Communication Meaning & Definition
Communication Meaning
& Definition
The best definition of communication is “communication is the
process of passing information and understanding from one person to another.”
In simple words it is a process of transmitting and sharing ideas, opinions,
facts, values etc. from one person to another or one organization to another.”
It is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a
common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.
The word communication is derived from Latin
“communicare” meaning "to share" or “impart”. It is the act of
conveying message, viewpoints or thoughts from one entity or group to another
through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and words.
What is the nature of communication?
Nature of Communication
Involves two or more
persons:
Communication is a two-way process. It cannot be done single in
any organization. Communication requires at least two persons, a sender, and a
recipient. It is an exchange of ideas, views and information, etc. between two
or more persons.
Many channels:
Communication in the organizations can be formal or informal.
Communication is a
two-way process:
During communication, minimum two people are involved in the
process. A person cannot communicate with himself. It involves both
understanding and information. Communication is complete only when the receiver
has understood the message, and receiver’s reaction or response is known to the
sender.
Continuous process:
Exchange of ideas and opinion amongst people is an ongoing process
in business and non-business organizations. Continuous interaction promotes
understanding and exchange of information relevant for decision-making.
Dynamic process:
Communication between sender and receiver takes different forms
and medium depending upon their moods and behavior. It is, thus, a dynamic
process that keeps changing in different situations.
Exchange:
Communication involves
exchange of ideas and opinions. People interact and develop understanding for
each other.
Verbal and non-verbal:
Though words are active
carriers of information, gestures can sometimes be more powerful than words.
Facial expressions, sounds, signs and symbols are the non-verbal forms of
communication.
Mutual understanding:
Communication is
effective when sender and receiver develop mutual understanding of the subject.
Messages conveyed should be understood by the receiver in the desired sense.
Knowledge of Language:
It is necessary the
receiver must familiar with the knowledge of language of the message, the
sender is sending.
Components of Communication Process
Sender
/ Encoder:
Sender or encoder is a person who sends the
message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to
convey the message and produce the required response.
Message:
Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that
draws the response of recipient.
Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be
conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear.
Encoding:
Encoding is the process where the information you would like to communicate
gets transferred into a form to send to the receiver.
Channel:
Channels are the way you convey your message. These channels include verbal
such as telephone, and face-to-face conversations as well as non-verbal such as
e-mail and text messaging. Each individual channel has its strengths and
weaknesses in terms of communicating.
Context:
It is a situation in which a message occurs.
Receiver:
Receiver is a person for whom the message is
intended or aimed. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is
dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their response
to the message.
Feedback:
Feedback is the main
component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the
efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct
interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through
words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form
also in form of memos, reports, etc.
Types of Communication
Verbal/Oral
Communication
From the time you enter this world, you start
communicating. Your first cry is your first attempt at verbal communication. As
you start growing, you find newer ways of communication. You learn to form
words and sentences to communicate. That’s the beginning of verbal
communication.
What is verbal communication? Verbal communication means
effectively presenting your thoughts in verbal format i.e., by
talking. People always remember a person who speaks clearly, effectively,
confidently, and charismatically.
You too can be a great speaker with practice. Most of us possess
the means of verbal communication; let’s look at the different types of verbal
communication.
Types of Verbal
Communication
Verbal communication goes beyond words, sounds, and languages. You
need to know your audience to talk to them better. You can classify verbal
communication into four types based on your audience.
1.
Intrapersonal communication
This is your private verbal communication channel. You talk to
yourself and articulate your thoughts. Communicating with yourself will give
you more confidence and clarity in your thoughts. It will help you make up your
mind, form your sentences, find suitable words, and find effective ways to
connect with other people.
2.
Interpersonal communication
This type of communication happens between two individuals. It
helps you understand if you are getting across your thoughts clearly.
Reactions, responses, and verbal and nonverbal cues from the other person will
help you understand whether you are being understood or not. Make sure that you
listen to the other person intently. Communication does not mean just talking.
It’s also about listening. So, listen, think, and then respond.
3.
Small group communication
The number of people increases in small group communication. You
move from communicating with a single participant to a few more. These small
groups could be team meetings, board meetings, or class discussion. The number
of participants is small enough for everyone to communicate with each other.
When you attend small group meetings, be prepared with a topic. Stay on topic
and allow enough time for everyone to present their thoughts.
4.
Public communication
You may also know this type as ‘public speaking’. Here, an individual addresses a large number
of people at once. Speeches, election campaigns, and seminars are a few
examples of public communication. Since the number of people in the audience is
larger in this type of communication, be sure to use words and phrases they
will understand easily and structure your thoughts before addressing the
audience. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel as a
public speaker.
Tips to improve Verbal
Communication
●
Think before you speak
●
Be clear
●
Don’t talk too much.
●
Speak with
confidence
●
Focus on your body
language.
●
Be concise.
Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal
communication refers to gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye
contact body language, posture, and other ways people
can communicate without using language.
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Facial expressions: The human face is
extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions without saying a word.
And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are
universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise,
fear, and disgust are the same across cultures.
Body movement and
posture: Consider
how your perceptions of people are affected by the way they sit, walk, stand,
or hold their head. The way you move and carry yourself communicates a treasure
of information to the world. This type of nonverbal communication includes your
posture, behavior, position, and the movements you make.
Gestures: You may wave,
point, indicate, or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly, often
expressing yourself with gestures without thinking. However, the meaning of
some gestures can be very different across cultures. While the OK sign made
with the hand, for example, conveys a positive message in English-speaking
countries, it’s considered offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and
Brazil. So, it’s important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid
misinterpretation.
Eye contact: It is an especially
important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can
communicate many things, including interest, affection, anger, or attraction.
Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for
assessing the other person’s interest and response.
Touch: We communicate a great
deal through touch. Think about the very different messages given by a weak
handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing pat on the head.
What is Body Language?
All of your nonverbal behaviors such as the gestures you make,
your posture, your tone of voice, how much eye contact you make, send strong
messages. They can put people at ease, build trust, and draw others towards
you, or they can offend, confuse, and undermine what you’re trying to convey.
These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you’re
silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally.
In some instances, what comes out of your mouth and what you communicate
through your body language may be two totally different things. If you say one
thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely
feel that you’re being dishonest. If you say “yes” while shaking your head no,
for example. When faced with such mixed signals, the listener has to choose
whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal message.
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