BASIC ELEMENTS IN

COMMUNICATION
ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN
BUSINESS

Pervasive nature of
communication
Regardless of where
communication occurs or who
is involved, the medium of
exchange is always information

COMMUNICATION IN
BUSINESS

Growth of business organizations

Increased specialization of tasks
Lack of skill among senders and receivers
Increased monitoring of business by
government
Relationship between communication and
other vital signs of an organization

NEED FOR
COMMUNICATION
Organizations devote much effort to improving
communication
Without good communication ,specialization will
be ineffective
Improved communication usually leads to better
morale
There is a close relationship between
communication and such factors as job satisfaction
and relationship with co-workers

DEFINITIONS
OF COMMUNICATION
Communication
is a process of passing

information and understanding from one person

to another-Keith Davis
Communication is any behaviour that results in
an exchange of meaning- The American Mgt
Association
Communication is the process by which
information is passed between individuals
and/or organisations by means of previously
agreed symbols Peter Little

COMMUNICATING AT WORK
Succeeding in todays world of work demands that
you read, listen,speak,and write effectively.
E-mail, voice mail, fax, video conferencing, and
the Web are revolutionizing the way we exchange
information.
Communicating with workers who differ in race,
gender, and age requires new attitudes and skills.

ATTRIBUTES OF
COMMUNICATION
Communication is unintentional as well as
intentional.
Communication is a dynamic process.
Communication is systemic
Communication is both interaction and
transaction.

NATURE OF
COMMUNICATION
MYTHS AND REALITIES

MYTH AND REALITY I

We only
communicate
when we intend
to

We frequently
communicate
messages we are
not aware of
communicating

MYTH AND REALITY II

We communicate Words do not
as if words had
have meanings;
specific meanings rather, meanings
are within people
based on their
past experiences

MYTH AND REALITY III

We communicate The majority of
primarily with
the messages we
words
communicate are
based on the
nonverbal aspects
of
communication

MYTHS AND REALITY IV

We communicate Communication
as if
is a two-way
communication
activity in which
were a one-way
feedback from
activity
the other party is
crucial

MYTHS AND REALITY V

The message we The message
communicate is
finally received
identical to the
by the listener is
message received
never identical to
the message sent

MYTHS AND REALITY VI

People can be given
You can never
too much
give someone too
information.
much information
An information
overload can be as
much problem as
not having enough
information

Communication ComponentsDiagram

Five steps to communication

process

idea formation
message encoding
message transmission
message decoding
feedback

Communication Components

Source/Sender
Message/ Content
Channel/Medium
Feedback
Environment
Perception

Source/Sender
Initiate the process of communication
See mentally the communication from the
receivers viewpoint
Search for and use symbols and skills that
will bring about understanding.
Select the right medium.
Secure feedback from the receiver

Message/ Content
Information to be transmitted
Includes both verbal and non-verbal
symbols
Putting the idea into symbols-encoding

Channel/Medium

Is immediate feedback needed?

Is there a question of acceptance?
Is there a need for a documented record?
Is there a need for detailed accuracy?

Feedback

Reaction of the receiver

Agreement or disagreement
Written or Oral
Provides guidance for the next message

Characteristics of a good
Feedback
It is specific rather than general
It is descriptive rather than evaluative
It takes into account the needs of both the receiver
and the giver of feedback
It is directed towards the behaviour of the receiver
It is well timed
It is two-way
It is tailored to the individual

Environment

Place
Circumstances
Relationship
Political,cultural,legal, technological factors
Time
Context

Perception
Interpret messages according to our past
experiences
Fill in missing information
Interpret messages as per our own attitudes
and beliefs

A COMMA MAKES A
DIFFERENCE

A woman without her man

is nothing.

A woman, without her,

man is nothing.

A woman without her man,

is nothing.

try
Man proposes ___________
To err is human,to forgive__________
A bird in hand,___________________

Deny
Man proposes, woman refuses
To err is human, to forgive foolishness
A bird in hand and two in a cage

BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION

Barriers to Communciation

Physical barriers
Semantic barriers
Socio-psychological barriers
Organizational barriers
Cross-cultural barriers

PHYSICAL BARRIERS
Defects in the medium
Noise in the environment
Information overload

SEMANTIC/LANGUAGE
BARRIERS

Multiple meanings of words

Pronunciation
Ambiguity
Emotional and cultural attitudes
Technical terms

SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL
BARRIERS

Self-centered attitudes
Group identification
Self-image
Selective perception
Defensiveness
Filtering
Status block
Resistance to change
Closed mind
Poor communication skills
State of health

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS
Loss of information
Delay and distortion
Misinterpretation, lack of understanding and
neglect of messages
Too much dependence on written communication
Deliberate withholding of information from
superiors and peers

CROSS-CULTURAL
BARRIERS

National character/ basic personality

Language
Values and norms of behaviour
Social relationships
Concepts of time
Concepts of space
Thinking processes
Non-verbal communication
Perception

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORTS

MEDIA
CHANNELS
COMMUNICATION POLICY
ATTENDING TO MEMBERS NEEDS

MEDIA
Notice boards,Bulletin boards at visible
locations and updated
Intercom connections
Intranet connections/LAN
Well-trained and disciplined peons
Constant meetings of task
teams,departments and staff for rendering
information and motivational messages

CHANNELS
Who receives?, what information? , through
whom?-proper channel and authority.
Avoid long channels
Cluster than hierarchy-avoids loss of
information, seek clarification
Suggestion schemes-overcome status block

COMMUNICATION POLICY

What information?
When?
By what method?
A well implemented policy creates a
healthy, open climate and avoids grapevine
rumours

ATTENDING TO MEMBERS
NEEDS

Competence, motivation, and state of health

Training programs
Vacation
Medical Aid, Gymnasium and Recreational
facilities

INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS
IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS
FEEDBACK SKILLS
IMPROVING CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION

Listening is giving your full attention to

the person talking, and accepting what
that person says. Listening is not:
1. ordering or directing
2. warning or threatening
3. moralizing or preaching
4. advising, giving solutions or suggestions
5. lecturing,teaching or giving logical arguments
6. judging, criticizing, disagreeing or blaming
7. praising or agreeing
8. name-calling, ridiculing, shaming
9. interpreting, analyzing or diagnosing
10.reassuring, sympathizing, consoling or supporting
11.probing, questioning or interrogating
12.withdrawing, distracting, humoring or diverting the speaker

IMPROVING LISTENING
SKILLS
. By using non-judgmental invitations to talk, you open
the doors to meaningful conversation :
Let's discuss it.
Would you like to talk about it?
Tell me about it.
I'd like to hear about it.
Tell me the whole story.
It sounds like you've got something to say about this.
This seems important to you.
I'm interested in your point of view.

Talking
Be honest about your own thoughts,
concerns and feelings. When in doubt, ask
questions:
When you are responding to a person
facing a crisis, rather than use statements
such as "You should" or "That's wrong", say:
I feel...
I believe...
I would want...

IMPROVING CROSS
CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
Globalization
Diplomatic missions
Cultural studies

 The following list outlines points to consider in

relation to overcoming communication barriers.

feedback - enables communication to

become a two way process with both the sender
and the receiver trying to achieve mutual
understanding

consider the words used - long complicated

sentences and unfamiliar words confuse people.
Communication should be clear, complete,
concise, concrete, correct and courteous.

 use repetition - repeating messages several

time using different examples can help others
to understand the messages being sent

use empathy - seeing a situation from

another person's viewpoint and trying to
understand others opinions concerns and
attitudes makes better communicators

timing - poor timing can result in

messages not being received effectively

 being positive rather than negative helps make

communication more effective - what is wanted
not what isn't wanted

select the best location - talk somewhere

that will encourage open communication not a
noisy shop floor or a busy office

listening reduces miscommunication

check written communication for spelling

errors and ensure the sentences are clear,
concise and not ambiguous.

THANK YOU