UNIT 1: I NTRODUCTION

TO COMMUNICATION
SKILLS

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In this unit , you will learn about.

Definition of communication
Attribute of communication
Process of communication
Types of communication

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 INTRODUCTION:

Definitions of Communication

The term 'Communication' has been derived from the Latin word 'communis' that
means
'common'. Thus 'to communicate' means 'to make common' or 'to make known'. This
act of
making common and known is carried out through exchange of thoughts, ideas or the
like. The
exchange of thoughts and ideas can be heard by gestures, signs, signals, speech or
writing.

Communication has been defined by many theorists; some of these definitions are
quoted here.

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

Management Association

Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction

among human
beings . More specifically, it is the process by which meanings are perceived and
understandings
are reached among human beings.- D. E. McFarland. 3
Continu..

Communication is the process by which information is passed

between
individuals and/or organisations by means of previously agreed
symbols.-Peter Little

Communication is the transmission of information and meaning from

one individual
or group to another. The crucial element is meaning. Communication
has as its
central objective the transmission of meaning. The process of
communication is
successful and effective only when the receiver understands an idea as
the sender intended it. Both parties must agree not only on the
information transmitted but also the
meaning of that information

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ATTRIBUTES OF COMMUNICATION

Effective Communication has several attributes or

qualities;
understanding these attributes helps us to improve our
competence and skills in communication.

Communication is both interaction and transaction.

Communication is systemic.
Communication is unintentional as well as intentional.
Communication is a dynamic process.
Two-way Process
Verbal and Non-Verbal.
Goal Oriented.
Continuous Process
 PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION
Establish goals.
Develop plans for achievement of goals.
To effect change, internal functioning & influence
actions
Organize human and other resources in the most
effective and efficient ways.
Select, develop and appraise members of the
organization.
Lead, direct, motivate and create a climate in which
people want to contribute.
Control performance.

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PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

In order to analyze the activity of communication, we must know the process and
the elements involved in the process of communication.

There are seven elements or factors which make up the process of

communication:

Source /Sender, is the one who initiates the action of communicating

Audience/Receiver is the person(s) for whom the communication is intended

Goal/Purpose is the sender's reason for communicating, the desired result of

the communication

Message/ Content is the information conveyed

Medium /Channel is the means or method used for conveying the message

Feedback is the receiver's response to the communication as observed by the

sender

Environment /Context is the background in which the communication takes

place. . 7
Elements in the Communication Process

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ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Message: Message is a key idea that the sender wants to
communicate. It is a sign that elicits 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.

Sender / Encoder
Sender / 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.
For instance - a Teacher explaining a lesson to his
student. Sender may be an individual or a group or an
organization. The views, background, approach, skills,
competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a
great impact on the message.

Encoding Encoding is the process where the information you

would like to communicate gets transferred into a form to be sent
and decoded by 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. For instance - Written medium is
chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people,
while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is
required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and
there.

Decoding Decoding is on the receiving end of

communication. This stage is just as important
as encoding. Communication can go downhill at
this stage if the receiver is not practicing active
listening skills or if they do not possess enough
information to accurately decode the message
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 responsiveness to
the message, and the reliance of encoder on
decoder.

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.
BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION

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 BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Communication is not always successful. Several things can
prevent the message from reaching ' the intended recipient or
from "having the desired effect on the recipient. As noted in
previous lesson, there are problem areas at every stage in the
process of communication. The circular figure in previous lesson,
showing the stages in the process of communication, shows the
possible gaps in the process which can lead to a failure of
communication between two persons.

Communication barriers are the difficulties involved in the

process of communication which distort the message being
properly understand by the receiver

barriers prevent the communication from being effective

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Types of communication barriers
Barriers can be divided into broad groups: Physical
barriers, Semantic and Language barriers, Socio-
psychological barriers and Organizational barriers.
Besides, there are Cross-cultural barriers which distort
communication between persons or groups belonging
to a different cultural background.
1. Physical Barriers
Obstacles that prevent a message from reaching the
intended recipient may be outside and beyond the
control of the persons concerned. Some can be
controlled by the person; some can not be controlled
because they are in the environment.
I. Defects in the Medium .
II. Noise in the environment
III. Information Overload
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2. Semantic and Language Barriers
Semantic means pertaining to 'or 'arising from the different
meanings of words or other symbols.
Language is our most important and powerful tool of
communication; and yet it is a tricky tool that needs skill in
handling. First of all, many words have multiple meanings.
Such as Synonyms and homonyms words

Technical terms(jargon) can be a barrier to communication.

Such terms are limited to the group of persons who work
together, or work in the same kind of occupation; they need
to use technical terms in their work.

More importantly, semantic barriers arise because words

mean different things to different persons. It is' said,
"meaning is in people, not in words." Age, education, cultural
background and many other factors influence the meaning
we give to words. 18
3. Socio-Psychological Barriers
All persons are not skilled communicators. Skill in
communicating has to be cultivated. Most people have
problems which come in the way of good
communication.

People have personal feelings, desires, fears and hopes,

likes and dislikes, attitudes, views and opinions. Some
of these are formed by family background and social
environment; some are formed by the individual's own
intelligence, inherited qualities, education, and personal
experiences.

Problems of understanding, interpretation and response

to communication arise partly from our socially-learnt
attributes and partly from our personal attributes.
These are called socio-psychological barriers.
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In order to understand these barriers, you must know how we deal
with a received message. We receive a message at three levels:

Noticing is at the physical level. We notice the message with our

senses; when we become aware that a message is addressed to
us, we focus attention on it. It is quite possible that our eyes or
ears miss it on account of other competing messages which
claim our attention. Sometimes we may not notice a message
addressed to us.

Understanding is at the level of intelligence. We must be able to

understand the language or any other symbols used in the
message. Also, the ideas and concepts in the message must be
within our understanding and knowledge.

Acceptance is at the emotional level. There is usually an emotional

response of pleasure or dislike or indifference to every message
that we receive. If the message arouses an unpleasant feeling,
we may reject it, resent it or forget it. Emotional blocks may even
make us fail to understand the message correctly. 20
Self-centred Attitudes
We tend to see and hear everything in the light of our own
interests and needs and desires. We pay attention to messages
which are useful to us, and often do not pay enough attention to
those messages which do not interest us. Self-interest may
prevent us from seeing the point of view of others.
Group Identification
Our values and opinions are influenced, in some matters, by the
group to which we belong. All persons have a sense of belonging
to a group, like family, the larger family of relatives, people of our
locality or city, our religion or language group, age group,
nationality, economic group and so on. Many of our ideas,
attitudes and values are picked up from the group. We tend to
reject an idea which goes against the interests of the group.
Sometimes it is difficult for parents and children to agree because
of the different age group ideas; there are disagreements between
women and men because of different gender values and attitudes;
Self-Image
We have a certain idea of our self; some persons even take care to
project an image of themselves. Self-image is our idea about what
we are, what we look like and what impression we make. It is 21
Selective Perception
Sometimes, we fail to get the complete message which is sent
to us. We see, read or hear selectively according to our own
needs, interests and experience. We project our expectations
into the communication as we interpret the message. We may
not perceive some of the aspects and information content of
the message.

Defensiveness
If we feel threatened by a message, we become defensive
and respond in such ways that reduce understanding. We may
question the motives of others or become sarcastic or
judgmental. Such defensive behaviour prevents
understanding. This is a particularly harmful barrier in
handling complaints and grievances and in resolving conflicts.

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Filtering
Filtering is the process of reducing the details or
aspects of a message. Each person who passes on a
message reduces or colours a message according to
hislher understanding of the situation. In the role of
sender, we tend to edit information so that it will
appear favourable to ourself; some information is
changed and lost in this way.

Status Block
A "boss" who is conscious of status finds it difficult to
receive any suggestions from subordinates. People in
senior positions often develop the feeling that they
know everything about how to run the business. They
do not agree that a junior may have some good ideas.
Many good ideas are wasted only because they come
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Resistance to Change
This is a serious psychological barrier. Some people strongly
resist new ideas which are against their established opinions
or traditions or social customs. They may avoid new ideas
because they feel insecure or afraid of changes in methods
or situations. People bound by traditions have their own
emotions, attitudes, standards and convictions and do not
accept anything that goes against their cherished ideas.

Closed Mind
Limited intellectual background, limited reading and narrow
interests can cause a person's mind to be narrow. This limits
the ability to take in new ideas. Persons with a closed mind
do not take any suggestions for change. Persons with a
closed mind have limited understanding of human nature;
this makes it difficult for them to receive communications
with sympathy.

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Poor Communication Skills

Lack of skill in writing and in speaking prevents a person from

framing the message properly. Oral communication can be
handicapped by a number of problems; nervousness in facing an
audience may affect a person's clarity in speaking. Even
excitement about an achievement or a new idea may make a
person's speech incoherent. Written communication can be
handicapped by poor skills in using language.

Lack of skill in reading and in listening is even more common

though these are really the more important communication skills.
Poor reading habits and faulty listening are both psychological
short-comings, and need careful training to overcome.
State of Health

Physical condition can affect communication efficiency. Pain or fever

certainly makes a person disinclined to engage in communication;
but even if the general state of health is poor, communicating
ability is reduced.
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Inter-Cultural Barriers
Even in the best of conditions, communication can be difficult.
Cross cultural factors naturally increase the possible problems of
communication. If for historical or political reasons, the
relationships between two countries are not friendly, there can be
even greater problems of communication. Culture is a shared set
of values and attributes of a group; it is the sum total of the ways
of living built up by a group and transmitted from one generation
to another. Culture is so much a part of an individual's manner of
talking, behaving and thinking, that communication style and
competence are influenced by it.
Some of the most significant differences between cultures are:
1. The Language
The Language of any group directly reflects their culture. words
cannot be translated exactly.
For example :
"yes" they mean ''Yes, I'm listening." The Americans may take it to
mean ''Yes, I agree". Negotiations are made difficult because of
this.
2. Non-verbal behaviour 26
3. Appearance tends to be an unconscious basis for
evaluation. We react unconsciously to the biological
appearance (colour and texture of skin and hair, shape and
colour of eyes, stature and body structure) as well as to the
acquired appearance (style of dress and grooming) of
persons we communicate with.

4. ParalanguageCross-cultural confusion arises from the

way we use our voice. Some cultures expect formality and
formal tone at work and are embarrassed or put off by the
informal tone of another culture.

5. Perception
perception is influenced by culture. We perceive some things
and ignore others; we particularly perceive what is contrary
to our own culture and what makes us uncomfortable. What
smells "good" or "bad" is perceived differently.
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OVERCOME THE BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION
How to Overcome Barriers to
communication
Taking the receiver more seriously
Crystal clear message
Delivering messages skilfully
Focusing on the receiver
Using multiple channels to communicate instead of
relying on one channel
Be aware of your own state of mind/emotions/attitude
Eliminating differences in perception:
Use of Simple Language:
Reduction and elimination of noise levels:
Active Listening:
Simple Organizational Structure:
Avoid Information Overload:
Give Constructive Feedback:
Flexibility in meeting the targets:
Types of communication

People communicate with each other in a

number of ways that depend upon the
message and its context in which it is
being sent.

Types of communication based on the

communication channels usedare :

VerbalCommunication
Nonverbal Communication 30
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 Verbal communication
It refers to the form of communication in which
message is transmitted verbally.
Communication is done by word of mouth and a
piece of writing.
In verbal communication remember the acronym
KISS (keep it short and simple).

Verbal Communicationis divided into:

Oral Communication
Written Communication

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Oral communication
In oral communication, Spoken words are used.
It includes face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic
conversation, video, radio, television, voice over internet.
Communication is influence by pitch, volume, speed and
clarity of speaking.

Advantages
It brings quick feedback.
In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression
and body language one can guess whether he/she should
trust whats being said or not.

Disadvantages
In face-to-face discussion, user is unable to deeply think
about what he is delivering, so this can be counted as a fault.
Written communication
In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to
communicate.
In written communication message can be transmitted via
email, letter, report, memo etc.
Written Communication is most common form of
communication being used in business.

Advantages
Messages can be edited and revised
Written communication provide record and backup.
A written message enables receiver to fully understand it and
send appropriate feedback.
Disadvantages
Written communication doesnt bring instant feedback. It take
more time in composing a written message as compared to
word-of-mouth and number of people struggles for writing
ability.
Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless
messages. Such asgesture,body language, posture,tone of
voiceorfacial expressions, is called nonverbal communication.
Nonverbal communication is all about the body language
of speaker.

Nonverbal communication have the following three elements

Appearance
Speaker clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics
Surrounding room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings
Body Language
facial expressions, gestures, postures
Sounds
Voice Tone, Volume, Speech rate

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Levels of communication
Intrapersonal Communication is communication that occurs
in your own mind. It is the basis of your feelings, biases,
prejudices, and beliefs.

Examples are when you make any kind of decision what to

eat or wear. When you think about something what you want
to do on the weekend or when you think about another person.

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Interpersonal communication is the
communication between two people but
can involve more in informal conversations.

Examples are when you are talking to

your friends. A teacher and student
discussing an assignment. A patient and
a doctor discussing a treatment. A
manager and a potential employee
during an interview.

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Small Group communication is
communication within formal or informal
groups or teams. It is group interaction
that results in decision making, problem
solving and discussion within an
organization.

Examples would be a group planning a

surprise birthday party for someone. A
team working together on a project.

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One-to-group communication involves
a speaker who seeks to inform, persuade
or motivate an audience.

Examples are a teacher and a class of

students. A preacher and a
congregation. A speaker and an
assembly of people in the auditorium.
Mass communication is the electronic or print
transmission of messages to the general public.
Outlets called mass media include things like
radio, television, film, and printed materials
designed to reach large audiences.

A television commercial. A magazine article.

Hearing a song on the radio. Books,
Newspapers, Billboards. The key is that you are
reaching a large amount of people without it
being face to face. Feedback is generally
delayed with mass communication.

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 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Communication is effective only when both the
sender and the receiver are focused on the act
of communication. While the sender must
sharpen and improve skills of speaking and
writing, the receiver must improve skills of
listening and reading.

The qualities of communication which the

sender must achieve are called the C's of
Communication because most of them begin
with the letter C.

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THE SEVEN Cs OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION

THE 7 Cs THAT MAKES COMMUNICATION

EFFECTIVE
 Completeness
The information conveyed in the message should be
complete
` for the communication to be effective.

The sender must take into consideration the receivers

mind set and convey the message accordingly.

Complete communication enhances the reputation of the

organization.

Complete information always gives additional information

wherever required, it leaves no question in the minds of
the receiver.

Complete information helps in better decision making as

it serves all the desired and crucial information.
 Conciseness
Conciseness means communicating what you
want to convey in least possible words.

Conciseness is a necessity for effective

communication.

Concise communication provides short and

essential message in limited words.

Concise message is more appealing and

comprehensive to the audience.

Concise messages are non repetitive in nature.

 Consideration
Effective communication must take audience
into consideration by knowing the viewpoints,
back ground, mindset, educational level, etc.

Consideration implies stepping into the shoes

of others.

Consideration ensures that the self respect of

the audience is maintained and their emotions
are not harmed.

Consider the needs and requirements of the

audience to achieve effective communication.
 Clarity
Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific goal or
objective at a time, rather than trying to move
away from track.

Clarity helps to understand the message easily.

Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas

enhances the meaning of message.

Clarity comes with the use of exact, appropriate

and concrete words.
 Concreteness
Concrete communication implies being
particular and clear rather being fuzzy
and general.

Concrete communication shows good

level of confidence.

Concrete information helps to strengthen

the reputation of the organization.

Concrete information cannot be

 Courtesy
Courtesy means being polite, kind, judicious,
enthusiastic and convincing.

Courtesy is an important element of effective

communication.

Courtesy reflects the nature and character of the

sender of the message.

It is the same as give respect and then expect

the same.

Courtesy is not at all bias in nature.

 Correctness
Correctness in the communication implies that
the correct information is conveyed through
message.

Correct communication boosts up the confidence

level of the sender.

Correct information has greater impact on the

audience.

Free from grammatical errors and use of

appropriate and correct language.