WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Communication is a process whereby information is enclosed in a package and is channeled and imparted by a sender to a receiver through a medium. The receiver then decodes the message and gives the sender feedback. Communication processes in which information is encoded in a predefined manner and transferred to the receiver through a medium to get decoded and interpreted in order to give feedback
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
Source/Sender: The source is the person or thing attempting to share information.
Message: Message is the information need to be communicated.
Encoding: Encoding is the process of assembling the message (information, ideas and thoughts) into a representative design.
Channel: Channel is the medium through which the message needs to be communicated.
Receiver: A receiver is a person or thing who receives the message.
Decoding: Decoding is the process in which the receiver interprets the meaning of the message.
Feedback: Feedback is the response or reaction of the receiver after decoding the message.
ESSENTIALS OF COMMUNICATION
Structure: An opening, a body, a close.
Clarity: Message should clear; confused message ends up confusing the audience and the message is ignored by the receiver.
Consistency: Maintaining consistency in the theme of the message.
Medium: Choosing the right medium to communicate the message with the greatest accuracy, with the largest likelihood of audience comprehension, at the lowest fiscal cost, at the lowest time cost.
Relevancy: Information should relevant and related to the message and theme.
Primacy & Recency: Message should be remembering, Psychologists call the effect of remembering the first few items presented as a 'Primacy Effect‘ and the effect of remembering the last few items presented as a 'Recency Effect’.
Psychological Rule of 7±2: The human brain is structured to retain information in 'clusters' or groups of items, these clusters or groups average, across the whole of mankind, at seven items, plus or minus two. This means that the audience is only able to hold on to between five and nine pieces of information at any one time. Sender Encoding Message Receiver Channel Decoding Feedback 3
WHY WE COMMUNICAT WITH OTHERS (THE OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNICATION )
1. For exchange information.
2. For coordinate.
3. For increase efficiency.
4. For motivate.
5. For direct.
6. To bring dynamism.
7. To improve relationships.
8. For orient newcomers.
9. To create consciousness.
Barriers to Effective Communication
Physical Barriers:- this has to do with poor or outdated equipment used during communications, background noise, poor lighting, temperatures that are too hot or too cold.
Attitudes:- emotions like anger or sadness can taint objectivity. Also being extremely nervous, having a personal agenda, or “needing to be right no matter what” can make communications less than effective. This is also known as “Emotional Noise”.
Language:- this can seem like an easy one, but even people speaking the same language can have difficulty understanding each other if they are from different generations or from different regions of the same country. Slang, professional jargon, and regional colloquialisms can even hurt communicators with the best intentions.
Problems with Structure Design:- companies or institutions can have organizational structures that are not clear, which can make communications difficult. Also to blame for faulty communications are bad information systems, and lack of supervision or training of the people involved.
Cultural Noise:- people sometimes make stereotypical assumptions about others based on their cultural background.
Lack of Common Experience:- it’s a great idea to use examples or stories to explain a point that is being discussed. However, if the speaker and the audience cannot relate to these examples because they do not have the same knowledge or have not shared the same experiences then this tool will be ineffective.
Ambiguity and Abstractions Overuse:- leaving things half-said, using too many generalizations, proverbs or sayings, can all lead to communications that are not clear and that can lend themselves to misinterpretations.
Information Overload:- it takes time to process a lot of information and too many details can overwhelm and distract the audience from the important topics. Keep it Simple.
Assumptions and Jumping to Conclusions: This can make someone reach a decision about something before listening to all the facts.
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