Communication

At the end students will be able to

answer
• Define Communication and draw the block diagram of
communication
• Define Communication and describe various types of communication
• Explain various barriers in effective communication
• Describe Various Styles of Communication
Communication is defined as a process by which
information is exchanged between individuals through
a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior

Communication must include both the transfer and

understanding of meaning.
Functions of communication
• Control- Communication acts to control Members behavior in several
ways, organisations have authority hierarchies and formal guidelines
that employees are required to follow.

• Motivation – motivates employee by clarifying what is to be done,

how well they are doing and what can be done to improve
performance .
• Emotional expression- for many employees their work group is a
primary source of social interaction. Within grp members show their
frustrations, feeling of satisfaction, provides a release of their
emotional expression of feelings and fulfillment of social needs.

• Information- communication provides information an individual needs

to make decision
Communication process
• Formal Channels: communication channels established by an
organization to transmit messages related to the professional
activities of members.

• Informal channels: Created spontaneously and emerged as responses

to individual choices.
Direction of Communication
Different Types of
Communication and Channels
There are three types of communication, including:
• verbal communication involving listening to a person to understand
the meaning of a message,
• written communication in which a message is read,
• Nonverbal communication involving observing a person and inferring
meaning.
• Verbal Communication
• Verbal communications in business take place over the phone or in person. The
medium of the message is oral.
• Written Communication
• In contrast to verbal communications, which are oral, written business communications
are printed messages. Examples of written communications include memos, proposals,
e-mails, letters, training manuals, and operating policies. They may be printed on paper
or appear on the screen. Written communication is often asynchronous. That is, the
sender can write a message that the receiver can read at any time, unlike a
conversation that is carried on in real time. A written communication can also be read
by many people (such as all employees in a department or all customers). It’s a “one-to-
many” communication, as opposed to a one-to-one conversation. There are exceptions,
of course: A voice mail is an oral message that is asynchronous. Conference calls and
speeches are oral one-to-many communications, and e-mails can have only one
recipient or many.
• Nonverbal Communication
• What you say is a vital part of any communication. Surprisingly, what you don’t say can
be even more important.
• 55% of in-person communication comes from nonverbal cues such as
facial expressions, body stance, and tone of voice. According to one
study, only 7% of a receiver’s comprehension of a message is based
on the sender’s actual words, 38% is based on paralanguage (the
tone, pace, and volume of speech), and 55% is based on nonverbal
cues (body language). To be effective communicators, our body
language, appearance, and tone must align with the words we’re
trying to convey. A different tone can change the perceived meaning
of a message. changing the tone of voice in a conversation can incite
or diffuse a misunderstanding.
• Body Language-A simple rule of thumb is that simplicity, directness,
and warmth conveys sincerity. Sincerity is vital for effective
communication. In some cultures, a firm handshake, given with a
warm, dry hand, is a great way to establish trust. A weak, clammy
handshake might convey a lack of trustworthiness. Gnawing one’s lip
conveys uncertainty. A direct smile conveys confidence.
• Eye Contact-In business, the style and duration of eye contact varies
greatly across cultures. looking someone in the eye (for about a
second) is considered a sign of trustworthiness.
• Facial Expressions-. Our faces convey basic information to the outside
world.
• Posture-The position of our body relative to a chair or other person is
another powerful silent messenger that conveys interest, aloofness,
professionalism, or lack thereof.
•
Communication Channels
• The channel, or medium, used to communicate a message affects how
accurately the message will be received.
• written media may be a better choice when the sender wants a record
of the content, has less urgency for a response, is physically separated
from the receiver, and doesn’t require a lot of feedback from the
receiver, or when the message is complicated and may take some time
to understand.
• Oral communication, on the other hand, makes more sense when the
sender is conveying a sensitive or emotional message, needs feedback
immediately, and does not need a permanent record of the
conversation.
• Like face-to-face and telephone conversations, videoconferencing has
high information richness, because receivers and senders can see or
hear beyond just the words that are used—they can see the sender’s
body language or hear the tone of their voice. Handheld devices,
blogs, and written letters and memos offer medium-rich channels,
because they convey words and pictures or photos. Formal written
documents, such as legal documents and budget spreadsheets,
convey the least richness, because the format is often rigid and
standardized. As a result, the tone of the message is often lost.
Barriers to Effective
Communication
• Filtering-Filtering is the distortion or withholding of information to manage a
person’s reactions.
some of the criteria that individuals may use when deciding whether to filter a
message or pass it on:
Past experience: Were previous senders rewarded for passing along news of
this kind in the past, or were they criticized?
Knowledge and perception of the speaker: Has the receiver’s direct superior
made it clear that “no news is good news?”
Emotional state, involvement with the topic, and level of attention: Does the
sender’s fear of failure or criticism prevent the message from being conveyed.
filtering can lead to miscommunications in business.
• Selective Perception-Selective perception refers to filtering what we see and hear to suit our
own needs. This process is often unconscious. We are bombarded with too much stimuli every
day to pay equal attention to everything, so we pick and choose according to our own needs.
Selective perception is a time-saver, a necessary tool in a complex culture. But it can also lead to
mistakes.
• Information Overload-a symptom of the high-tech age, which is too much information for one
human being to absorb in an expanding world of people and technology. It comes from all
sources including TV, newspapers, and magazines as well as wanted and unwanted regular mail,
e-mail and faxes.
• Emotional Disconnects
• An effective communication requires a sender and a receiver who are open to speaking and
listening to one another, despite possible differences in opinion or personality. One or both
parties may have to put their emotions aside to achieve the goal of communicating clearly. A
receiver who is emotionally upset tends to ignore or distort what the sender is saying. A sender
who is emotionally upset may be unable to present ideas or feelings effectively.
• Lack of Source Familiarity or Credibility-It’s best to keep these types of
communications out of the workplace, as their benefits are limited, and their
potential dangers are great.
• Workplace Gossip-Employees trust their peers as a source of information, but
the grapevine’s informal structure can be a barrier to effective
communication from the managerial point of view. Its grassroots structure
gives it greater credibility in the minds of employees than information
delivered through official channels, even when that information is false. Some
downsides of the office grapevine are that gossip offers politically minded
insiders a powerful tool for disseminating communication (and self-promoting
miscommunications) within an organization. In addition, the grapevine lacks a
specific sender, which can create a sense of distrust among employees
• Semantics-Words can mean different things to different people, or they
might not mean anything to another person. This is called semantics. For
example, companies often have their own acronyms and buzzwords (called
business jargon) that are clear to them but impenetrable to outsiders.
• Biased Language-Effective communication is clear, factual, and goal-
oriented. It is also respectful. Referring to a person by one adjective
(a brain, a diabetic) reduces the person to that one characteristic.
Language that inflames or stereotypes a person poisons the
communication process. Language that insults an individual or group
based on age, ethnicity, sexual preference, or political beliefs violates
public and private standards of decency, ranging from civil rights to
corporate regulations.
PASSIVE COMMUNICATION
• PASSIVE COMMUNICATION is a style in which individuals have
developed a pattern of avoiding expressing their opinions or feelings,
protecting their rights, and identifying and meeting their needs. As a
result, passive individuals do not respond overtly to hurtful or anger-
inducing situations. Instead, they allow grievances and annoyances to
mount, usually unaware of the buildup. But once they have reached
their high tolerance threshold for unacceptable behavior, they are
prone to explosive outbursts, which are usually out of proportion to
the triggering incident. After the outburst, however, they may feel
shame, guilt, and confusion, so they return to being passive.
Passive communicators will often
• fail to assert for themselves
• allow others to deliberately or inadvertently infringe on their rights
• fail to express their feelings, needs, or opinions
• tend to speak softly or apologetically
• exhibit poor eye contact and slumped body posture
impact of a pattern of passive communication is that these individuals:

• often feel anxious because life seems out of their control

• often feel depressed because they feel stuck and hopeless
• often feel resentful (but are unaware of it) because their needs are
not being met
• often feel confused because they ignore their own feelings
• are unable to mature because real issues are never addressed
AGGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION
• AGGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION is a style in which individuals express
their feelings and opinions and advocate for their needs in a way that
violates the rights of others. Thus, aggressive communicators are
verbally and/or physically abusive.
• try to dominate others
• use humiliation to control others
• criticize, blame, or attack others
• be very impulsive
• have low frustration tolerance
• speak in a loud, demanding, and overbearing voice
• act threateningly and rudely
• not listen well
• interrupt frequently
• use “you” statements
• have an overbearing or intimidating posture
The impact of a pattern of aggressive communication is that these
individuals:

• become alienated from others

• alienate others
• generate fear and hatred in others
• always blame others instead of owning their issues, and thus are
unable to mature
ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION
• ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION is a style in which individuals clearly
state their opinions and feelings, and firmly advocate for their rights
and needs without violating the rights of others. These individuals
value themselves, their time, and their emotional, spiritual, and
physical needs and are strong advocates for themselves while being
very respectful of the rights of others.
• Assertive communicators will:
• state needs and wants clearly, appropriately, and respectfully
• express feelings clearly, appropriately, and respectfully
• use “I” statements
• communicate respect for others
• listen well without interrupting
• feel in control of self
• have good eye contact
• speak in a calm and clear tone of voice
• have a relaxed body posture
• feel connected to others
• feel competent and in control
• not allow others to abuse or manipulate them
• stand up for their rights
The impact of a pattern of assertive
communication is that these
individuals
• feel connected to others
• feel in control of their lives
• are able to mature because they address issues and problems as they
arise
• create a respectful environment for others to grow and mature