Define Communication

Communication is the process of conveying information, ideas, thoughts, or

feelings from one person or group to another, often through verbal or
nonverbal means, to achieve understanding and connection.

Communication involves the transmission of information, which can be in the

form of words, gestures, symbols, or other signals.

The word ‘Communication’ comes from the Latin word commūnicāre, meaning
‘to share’.

Communication is a two-way exchange of information, i.e., giving and

receiving.

What are communication skills?

Communication skills are the abilities used to effectively convey and receive
information, including both verbal and nonverbal methods, enabling clear and
productive interactions.

Key Aspects of Communication Skills:

●​ Verbal Communication: This involves speaking clearly, using
appropriate language, and expressing ideas and feelings effectively.
●​ Nonverbal Communication: This includes body language, facial
expressions, tone of voice, and other cues that convey meaning
beyond words.
●​ Active Listening: Paying attention to what others are saying, asking
clarifying questions, and providing feedback to ensure understanding.
●​ Empathy and Understanding: Recognizing and acknowledging the
perspectives and emotions of others.
●​ Adaptability: Adjusting your communication style to suit different
situations and audiences.
●​ Clarity and Conciseness: Communicating information in a way that is
easy to understand and avoid ambiguity.
 ●​ Respectful Communication: Treating others with courtesy and
consideration, even when disagreeing.
●​ Constructive Feedback: Providing helpful and actionable feedback to
others.
●​ Written Communication: Expressing ideas clearly and effectively in
writing, such as emails, reports, and other documents.
●​ Visual Communication: Using visuals like charts, graphs, and
presentations to convey information effectively.

Why are Communication Skills Important?

​ Personal Relationships:​
Effective communication fosters stronger relationships with family, friends,
and colleagues.
​ Career Success:​
Clear and effective communication is crucial for job performance,
teamwork, and leadership.
​ Problem Solving:​
Good communication skills help people understand problems, find
solutions, and work together to achieve goals.
​ Conflict Resolution:​
Effective communication can help prevent misunderstandings and resolve
conflicts constructively.
​ Social Interactions:​
Communication skills are essential for navigating social situations and
building connections with others.
​ Learning and Education:​
Effective communication is important for understanding instructions,
participating in discussions, and expressing ideas in academic settings.

Elements of communication-
The key elements of communication are the sender, message, encoding,
channel, receiver, decoding, and feedback, which facilitate
understanding and successful interactions.
●​ Sender: The individual or group initiating the communication.
●​ Message: The information, ideas, or feelings being conveyed.
 ●​ Encoding: The process of transforming the message into a
transmittable form (e.g., words, gestures).
●​ Channel: The medium through which the message is transmitted (e.g.,
spoken words, written text, email).
●​ Receiver: The individual or group receiving the message.
●​ Decoding: The process of interpreting the message.
●​ Feedback: The receiver's response to the message, indicating
understanding or lack thereof.
●​ Context: The environment or situation in which communication takes
place, which can influence how messages are interpreted.
●​ Noise: Any interference that can disrupt the communication process,
either physical (e.g., background noise) or psychological (e.g.,
preconceived notions).

Factors that affect communication-

Several factors can affect communication, including language barriers,
cultural differences, emotional states, nonverbal cues, communication
channels, and the environment.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of factors that can affect communication:

1. Language and Communication Skills:

●​ Language Barriers: Differences in language, jargon, or slang can
create misunderstandings.
●​ Clarity and Conciseness: A message that is not clear or concise can
be misinterpreted.
●​ Communication Skills: Poor communication skills, such as poor
listening skills or inability to express oneself effectively, can hinder
communication.
●​ Emotional intelligence: Being able to choose the right words and tone
to convey a message is important.

2. Cultural and Social Factors:

●​ Cultural Differences:​
Cultural norms and values can influence communication styles and
behaviors.
●​ Social Status and Power Dynamics:​
Hierarchical structures or power imbalances can create barriers to open
and honest communication.
●​ Personal Beliefs and Values:​
Individual beliefs and values can affect how people interpret and respond
to messages.
●​ Cultural Awareness:​
Understanding and respecting cultural differences is crucial for effective
communication.

3. Nonverbal Communication:
●​ Body Language: Nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions,
gestures, and posture, can convey messages that may contradict or
reinforce verbal communication.
●​ Eye Contact: The amount and type of eye contact can convey different
meanings depending on cultural context.
●​ Tone of Voice: The tone of voice can also affect how a message is
received.

4. Environmental Factors:
​ Physical Barriers:​
Noise, distractions, or physical distance can make it difficult to
communicate effectively.
​ Context:​
The context of the communication, such as the setting or the relationship
between communicators, can influence how messages are interpreted.
​ Time and Distance:​
The time and distance between communicators can affect the choice of
communication channel and the speed of communication.

5. Psychological Factors:
​ Emotions:​
Strong emotions, such as anger or fear, can cloud judgment and lead to
poor communication.
​ Perception:​
People's individual perceptions and biases can affect how they interpret
messages.
​ Attention and Concentration:​
A lack of attention or concentration can lead to missed information or
misunderstandings.

Principles and 7 C’s of Effective Communication

1. Conciseness
In formal communication, we should be very careful about the
briefness/conciseness of the message. As brevity is one of the principles of
formal communication.
2. Correctness
Correctness means the accuracy of thoughts, figures, and words. If the given
information is not correctly conveyed, the sender will lose reliability.

3. Concreteness
While communicating one should be very specific. Concreteness is an important
aspect of effective communication. It is about being specific and definite rather
than general.

4. Clarity
Clarity is one of the principles of formal communication. Whatever we
speak/communicate should have clarity. The idea of the message should be very
clear in the mind of the sender.

The sender must be careful about the clarity of thought and objective of
communication.

5. Completeness
Effective communication depends on the completeness of the message.
Incomplete messages create ambiguity in the audience.

6. Consideration
It is an act of consideration. While sending a message the sender should look
from the angle of the audience. The sender should understand the feelings and
emotions of the receivers. It shows that in communication we should consider
the audience.

7. Courtesy
Courtesy means polite behaviour. While communicating everybody should show
politeness towards others. It facilitates communication. The polite messages
help to strengthen relationships and to create goodwill, which helps in expanding
the business.
Different methods of communication-
Different methods of communication include verbal (speaking, writing),
non-verbal (body language, gestures), visual (images, charts), and listening
(active engagement).

There are different methods of communication, which include non-verbal,

verbal and visual.
❖ Verbal Communication
✔ Verbal communication is the sharing of information by using words.
✔ It is what most people use as a method of communication.
Type of Verbal Communication
Oral or Spoken Communication: Communication which involves talking
Examples:
Face-to-face conversation
Talking on a phone
Classroom teaching, business discussion and public speeches

Written Communication: Communication which involves written or typed

words.
Examples: Writing letters, notes, email, etc

Advantages of verbal communication

✔ Verbal communication is easy and quick
✔ Effectively convey the message
✔ Fastest mode of Communication
✔ Useful for illiterates
Disadvantages:
✔ Less creative
✔ Require attention throughout
✔ Increases the chance of mistakes
Non-Verbal Communication
✔ Non-verbal communication is the message we send to others without
using any words
✔ Non-verbal communication makes our message stronger.
✔ Using the right gestures while speaking makes our message more
effective.
 ✔ Knowing non-verbal communication helps us understand our
audience’s reaction and adjust our behaviour or communication
accordingly.
Types of Non-verbal communications

Type What it implies How to make use of

non-verbal
communication
effectively?

Facial Expression A facial expression, many a ●​ Keep your face

time, shows the feelings of a relaxed
person. • Try to match your
For example, when we are expression
happy, we express it through with what you are saying
a smile or when we are sad
we show a gloomy face.

Posture Postures are positions of ●​ Keep your upper

the body. They show our body relaxed
confidence and feelings. and, shoulders straight
For example, straight • Sit straight, rest hands
body posture is seen as and
confidence. Holding your feet in relaxed position
head may be taken as • Keep hands by your sides
tiredness. while standing

Gestures or Gestures describe • Instead of keeping your

Body Language movements of parts of the hands
body, especially hands or in pocket while talking, try
head, to express an idea to
or meaning. keep your hands on the
For example, raising a sides
hand may mean asking a • Bend your head a little
question. Biting nails show while
nervousness. talking or listening to show
that you are paying
attention.
Touch We communicate a great • Shake hands firmly
deal through our touch, • Avoid other touch
such as shaking hands and gestures,
patting on the back. For such as stroking your hair,
example, a firm handshake scratching your nose,
shows confidence. Sports tugging
coaches pat on the back of on your clothes, etc.,
the players to encourage the during
players. communication.

Eye Contact Maintaining an eye contact • Look at the person who is

with the person you are speaking
talking, indicates interest, • Keep a relaxed, pleasant
whereas, looking away can look
make the other person feel • Break the look every few
ignored. seconds

Paralanguage Paralanguage is the tone • Use a proper tone and

of our voice, speed and volume
volume that makes a while speaking
difference in the meaning • Maintain a moderate rate
of the communication. (speed) of talking
Speaking too fast may show
excitement or nervousness.
Speaking too slow may
show seriousness, sadness
or making a point

Visual communication
Another important method of communication is visual communication, which
involves sending and understanding messages only through images or
pictures.
The main advantage of this type of communication is that you do not need to
know any particular language for understanding it.
Examples of Visual Communication
✔ Traffic symbol which communicates not to blow horn
✔ Sign for ladies and gents toilet
✔ Sign for flammable substances