Communication Process

Lesson I:  Communication Process

A.   Nature and Importance of Communication

What is communication?

Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver.

Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit. This definition suggests that for communication to occur, there must be some common thinking between two parties.  Establishing this commonality in thinking is not always as easy as it might seem; many attempts to communicate are unsuccessful. The communication process is often very complex. Success depends on such factors as the nature of the message, the audience’s interpretation of it, and the environment in which it is received. The receiver’s perception of the source and the medium used to transmit the message may also affect the ability to communicate, as do many other factors. Words, pictures, sounds, and colors may have different meanings to different audiences, and people’s perceptions and interpretations of them vary.

The Communication Process

Communicating with others involves three primary steps:

·         Thought -  information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept,                           idea, information, or feelings.

·         Encoding -  a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols.

·         Decoding - the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or                                     information that he or she can understand.

During the transmitting of the message, two elements will be received: content and context.

Content is the actual words or symbols of the message that is known as language — the spoken and written words combined into phrases that make grammatical and semantic sense. We all use and interpret the meanings of words differently, so even simple messages can be misunderstood. And many words have different meanings to confuse the issue even more.

Context is the way the message is delivered and is known as paralanguage — it is the nonverbal elements in speech such as the tone of voice, the look in the sender's eyes, body language, hand gestures, and state of emotions (anger, fear, uncertainty, confidence, etc.) that can be detected. Although paralanguage or context often cause messages to be misunderstood as we believe what we see more than what we hear; they are powerful communicators that help us to understand each other. Indeed, we often trust the accuracy of nonverbal behaviors more than verbal behaviors.

Barriers to Effective Communication:

Anything that prevents understanding of the message is a barrier to communication. Many physical and psychological barriers exist:

·         Culture, background, and bias —

We allow our past experiences to change the meaning of the message. Our culture, background, and bias can be good as they allow us to use our past experiences to understand something new, it is when they change the meaning of the message that they interfere with the communication process.

·         Noise —

Equipment or environmental noise impedes clear communication. The sender and the receiver must both be able to concentrate on the messages being sent to each other.

·         Ourselves —

Focusing on ourselves, rather than the other person can lead to confusion and conflict. The “Me Generation” must be tossed aside for effective communication to occur. Some of the factors that cause this are defensiveness (we feel someone is attacking us), superiority (we feel we know more that the other), and ego (we feel we are the center of the activity).

·         Perception —

If we feel the person is talking too fast, not fluently, does not articulate clearly, etc., we may dismiss the person. Also our preconceived attitudes affect our ability to listen. We may listen uncritically to persons of high status and dismiss those of low status.

·         Message —

Distractions happen when we focus on the facts rather than the idea being communicated. Our educational institutions reinforce this with tests and questions. Semantic distractions occur when a word is used differently than you prefer. For example, the word chairman instead of chairperson, may cause you to focus on the word rather than the message.

·         Environmental —

Bright lights, an attractive person, unusual sights, or any other stimulus provides a potential distraction.

·         Smothering —

We take it for granted that the impulse to send useful information is automatic. Not true! Too often we believe that certain information has no value to others or they are already aware of the facts.

·         Stress —

People do not see things the same way when under stress. What we see and believe at a given moment is influenced by our psychological frames of references — our beliefs, values, knowledge, experiences, and goals.

These barriers can be thought of as filters, that is, the message leaves the sender, goes through the above filters, and is then heard by the receiver. These filters may muffle the message. And the way to overcome filters is through active listening and feedback.

B.  Elements of Communication Process

 

Human communication is interpersonal, it is purposive and it is a process.
By process we mean that steps have to be taken and in a set/particular order to achieve a desired result/goal. There are seven important elements of the communication process: (1) sender (2) ideas (3) encoding (4) communication channel (5) receiver (6) decoding and (7) feedback.

o   Sender (encoder):

·         The person who intends to convey the message with the intention of passing information and ideas to others is known as sender or communicator. The sender also known as the encoder decides on the message to be sent, the best/most effective way that it can be sent. All of this is done bearing the receiver in mind. It is his/her job to CONCEPTUALIZE.

o   Ideas (message):

·         This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion, attitude, feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.

o   Encoding:

·         Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible, its further passing requires use of certain symbols such as words, actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into these symbols is the process of encoding.

o   Communication Channel:

·         The person who is interested in communicating has to choose the channel for sending the required information, ideas etc. This information is transmitted to the receiver through certain channels which may be either formal or informal. 

Channels of Communication

A formal communication channel transmits organizational information, such as goals or policies and procedures. Messages in a formal communication channel follow a chain of command. This means that information flows from a manager to an employee. Examples of formal communication channels are newsletters, business plans, annual reports and employer manuals.

Within a formal working environment, there always exists an informal communication network. Informal communication channels fall outside of the formal chain of command structure. Examples of informal communication channels are quality circles, teamwork and lunchtime in the cafeteria of an organization. Employees can still receive important organizational information but in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

·         The channel is that which is responsible for the delivery of the chosen message form. For example post office, internet, radio.

MEDIUM
The medium is the immediate form which a message takes. For example, a message may be communicated in the form of a letter, in the form of an email or face to face in the form of a speech.

CONTEXT
Communication does not take place in a vacuum. The context of any communication act is the environment surrounding it. This includes, among other things, place, time, event, and attitudes of sender and receiver.

o   Receiver (decoder):

·         Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the message is meant for. It is the receiver who tries to understand the message in the best possible manner in achieving the desired objectives.  The receiver or the decoder is responsible for extracting/decoding meaning from the message. The receiver is also responsible for providing feedback to the sender. It is his/her job to INTERPRET.

o   Decoding:

·         The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator tries to convert the same in such a way so that he may extract its meaning to his complete understanding.

o   Feedback:

·         Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the message and understood in the same sense as sender meant it. This is important as it determines whether or not the decoder grasped the intended meaning and whether communication was successful.

Carl Rogers listed five main categories of feedback. They are listed in the order in which they occur most frequently in daily conversations.

·         Evaluative: Making a judgment about the worth, goodness, or appropriateness of the other person's statement.

·         Interpretive: Paraphrasing — attempting to explain what the other person's statement means.

·         Supportive: Attempting to assist or bolster the other communicator.

·         Probing: Attempting to gain additional information, continue the discussion, or clarify a point.

·         Understanding: Attempting to discover completely what the other communicator means by her statements.

**The communication process is dynamic, continuous, irreversible, and contextual. It is not possible to participate in any element of the process without acknowledging the existence and functioning of the other elements.

 

Non-verbal Behaviors of Communication

To deliver the full impact of a message, use nonverbal behaviors to raise the channel of interpersonal communication:

• Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. People who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.
• Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and people will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen more.
• Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures the listener's attention, makes the conversation more interesting, and facilitates understanding.
• Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates to listeners that you are approachable, receptive and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and the listener face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.
• Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading the other person's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion.
• Vocal: Speaking can signal nonverbal communication when you include such vocal elements as: tone, pitch, rhythm, timbre, loudness, and inflection. For maximum teaching effectiveness, learn to vary these six elements of your voice. One of the major criticisms of many speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull.

Speaking Hints

• When speaking or trying to explain something, ask the listeners if they are following you.
• Ensure the receiver has a chance to comment or ask questions.
• Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes — consider the feelings of the receiver.
• Be clear about what you say.
• Look at the receiver.
• Make sure your words match your tone and body language (nonverbal behaviors).
• Vary your tone and pace.
• Do not be vague, but on the other hand, do not complicate what you are saying with too much detail.
• Do not ignore signs of confusion.