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Communication is
1) the activity or process of sharing or exchanging ideas, feelings, information, experience
between two or more persons;
2) an act or instance of transmitting;
3) the information actually communicated by some means.
Definitions of communication:
1) The Oxford English Dictionary defines communication as “the action of conveying or
exchanging information and ideas.”
2) Peter Little defines communication as “the process by which information is transmitted
between individuals and or organizations so that an understanding response results.”
3) Allen Lui (Louis) defines communication as “ Communication is the sum of all the things
one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another. It is a bridge of
meaning. It involves a systematic process of telling, listening, understanding and responding.”
4) Keith Davis defines communication as “Communication is the transfer of information
and understanding from one person to another.”
2) The receiver’s mental ability to get the same idea as were transmitted i.e. accurate
replication.
3) The feedback or the receiver’s response.
2) The message
3) Encoding
5) The receiver
6) Decoding
7) Feedback
1. Healthy relations
2. Better performance
3. High morale
4. Good image unity
5. Reaching final goals
6. Smooth functioning
7. Greater efficiency
8. Higher productivity
9. Effective decision-making
10. Co-operation & Co-ordination
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Methods & Modes of Communication
Advantages:
1. Its direct & time saving 2. It saves money
3. It conveys the exact meaning of words 4. It provides immediate feedback
Disadvantages:
1. It lacks legal validity 2. Possibility of misunderstanding
3. It lacks accountability 4. Problem of retention
5. The need for good speaking skills 6. Not always effective
7. Lacks planning 8. Diversion of subject matter
Face-to-face communication
Advantages Disadvantages
1. Combination of verbal & non-verbal 1. Difficult to practice in large organizations
factors
2. Immediate feedback possible 2. Not effective if the receiver does not pay
attention
3. Modifications while delivering the 3. Not effective in large gatherings
message is possible
4. Particularly suitable for discussions
Non-verbal Communication:
Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another. Most of us spend
about 75 percent of our waking hours communicating our knowledge, thoughts, and ideas to
others. However, most of us fail to realize that a great deal of our communication is of a
nonverbal form as opposed to the oral and written forms.
Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, eye contact, tone of voice, body posture
and motions, and positioning within groups. It may also include the way we wear our clothes or
the silence we keep.
In person-to-person communications our messages are sent on two levels simultaneously. If the
nonverbal cues and the spoken message are incongruous, the flow of communication is hindered.
Right or wrong, the receiver of the communication tends to base the intentions of the sender on
the non- verbal cues he receives.
Physical. This is the personal type of communication. It includes facial expressions, tone of
voice, sense of touch, sense of smell, and body motions.
Aesthetic. This is the type of communication that takes place through creative expressions:
playing instrumental music, dancing, painting and sculpturing.
Signs. This is the mechanical type of communication, which includes the use of signal flags, the
21-gun salute, horns, and sirens.
Symbolic. This is the type of communication that makes use of religious, status, or egobuilding
symbols.
Our concern here will be with what Porter has called the physical method of non-verbal
communication.
• To function effectively as a team leader the manager must interact with the other
members successfully. Non-verbal cues, when interpreted correctly, provide him with one
means to do so.
• The team members project attitudes and feelings through non-verbal communication.
Some personal needs such as approval, growth, achievement, and recognition may be met
in effective teams. The extent to which these needs are met is closely related to how
perceptive the team leader and team members are to non-verbal communication in
themselves and in others on the team.
If the team members show a true awareness to non-verbal cues, the organization will
have a better chance to succeed, for it will be an open, honest, and confronting unit. Argyle and
his associates have been studying the features of nonverbal communication that provide
information to managers and their team members.
Non verbal communication is indirect, without words or without verbal messages. Non verbal
communication constitutes 45% of the impact of message in oral communication. The major
elements of non-verbal communication can be divided into body language (Kinesics), vocal tone,
space & proximics, dress & grooming etc.
1. Eye contact is a direct and powerful form of non-verbal communication. The superior in
the organization generally maintains eye contact longer than the subordinate. The direct
stare of the sender of the message conveys candor and openness. It elicits a feeling of
trust. Downward glances are generally associated with modesty. Eyes rolled upward are
associated with fatigue.
2. Facial Expressions :A smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn, and sneer all convey
information. Facial expressions continually change during interaction and are monitored
constantly by the recipient. There is evidence that the meaning of these expressions may
be similar across cultures.
3. Gestures : One of the most frequently observed, but least understood, cues is a hand
movement. Most people use hand movements regularly when talking. While some
gestures (e.g., a clenched fist) have universal meanings, most of the others are
individually learned and idiosyncratic.
A gesture is an action of body , hand or head, which conveys a message. Eg: yes, no,
Namaste, wait.
5. Dress & grooming : Uniforms have both a functional and a communicative purpose.
This man's clothes identify him as male and a police officer; his badges and shoulder
sleeve insignia give information about his job and rank. Elements such as physique,
height, weight, hair, skin color, gender, odors, and clothing send nonverbal messages
during interaction.
6. Proxemics: Proxemics is the study of how people use and perceive the physical space
around them. The space between the sender and the receiver of a message influences the
way the message is interpreted. The perception and use of space varies significantly
across cultures and different settings within cultures. Space in nonverbal communication
may be divided into four main categories: intimate, social, personal, and public space.
7. Paralanguage: Includes pitch, volume, intonation etc. The tone of voice, rate of speech,
pause, accent can not only communicate but alter the meaning significantly. Researchers
have found that the tone, pitch, quality of voice, and rate of speaking convey emotions
that can be accurately judged regardless of the content of the message. The important
thing to gain from this is that the voice is important, not just as the conveyor of the
message, but as a complement to the message. As a communicator you should be
sensitive to the influence of tone, pitch, and quality of your voice on the interpretation of
your message by the receiver.
Visual & Auditory Signs & Signals: The word sign has been derived from the latin word
signum which means mark. Signs eg. Plus, minus, multiplication, divisions, can be used in
chemistry, maths, music, road signs etc. Auditory signs includes door bell, college bell,
ambulance siren etc.
Value of Time :
Time can be an indicator of status. How long will you give the staff member who wishes
to speak to you? How long will you make him wait to see you? Do you maintain a
schedule? Is your schedule such that your subordinates must arrange their schedules to suit
yours? In a healthy organization, the manager and his subordinates use time to
communicate their mutual respect to each other.
Barriers to communication
The word barrier means an obstacle, a hindrance or simply a problem that comes in a way of
transmission of a message and blocks the process, either completely or partially.
3. Psychological barriers:
Psyche means mind. Psychological barriers are created in the mind. Communication is a
mental activity and its aim is to create understanding. But the human mind is complex
and not all communication can result in understanding. There are several kinds of
psychological barriers which can come in the way of understanding.
(a) Emotions: Emotions are among the most common psychological barriers to
communication. The emotion may be connected to the communication received or it
may be present in the sender‗s or receiver‗s mind, even before the communication takes
place. In both cases, it acts as a barrier. Emotions can be positive, like happiness and joy,
or negative, like fear, anger, mistrust etc. Both positive and negative emotions act as
barriers, if they are not kept in check.
(b) Prejudice: A prejudice is an opinion held by a person for which there is no rational
basis or valid reason. It can be against something or someone, or in favour of it, but it
becomes a barrier to a meaningful communication. Prejudices are based on ignorance and
lack of information, e.g., prejudices about certain communities or groups of people.
(c) Halo effect: Sometimes our reactions to people are not balanced or objective; they
are of an extreme nature. Either we like a person so much that we can find no
shortcomings in her/him, or we dislike someone so much that we can see nothing good in
her/him. In both cases, we commit errors of judgment and fail to understand the person.
(d) Self-image or different perceptions: Every person has in her/his mind a certain
image of herself/himself. S/he thinks of herself/himself in a certain way. This is their
perception of themselves, their self-image. One‗s self-image is the product of one‗s
heredity, one‗s environment and one‗s experiences, and thus every person‗s self-image
is unique and different from the others. Self-image can create a barrier because we accept
communication which is compatible with our self-image. We avoid or reject
communication, which goes against our perception of ourselves.
(e) Closed Mind: A closed mind is one which refuses to accept an idea or opinion on
a subject, because it is different from his idea. Such persons form their opinion on a
subject, and then refuse to listen to anyone who has something different to say about it. A
closed mind may be the result of some past experience or just habit. It is very difficult to
remove this psychological barrier.
(g) Inattentiveness and Impatience: Sometimes the receiver may not pay attention to
the sender‗s message, or he may be too impatient to hear the message fully and properly.
Such barriers are common in oral communication.
Overcoming Barriers :
Barriers disrupt communication and interfere with understanding. They must be
overcome if communication has to be effective.
Physical barriers are comparatively easier to overcome. The use of loudspeakers and
microphones can remove the barriers of noise and distance in crowded places like
railway stations. Traffic signals and non-verbal gestures of the traffic policeman remove
physical barriers on the roads. Technological advancement has helped in reducing the
communication gap arising due to time and distance .It is possible to make an alternative
arrangement, should the technological instruments fail. A back-up plan helps in tidying
over any snag.
Language or Semantic Barriers can be overcome if the sender and the receiver choose
a language which both of them understand very well. Help from a translator or an
interpreter also helps in overcoming the language barrier. Exposure to the target
language and training oneself in the acquisition of skills of the given language too help in
overcoming the language barrier. Language barriers can be avoided by careful study and
accurate use of language. Clarity should be the main objective when using language.
Jargon should be avoided.
Psychological barriers, as also cross-cultural barriers are difficult to overcome, as
they are difficult to identify and even more difficult to address. Even these can be
avoided or reduced by adopting a flexible and open-minded attitude. The ultimate aim is
to build bridges of understanding between people – that is the main aim of
communication. Training oneself to listen to different views , exposing oneself to
different environments help in broadening one‗s outlook and cultivating tolerance to
multiple views. Teaching oneself to listen with empathy helps in making oneself more
open to others ‗perceptions.
While dealing with psychological or cross-cultural barriers the sender
should make it a point to–
(i) Use language that is politically neutral and correct.
(ii) Present views in simple and objective manner
(iii) Focus on the objective of communication
Listening
Importance of listening
Listening is such a routine activity that most people do not even realize that they are poor
listeners, and are, therefore, in need of developing their listening skills. Others may feel that
listening is a very difficult task, perhaps, next to impossible to achieve. But the truth is that good
listening habits can be cultivated, and with practice, much can be achieved. Understanding the
complex process of listening, itself, may help people become good listeners. Listening involves
the following inter-related steps in sequential order:
Receiving-----Attending-----Interpreting-----Remembering-----Evaluating-----Responding
. Receiving: This is a kind of physiological process. The sounds impinge on the listener‗s ear. It
is only when he takes these in that he can go further in the process of getting at the meaning.
. Attending: The listener has to focus his attention on the .message. to the exclusion of all other
sounds that may be present in the immediate surroundings.
. Interpreting: The sounds have to be interpreted, that is, the listener tries to understand the
message that is being put across against the background of his own values, beliefs, ideas,
expectations, needs, experience and background — and, of course, taking into account the
speaker‗s viewpoint.
. Responding: The listener gives a verbal or nonverbal response, and takes action accordingly.
Barriers to listening:
1. Distractions
a. Semantic - The listener is confused about the actual meaning of a word, as the
word has different meanings.
b. Physical - This occurs when, for eg., the air-conditioning system or microphones
fail; or there is noise in the surroundings; or, someone is constantly tapping on the
table with his fingers.
c. Mental - This occurs when the listener makes himself the central character of his
daydreams and forgets the speaker.
2. Faking attention or pretending to listen –
This usually happens when the message consists of material of a difficult or uninteresting
nature. The listener may not want to bother to understand the message. Sometimes this
may happen when he is critical of the speaker‗s looks, style of speaking, or mannerisms.
3. Defensive listening – This kind of listening takes place when the speaker‗s views
challenge the listener‗s beliefs.
4. Prejudice – The listener‗s bias, negative attitude, preconceived notions, fears, or stress
adversely affect listening.
5. Constant focus on self - A person‗s ego may also adversely affect his listening. The
Roman playwright, Terence, reveals this aspect of human nature when he says: .My
closest relation is myself. A person may believe that he knows everything that the
speaker is talking about and, therefore, does not need to listen.
6. Information overload - The listener may be exposed to too many words or points and,
therefore, be unable to take in everything. He should learn how to pick up the important
ones, and discard the rest.
7. The thinking-speaking rate - The speaking rate is 125 – 150 words per minute, whereas
the thinking rate is 400 words per minute. So the listener‗s mind is moving much faster
than the speaker is able to speak. The extra, intervening time, before the speaker arrives
at his next point, is usually spent in shifting one‗s mental focus, or in day dreaming.
8. Short attention span - The natural attention span for human beings is short. This is not
easy to rectify, except for making a special effort to concentrate and prolong one‗s
attention span.
Listening strategies: