Effective Communications
Effective Communications
Effective Communications
Introduction
the body language. Effective communication requires that the content transmitted is received and
comprehended in the manner intended by the sender. The objectives of effective communication
consist of obtaining accurate information, changing behavior and creating perception that is
common. Effective communication starts with encoding, which defines the expertise in
conveying messages in a clear and direct manner (Brounstein, 2013). Clear and direct relaying of
messages ensures that the receiver accurately decodes the message. Decoding is another vital
Case 10-A
Mistakes by Sam
Case 10-A shows a scenario where there is unsuccessful communication between Sam
Case and Paul Banks. The inefficiencies in the unit were as a result of Sam’s inability to encode
his message in a manner that Paul would decode correctly. Sam’s request to Paul to ‘get rid of
the problem’ was ambiguous. Case 10-A presented encoding barriers that impeded Sam’s
communication of the message and the desired information was not conveyed to Paul. Encoding
barriers stem from the sender. The encoding barrier presented in this case is the lack of sensitivity
to the receiver. This is because Sam as the sender of the message did not recognize the
knowledge, competencies and the status of the receiver and did not utilize language skills that
The situation in Case 10-A could have easily been avoided through effective
communication skills. Some of the effective communication skills that Sam would have used
included using clear and distinct specifics to explain how Paul should fix the problem in his
section (Robbins, 2013). Sam should have clarified to Paul that the main objective is to
discontinue the problem after the shift and use preventive maintenance during the shift. In
addition, he should have ensured that Paul comprehended his message. This by asking Paul to
clarify what he had understood as well as inquiring the methods that Paul would use to fix the
situation. For example, Sam should have stated “I want you to replace the automatic control unit
after the shift to avoid any further losses. How do you plan on doing that?”
Paul should also have practiced effective listening skills (Brounstein, 2013). The most
effective active listening skill that Paul should have used is providing feedback to Sam. He
should have asked questions to ensure that he clearly understood what is needed from him. For
example, he could have asked, “Can I replace the automatic control unit during shift?” and Sam
would have clarified that the activity should be done after the shift. He could also have
summarized Sam’s points periodically as well as paraphrasing words with the objective of
reflecting.
individuals are in pursuit of a common objective. This is because no two persons are identical on
the basis of their backgrounds, expectations, moods or experiences (Marin.edu, 2014). Barriers
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 4
may distort messages and may result to wasting time and inefficiencies as seen in Case 10-A.
Psychological barriers
Physiological barriers
Physical barriers
Systematic barriers
Attitudinal barriers
Identification of the various barriers to communication means that the sender and receiver
can be able to pinpoint measures that they can utilize to avert the issues that may arise. This
scenario presents Sam and Paul the opportunity to learn of the importance of effective
communication (Robbins, 2013). This will allow them to acquire various techniques and skills to
ensure that information is relayed effectively to ascertain cohesion of objectives. This will make
Case 10-B
In Case 10 –B, the personnel in General Mills and Pillsbury had various barriers to
communication. The meeting consisted of teams from two companies that had different
since the employees in are accustomed to different ways of communicating in their respective
organizations. In addition, there was information overload was a barrier to communication. The
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 5
presence of several employees who presented different ideas inhibited the amount of information
The presence of employees from different levels who had different roles in the
organization triggered anxiety in low-level employees, inhibiting the way they articulated their
ideas. Also the perception could have been a barrier to effective communication, with employees
from one company assuming that some information presented by employees in the other
The employees in the various functional areas have a different language, meaning that
different words have different meanings to the people working in the functional areas. This is
because these areas have certain norms and values that influence their language. Therefore, in
this case, the employees from the different functional areas had different meanings for different
terms, and this could have been a barrier to effective communication (Whitcomb & Whitcomb,
2013).
As a supervisor, I would advocate for employees to use words that are not ambiguous and
that they should also avoid jargons (Whitcomb & Whitcomb, 2013). This is because these words
will bring confusion to the members of the team. In addition, the members should feel free to
articulate ideas without being bothered by their level or role in the organization and the team. In
addition, visual and audio tools should be used to ensure all the team members were on track.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 6
Conclusion
It is important to practice effective communication skills. As it has been seen from the
two cases, ineffective communication leads to inefficiencies and loss of time. For effective
communication to occur, both the sender and receiver have to practice effective communication
skills (Brounstein, 2013). They entail skills for encoding and decoding of the message being
References
Brounstein, M. (2013). Communicating effectively for dummies. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley &
Sons.
Whitcomb, C. A., & Whitcomb, L. E. (2013). Effective interpersonal and team communication