Communication is the exchange of ideas and feelings from one person to another; it involves being understood and others understanding you (Jacobson, 2009). Communication usually involves two parties, the sender and the receiver.
The sender encodes a message in a way he/she thinks will be better understood by the receiver. Encoding also involves the selection of the language, appropriate channel, and time to send so as to suit the receiver.
The receiver has to decode the message and this involves understanding it. The receiver has to send a feedback and the sender has to pay attention to this response from the receiver. Therefore effective communication is said to have occurred if it is a two-way process (Ellis, 2009).
Communication process has to be quick since with time the message may lose its meaning. Among the efficient ways of communication is the email since most of the people will receive it with a click. This channel of communication has proved to be ineffective since in most cases an email tends to be ignored, thus phone calls have to be made and visits paid as a follow up to email.
Establishing the appropriate channel of communication is quite a challenge. Certain barriers to effective communication exist and they include; the receiver’s background, perception of the sender, the content of the message, noise in the surrounding, and the physical state of the receiver (stress, hunger or exhaustion) (Ellis, 2009).
Communication is a complex process and in most cases starts with ourselves before we are able to communicate with others. They understand that we are human beings and we hold certain beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and prejudices (Burnard 1997).
Effective communication is said to have occurred when the receiver understands the message that the sender intended to send. Communication skills are a very crucial tool in the workplace, whether in building good worker relationships or expressing the objectives and targets of the company.
Effective communicators have a great achieving ability when it comes to their goals. Since they can express themselves without any hostility, they are able to initiate a feeling of well being among themselves and others.
Effective communication involves obtaining a fair hearing and passing across our thoughts precisely. It is a vital asset in climbing up the career ladder. Absence of sufficient communication skills in an individual can mean the difference between being stuck in career advancements or reduced personal development. Studies have indicated that potential employers have communication skills high in their wish list when carrying out the hiring process (Ellis, 2009).
In most modern institutions, two-way communications are embraced. Even though communication can be achieved through written to verbal ways among others, it usually involves receiving signals, comprehending them and sending back a feedback as the response.
In many organizations, most of the problems encountered are as a result of poor communication and other processes that lead to confusion and in the end cause failure of the otherwise good plans. An example of the importance of communication is the Martin Johnson’s case.
As White (2011) says, “Martin Johnson had all the playing skills, but as England coach he was damned by his lack of communication skills” (para 4). White was invited to watch Martin Johnson through a coaching session of 14 year olds in a club in west London. Martin Johnson was alert and enthusiastic to the boys, something that was contrary to a man of his distinction.
All indications pointed to the fact that Johnson wanted to help improve the boys, he even joined in the game. Johnson did build a big reputation from his actions but his economy with words was what ruined his reputation as a good coach.
Most players are keen to follow what the coach tells them to do, and success in most cases is achieved through motivation of the players which can be done by understanding them. Communication is the key to understanding these players. The use of words is a key requirement to effective coaching (White, 2011).
Ineffective communication can lead to various consequences. An individual in his/her career will need to obtain new ideas and devise better ways of communicating. Feeling confident about our communicating ability has a positive effect on our self esteem and in most cases increases our self worth.
Poor communication ability does not give room for an individual to be assertive. In most cases it encourages feelings of inadequacy in individuals who, as a result of this, bottle up unexpressed feelings increasing stress levels and damaging their health (Ellis, 2009).
The key objective in the communication system of any institution is to be better positioned to manage people and time. Communication in the workplace is so valuable that it determines whether a good idea is brought to fruition or it fails.
Two-way communication is believed to be better placed than one way communication at achieving its objectives. Though it takes twice as long, it allows people to be more sure that they have understood what was being passed across.
Factors that contribute to effective two-way communication include active listening, asking questions, watching signals, monitoring body language, and communicating using the same language (The Business Advocacy Fund, n.d).
In the workplace, the best way to establish what a person thinks is to ask them well thought out open questions. An approach that is considered most appropriate is to ask probing questions which is some way coax people to give details about themselves.
Hypothetical questions are also important so as to get a different perspective of how others might handle a particular situation. These types of questions are crucial in the workplace as they enable the management to determine which individuals to take certain responsibilities and perform particular tasks.
Multiple questions should be avoided as they tend to confuse the receiver; leading questions also tend to impose certain opinions about others and may in one way or another influence the kind of response they give. Other types of questions that should be avoided are undermining and loaded questions which often express disapproval (The Business Advocacy Fund n.d).
Other factors that contribute to effective communication include being a good listener; studies have indicated that listeners absorb 15-30 percent of what is being said. This is mainly because as a sender continues portraying the message we focus on what they said a moment ago.
Listening actively involves two distinct activities, encouraging the other person to talk and rephrasing what the other person said so that it can easily be recalled from your memory. Encouraging the other person to talk is achieved by looking interested in what they are saying and voicing it is in most cases, just a confirmation. Another indication of an interested listener is taking short notes.
Body language is also an important factor in our communication; extensive studies have been conducted on non verbal communication, which over time has proved that 60-80 percent of face to face communication is through body language. Body language paints the true picture of what people really mean than what the words they say try to put across.
With practice interpreting body language of other individuals can be achieved. When we communicate honestly in the work place, people will understand our feelings and in most cases will be close to us. Human beings share the same problems and expressing yourself honestly, even if is your personal or workplace problems, will tell the other person that you trust them thus building a good relationship (The Business Advocacy Fund, n.d).
In order to improve their communicating capabilities, individuals need first to have the motivation to learn. Establishing the various methods of communication and the factors that hinder effective communication are issues that are learned throughout a person’s life. With practice, assertive and effective communication can be achieved as long as change and the motivation to learn is embraced (The Business Advocacy Fund n.d)
It is quite common in the workplace to find some leaders thinking that communication is telling someone to do a certain task. A clear understanding of the communication process can help these leaders know how the employees would prefer to carry out their tasks.
The leaders (sender) of the message need to establish that the message has been decoded and understood by the receiver (employee) through a feedback from the receiver. This will help the sender determine if the decoded message is the one he was putting across (Clark, 2010).
References
Burnard, P. (1997). Effective communication skills for health professionals, (2nd Ed). Cheltenham, UK: Nelson Thornes.
Clark, D. R. (2010). Communication and leadership. Web.
Ellis, R. (2009). Communication skills: Stepladders to success for the professional, 2nd Ed). Lakewood, NJ: Intellect Books.
Jacobson, S. K. (2009). Communication skills for conservation professionals, (2nd Ed). Washington, DC: Island Press.
The Business Advocacy Fund. (n.d). Communication skills. Web.
White, J. (2011). Martin Johnson had all the playing skills, but as England coach he was damned by his lack of communication skills. The telegraph, Web.