.

Do not finish the sentences of others.

Do not answer questions with questions.

Are aware of biases. We all have them. We need to control them.

Never daydreams or become preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk.

Let the other speakers talk. Do not dominate the conversations.

Plan responses after the others have finished speaking, NOT while they are speaking.

Provide feedback, but do not interrupt incessantly.

Analyze by looking at all the relevant factors and asking open-ended questions. Walk
others through by summarizing.

Keep conversations on what others say, NOT on what interests them.

Take brief notes. This forces them to concentrate on what is being said.

Feedback
When you know something, say what you know. When you don't know something, say that
you don't know. That is knowledge. Kung Fu Tzu (Confucius)

The purpose of feedback is to alter messages so the intention of the original communicator
is understood by the second communicator. It includes verbal and nonverbal responses to
another person's message.
Providing feedback is accomplished by paraphrasing the words of the sender. Restate the
sender's feelings or ideas in your own words, rather than repeating their words. Your words
should be saying, This is what I understand your feelings to be, am I correct? It not only
includes verbal responses, but also nonverbal ones. Nodding your head or squeezing their
hand to show agreement, dipping your eyebrows shows you don't quite understand the
meaning of their last phrase, or sucking air in deeply and blowing it hard shows that you are
also exasperated with the situation.
Carl Rogers listed five main categories of feedback. They are listed in the order in which they
occur most frequently in daily conversations. Notice that we make judgments more often
than we try to understand:
Evaluative: Making a judgment about the worth, goodness, or appropriateness of the other
person's statement.
Interpretive: Paraphrasing attempting to explain what the other person's statement
means.
Supportive: Attempting to assist or bolster the other communicator.
Probing: Attempting to gain additional information, continue the discussion, or clarify a
point.
Understanding: Attempting to discover completely what the other communicator means by
her statements.
Imagine how much better daily communications would be if listeners tried to understand
first, before they tried to evaluate what someone is saying.

Nonverbal Behaviours of Communication

To deliver the full impact of a message, use nonverbal behaviours to raise the channel of
interpersonal communication:
o

Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals

interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. People who make
eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern,
warmth, and credibility.

Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness,

friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be
perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is

often contagious and people will react favourably. They will be more
comfortable around you and will want to listen more.
o

Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking you may be perceived as

boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures the listener's attention,
makes the conversation more interesting, and facilitates understanding.

Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by

the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward
communicates to listeners that you are approachable, receptive and
friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and the listener face
each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or
ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.

Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction

with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading
the other person's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging,
tapping, and gaze aversion.

Vocal: Speaking can signal nonverbal communication when you include

such vocal elements as: tone, pitch, rhythm, timbre, loudness, and
inflection. For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six
elements of your voice. One of the major criticisms of many speakers is
that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of
speaker as boring and dull.

Speaking Hints
o

When speaking or trying to explain something, ask the listeners if they are
following you.

Ensure the receiver has a chance to comment or ask questions.

Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes consider the feelings of
the receiver.

Be clear about what you say.

Look at the receiver.

Make sure your words match your tone and body language (nonverbal
behaviors).

Vary your tone and pace.

o
o

Do not be vague, but on the other hand, do not complicate what you are saying with
too much detail.

Do not ignore signs of confusion.

_________________________________________________

Mehrabian and the 7%-38%-55% Myth :

We often hear that the content of a message is composed of:
55% from the visual component [ Visual ]
38% from the auditory component [ Vocal ]
7%

from language [ Verbal ]

However, the above percentages only apply in a very narrow context. A researcher named
Mehrabian was interested in how listeners get their information about a speaker's general
attitude in situations where the facial expression, tone, and/or words are sending conflicting
signals.
Thus, he designed a couple of experiments. In one, Mehrabian and Ferris (1967) researched
the interaction of speech, facial expressions, and tone. Three different speakers were
instructed to say maybe with three different attitudes towards their listener (positive,
neutral, or negative). Next, photographs of the faces of three female models were taken as
they attempted to convey the emotions of like, neutrality, and dislike.
Test groups were then instructed to listen to the various renditions of the word maybe,
with the pictures of the models, and were asked to rate the attitude of the speaker. Note
that the emotion and tone were often mixed, such as a facial expression showing dislike,
with the word maybe spoken in a positive tone.
Significant effects of facial expression and tone were found in that the study suggested that
the combined effect of simultaneous verbal, vocal and facial attitude communications is a
weighted sum of their independent effects with the coefficients of .07, .38, and .55,
respectively.
Mehrabian and Ferris caution their readers about the limitation to their research, These
findings regarding the relative contribution of the tonal component of a verbal message can
be safely extended only to communication situations in which no additional information
about the communicator/addressee relationship is available. Thus, what can be concluded
is that when people communicate, listeners derive information about the speaker's
attitudes towards the listener from visual, tonal, and verbal cues; yet the percentage
derived can vary greatly depending upon a number of other factors, such as actions, context
of the communication, and how well the communicators know each other.
Paul Ekman

In the mid 1960s, Paul Ekman studied emotions and discovered six facial expressions that
almost everyone recognizes world-wide: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and
surprise. Although they were controversial at first (he was booed off the stage when he first
presented it to a group of anthropologists and later called a fascist and a racist) they are
now widely accepted. One of the controversies still lingering is the amount of context
needed to interpret them. For example, if someone reports to me that they have this great
ideal that they would like to implement, and I say that would be great, but I look on them
with a frown, is it possible that I could be thinking about something else? The trouble with
these extra signals is that we do not always have the full context. What if the person
emailed me and I replied great (while frowning). Would it evoke the same response?
Emotions
Trust your instincts. Most emotions are difficult to imitate. For example, when you are truly
happy, the muscles used for smiling are controlled by the limbic system and other parts of
the brain, which are not under voluntary control. When you force a smile, a different part of
the brain is used the cerebral cortex (under voluntary control), hence different muscles
are used. This is why a clerk, who might not have any real interest in you, has a fake look
when he forces a smile.
Of course, some actors learn to control all of their facial muscles, while others draw on a
past emotional experience to produce the emotional state they want. But this is not an easy
trick to pull off all the time. There is a good reason for thispart of our emotions evolved to
deal with other people and our empathic nature. If these emotions could easily be faked,
they would do more harm than good (Pinker, 1997).
So our emotions not only guide our decisions, they can also be communicated to others to
help them in their decisions... of course their emotions will be the ultimate guide, but the
emotions they discover in others become part of their knowledge base.

NayanaTara Acharya
Assistant Professor - GM