Category: Management Notes

Social barriers are barriers to entry which are created by the culture of the community, i.e. people’s behaviour towards newcomers or others in general.

For instance: when a vegan and a non-vegan person talk about food at a mixed restaurant, there is a social barrier.

Psychological barriers are beliefs that a person has about himself/herself regarding his ability, potential, self-worth they can be called unhealthy or maybe incorrect thought patterns.

For instance: When a person with no legs try to swim.

Now, don’t get me wrong, i not judging, but still it’s a tad bit difficult for them to engage in swimming.

SO, now socio-psychological barrier is the mix of both. Mostly these barriers are hit when we try to communicate.

Here are eight important  socio-psychological barriers in communication:

1. Attitude and opinions:

The personal attitude and opinions of the receiver often interfere with communication. If the message is consistent with the receiver’s attitude and opinion, they receive it favourably. When the message is inconsistent with the receiver’s attitude and opinions, they are not likely to be received favourably.

2. Emotions:

Emotions like fear, anger, worry, nervousness block the mind. It also blurs the thinking power and one fails to organise the message properly. When the message is not organised properly it cannot be conveyed effectively.

3. Status difference:

Status consciousness is a very serious barrier. Subordinates fail to communicate to with their superiors because either they are too conscious of their low status or too afraid of being snubbed off.

Similarly, many executives keep distance from their subordinates thinking it too degrading to consult them.

4. In attention:

In attention arises due to mental preoccupations or distractions. These causes barriers to communication.

5. Closed mind:

A person with closed mind is not willing to listen and is not prepared to reconsider his opinion. As such it is very difficult to communicate with such person.

6. Distrust:

Distrust after fails to deliver the right message. When the receiver is biased or hostile towards the sender the message is either ignored or misinterpreted.

7. Poor retention:

Successive transmission of the message is decreasingly accurate. In the process of transmission, a part of the message is lost at every stage. This is because of poor retention on the part of the receiver. Thus, incomplete message is conveyed.

8. Premature evaluation:

Premature evaluation prevents effective communication. Some people form a judgement even before receiving the complete message. And once judgement is already formed the mind is closed to the rest of the message.

Choice of medium

A wrong medium or an inappropriate medium chosen for communicating a message will act as a barrier to communication.

Example: On a shop floor you cannot use a long-written memo of instructions whereas your information on a new product in the market could be only through an effective and attractive advertisement

Using Chat messenger or email instead of video conferencing in important meeting or business matters in two different workplaces.

Physical Barriers

Physical Barriers are environmental factors that present or reduce the sending and receiving of communication. They include distance destructive noises and similar other interferences.

The technological advances of the past few decades have made it possible to transmit printed messages, pictures and even live performances to all comers of the world with speed.

With a single touch, you can send communications to a number of destinations. Not only large business houses but even medium and small ones use them in their day-to-day working. Among such means are fax, internet/email and videoconferencing.

Internet and e-mail:

Internet is an international computer network that links computers from sectors such as government agencies, business houses, educational institutions and individuals. It receives information, stores it and allows it to be read on satisfying certain conditions.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) allow one to create the e-mail ID free, hoping to recover the cost through the ads to which the user is exposed during the use of email. A typical email address reads abcdef@xyz.com. Some other ISPs are bsnl, yahoo, hotmail, and Gmail.

Note the use of only lower case (small) alphabets email in IDs.

Every time the user wants to send messages or check the incoming mail, he can reach his ID by typing a password which makes the mail account private. However, once you have submitted to the mechanism of email you do not know who might read this “private” information far away. As such email does not guarantee 100% secrecy.

Advantages:

(a) Email is by far the cheapest and fastest means of sending printed information (verbal as well as non-verbal). At one click of the button, hundreds of pages of information can be sent to hundreds of email addresses worldwide (to be noted by receivers upon checking the incoming mail or inbox).

(b) No paper is required. Messages can be created directly on the computer, and added on from different computer files, CDs, floppies, etc.

(c) This facility is now available in many regional languages of India.

(d) It is informal and allows the sender to remain anonymous (since he can use any name as his email ID. For instance J.K. Singh can use udankhatola as his email name).

(e) Organizations and publishing houses take cognizance of messages coming via email. Newspapers and magazines print letters that come via email.

(f) As long as you carry your password with you, you can open your email account on any computer in the world which has this facility. You remain unencumbered even with a mobile handset. You can just enter an internet cafe, pay the rent and use the email. Email is extraordinarily portable.

(g) You can have an address book in your email account, record the incoming mails, and edit them and so on.

(h) When you reply to an email message, the sender’s message is automatically sent back to him for ready reference.

(i) As human need and imagination guide, more innovations are possible.

(j) Email can enable an ongoing electronic conference. People across the world can “meet” on internet and confer on a topic of common interest.

(k) The receiver need not respond at once as on the telephone but can take his time. Emailing helps to avoid a direct interface.

(l) In an organisation, a subordinate may quickly and directly reach a superior on email. Email makes an organisation more democratic (as individuals have more chance of being heard by the proper person even if he is several levels higher).

Disadvantage:

(i) Email, because of the potential anonymity, remains an informal channel of communication.

(ii) Excess use and flooding of unwanted messages (especially from advertisers) is a major drawback of this system. Unless one takes care to block unwanted ads, one finds one’s inbox full of offers which maybe doubtful and insincere. Wading through chunks of email is one of the biggest problems for those who depend on email for their communication needs.

(iii) One may not be private while using the computer for emailing. To that extent the secrecy is lost.

(iv) In case the receiver is unable to open his email account as soon as a message is received, the message cannot work for him.

Guidelines for the use of email:

Email is a new and peculiar means of communication, bringing in its own conventions:

(1) Your email message may be read by more persons than intended. So you have to take care.

(2) At email message must have all the elements of good composition such as brevity, clarity, courtesy.

(3) You may use the spell-check mechanism of the computer to ensure correct spelling.

(4) The email format on the computer provides for sending and mentioning cc (carbon copy) and subject line. These may be written for the receiver’s convenience.

(5) If a single email contains messages for various sections of an organisation, they may be separated at the composing stage.

(6) You should not use all capitals in writing a message as this looks awkward and rude.

(7) When responding to a message, only the essential part of it may be quoted and the rest deleted.

(8) You may create the message in a different programme (such as WordPad or notepad) and transfer it to your email.

(9) If you proofread on the computer screen, be extra careful.

It may be noted that the date and time of transmitting the message and the sender’s email ID are automatically conveyed on email. Still it is customary to write your email address in the body of the email message.

Email ID is given in the body of the message especially when you invite a response at a different ID. If there is a time lag between composing a message and sending it, for whatever reason, then the date of composing may be written.

Videoconferencing and Teleconferencing:

This mode of communication begins in teleconferencing. A number of telephones are simultaneously connected to one another. Teleconferencing is a facility enabling people in different parts of the world to have an audio meeting (as opposed to dialogue), saving on transit time and hotel stay. It helps in thrashing out a variety of opinions on a subject to reach a faster conclusion.

A further advance in this technology is computer teleconferencing. The participants can react to the messages and inputs for the others’ knowledge. They may not even be present simultaneously for the computer teleconference but add their contribution at their convenience.

Videoconferencing, however, is the closest it gets to seeing and hearing one another without being present together. The technologies used in a videoconference are: monitor screen, camera, microphone, codec (compressor-decompress or), equipment control pad at each location, and internet connectivity. With the passage of time, this is becoming more popular and easier to use. You often see it in TV interviews.

You often see it in TV interviews. For a videoconference, the participants get into a special room at their respective locations, equipped with the gadgetry. They can see, hear, speak to others and show exhibits without physical presence together.

The entire proceedings can be recorded on video tapes. As someone has jocularly put it, except for the snacks and coffee, everything else is transmissible in a videoconference. At present, the privilege of the richer business houses, videoconferences are set to gain wider popularity.

Video classrooms are another possibility in this field, where an expert faculty member may teach a number of classes in a number of towns simultaneously and answer the participants’ queries.

Fax:

Just as the conventional telephone carries voice, a fax or facsimile machine carries printed messages (words and pictures in photocopy form) from the sender instrument to the receiver instrument.

The sender of a fax message prepares the copy on a sheet (generally no larger than A4 size) which can be fed into the fax machine. He dials the destination number, gets the fax tone and feeds the message into the machine.

The printed message is converted into electronic signals as the paper rolls through the fax machine. This message is received in the same form at the other end on the paper roll that is attached to the machine.

Fax machines may have these additional features:

(A) Remote activation:

The owner may use a remote control device to operate the machine.

Despite power failure:

(B) The fax machine may be made to function even during a power failure.

(C) Memory:

The message sent may be retained in the memory of the machine. At the receiving end, in the absence of paper, the message may be recorded in the machine for developing a printout afterwards.

(D) Answering machine:

At the receiving end, there need not be an operator to receive incoming messages. They are automatically received.

Advantages:

(A) Fax enables an accurate transmission of a document including pictures and handwriting. Colour faxes are also a possibility.

(B) Fax can be sent through a computer, in which case it is restricted to the messages created on the computer.

(C) A fax message can be confirmed on telephone to ensure its authenticity.

(D) Faxes are admissible as proof in the court. In this respect they are superior to email.

(E) With repeat dialling facility, a busy number can be reached as soon as it becomes free.

Disadvantages:

(a) It is expensive compared to email and post.

(b) Sometimes the reception is blurred due to channel defects or mechanical failure at either end.

(c) At the sender’s or the receiver’s end, the document to wrong people may be exposed. Hence it is often difficult to maintain secrecy in sending and receiving a fax message.

(d) At the receiving end, the message is printed at the receiver’s cost. In case unwanted messages pour in, the receiver has to bear the cost.

Conversation means the informal discussion among the people. When one person discusses his views, opinion to another person and exchanges their views in the presence of both then it is called face to face conversation. It also includes the face-to-face discussion on a particular issue. In this method, both the information receiver and sender can exchange their views freely and fairly.

So, face-to-face conversation is an informal discussion through spoken language and words on a particular issue among the people to exchange their views freely and fairly weighs each other.

Advantages of face-to-face conversation:

In modern society, with the rapid development of technology, people have more choices ways to communicate each other such as face-to-face, letters, emails or telephones. However, It is believe that face-to-face communication is much better than other types of communication, such as a letter, email or telephone calls. The advantages of face-to-face communication are described as below:

1. Responses immediately: When people communicate each other in person, they can get a response immediately without misunderstanding. During the conversation, people can not only hear a response from others, also see how they are feeling; people can guest what will take place next, how the conversation is about, which is very important to have a successful talk.
2. Express of feelings: Using face-to-face communication helps people express their feelings, ideas much better. Instead of using words only when people choose letters, emails or phone for communication, people can use eye contact, verbal language in order to show their opinions. Scientists show that more than seventy percent people use body or verbal language in communicating; thus, it’s very important for people use actions to express views.
3. Suitable for respect: Face-to-face communication enjoys yet another distracts advantage, the message being communicated also gets the assistance of facial expressions and gestures.
4. Suitable for discussion: Face-to-face communication is particularly suitable for discussion, for there is immediate feedback from the listener. Face-to-face communication provides the speaker with a much better opportunity for adjustment. A twist of the lips, a frown on the forehead, a contraction of the facial muscles point out that the message is not welcomed, then changes of tone or sympathetically looking is to be needed. These adjustments are possible only in face-to-face communication.
5. Conversation to learn: We learn a great deal via conversation, including conversations with ourselves. We learn highly valuable life lessons.
6. Conversation to coordinate: Coordinating our action in ways that are mutually beneficial. Anytime we negotiate one favor for another, we use conversation to reach an agreement to transact.
7. Collaborate: Coordination of action assumes relatively clear goals, but many times social interaction involves the negotiation of goals. Conversation is a requisite for agreeing on goals, as well as for agreeing upon and coordinating our actions.

Disadvantages of face-to-face conversation

1. Difficult to practice in a large-sized organization: Face-to-face communication is extremely difficult to practice in large-sized organizations, particularly if their various units or departments are situated at different places.
2. Not effective in large gatherings: It is very difficult to get a message across to large gatherings. Even though the speaker is addressing them face-to-face, the vital personal touch is missing. In the absence of a satisfactory feedback, his speech lapse into a monologue.
3. Ineffective if the listener is not attentive: A limitation which the face-to-face communication shares with oral communication is that its effectiveness is closely linked with the listener’s attentiveness. Since human beings can listen to grasp the message faster than the speed at which they are delivered, they will easily get delivered thus making communication ineffective.

Written Communication:

Written communication transmits messages, ideas and thoughts in writing with documentary proof in the form of notices, letters, circulars, hand-outs, manuals etc. In a large organisation, managers interact with various stakeholders, like consumers, suppliers, Government, labour unions, shareholders etc.

These stakeholders are separated by wide geographical distances and, therefore, managers cannot communicate with them orally. They adopt written means of communication for smooth conduct of the organisation.

It needs lot of deliberation, effort and thinking to put a message in writing. Similar to oral communication, written communication can be used in formal and informal channels. Fax, letters, reports, notices, etc. are the usual means for transmitting messages in writing.

Merits of written communication:

1. Documentary evidence:

Written communication is a record on paper. It, therefore, has evidence for future reference. Reference to any point can be made at any point of time if matters are put in writing.

2. Legal evidence:

If disputes arise that require judicial interpretations, written information helps in maintaining legal defence.

3. Better understanding:

Messages in writing can be read as many times as the reader wants to understand the message.

4. Well stated message:

The sender can think, analyse and take time to put the message in writing. The message is more balanced than oral communication.

5. Wider access:

It can reach a much larger audience and geographical coverage than oral communication. In case of mass communication, letters and newspapers can be read by a large number of people.

6. Responsibility:

Responsibility can be fixed in written communication as against oral communication. People can be held liable for mistakes, errors and omissions.

7. Uniformity:

It maintains uniformity of policies and procedures. Oral communication is liable to different interpretations but written facts clearly specify what is expected of whom.

8. Lasting impact:

What one reads is more lasting than what one hears. Reading messages has a lasting impact on readers.

9. Noise free:

It is free from noise. One can write and read at convenience. Internal (fans, people talking to each other) and external (loudspeakers, telephone disconnection) disturbances do not affect the efficiency of written communication.

10. Suitable for lengthy messages:

Lengthy and complex messages can be better encoded and decoded when put in writing.

Limitations of written communication:

1. Writing skills:

Writing is an art. Everybody cannot put messages in writing. If the sender does not have writing skills, written communication will be of little value.

2. Paperwork:

Putting messages in writing requires huge amount of paper work. In many departments, files get misplaced which delays the processing of information.

3. Time:

It is a time-consuming means of communication. It is not suitable where immediate feedback is required.

4. Different interpretations:

Choice of words should be carefully made when messages are put in writing. Receiver’s understanding of the words and language should be same as that of the sender.

5. Costly:

It is a costly means of communication. Lot of time and money are spent on drafting and sending the message. In big organisations, separate mailing departments are maintained. Stationery and administrative costs are huge. The message should be so drafted that benefits outweigh the costs.

6. Lack of personal touch:

It lacks personal touch between the sender and the receiver.

7. Lack of secrecy:

Written messages cannot remain secret as they pass through a number of levels and departments.

8. Non-verbal clues:

Sender cannot read facial expressions and gestures of the receiver. He cannot understand how well the receiver appreciates what he wants to convey.

9. Lack of flexibility:

Written messages lack flexibility as they cannot be easily changed. Lot of time and money have to be spent on changing the message. The above discussion makes it clear that oral or written medium of communication depends upon the situation.

If information is formal that does not require personal link of sender with the receiver, it is lengthy and needs to be preserved for future reference, or is required for legal interpretations, written communication is more appropriate than oral.

If, on the other hand, information has to be given to a small number of people who are centrally located, it is confidential and does not need to be stored for future or legal reference, oral communication is more appropriate than written. Daily, routine and informal matters are generally communicated orally while important, formal and non-routine matters are communicated in writing.

Oral communication:

Oral communication means transmission of messages through spoken words. Most of the communication takes place orally. When people meet each other, they interact face-to- face and share their thoughts. The way we talk reflects our personality, educational background, emotional state and relationship with the listener.

Oral communication is used:

1. By choice:

Managers transmit messages orally when they want speedy transmission of ideas.

2. Nature of information:

Highly confidential information where evidence in writing is not to be retained is generally transmitted orally.

3. Situation:

When receiver of information does not want to read long notices, managers transmit information orally. Oral communication can be formal and informal. Formal oral communication takes place through formal presentations, group discussions, meetings, interviews etc. Informal oral communication takes place through face-to-face conversation or telephone. Informal communication helps in maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships.

Merits of oral communication:

1. Speed:

It is a fast medium of communication. It takes long to write, despatch and receive a letter while orally, messages can be transmitted and received simultaneously. Messages can be instantly encoded, transmitted and decoded.

2. Feedback:

The sender can receive immediate feedback from the receiver. Doubts and clarifications can be sought at the point of discussion, thus, enhancing efficiency of the message. Message can be reframed for better understanding and action. While feedback is more apparent in two-way communication, in one-way communication, feedback can be provided through gestures.

3. Synergy:

Two brains can think faster and better than one. ‘One plus one makes eleven.’ When people discuss matters orally, they arrive at better proposals and solutions than can be thought of by one man alone.

4. Economical:

It is an economical means of communication. It saves time and money on stationery and administrative staff. People at distant places can be immediately connected and actions can be initiated without delay.

5. Flexible:

If the message is not clear, sender can change his voice, words or tone to make it clear to the audience. Written words cannot be easily changed.

6. Personal touch:

It adds personal touch to communication. When managers personally talk to subordinates, it carries more meaning than transmitting the same message in writing.

7. Secrecy:

Secrecy can be maintained in oral communication. Confidential information is transmitted orally so that no evidence is maintained in writing.

8. Non-verbal clues:

Actions speak louder than words. The speaker can make out through actions of the receiver whether or not he has understood the message.

9. Inter-personal relations:

It is an effective medium of communication to develop healthy inter-personal relations amongst superiors and subordinates. Personal meetings and discussions create healthy climate in business organisations.

Limitations of oral communication:

1. Lack of evidence:

Oral communication has no proof as nothing is evidenced in writing. Matters discussed cannot be used for future reference. Thus, where references are required for decision-making, this is not a suitable medium of communication.

1. Limited time:

Though immediate feedback is a positive feature of oral communication, receiver has very little time to think. He may immediately say ‘yes’ to the proposal while actually it may not be possible for him to act upon it.

2. Costly:

Sometimes, meetings run for hours and end up without conclusions. This results in waste of time, money and energy. People deviate from the agenda and discuss issues not relevant to the frame of decided subject matter. It wastes time and energy to come to the point and take relevant decisions.

3. Lengthy messages:

When messages are lengthy, it is not a suitable medium of communication. Human memory cannot retain things for long. Both sender and receiver may not be able to recall the message, it is always better to write lengthy messages.

4. Geographical locations:

It is not a suitable form of communication where sender and receiver are separated by geographical distances. Talking on phone is costly and noisy. Travelling long distances for personal meetings may be costlier.

5. Attitudinal problems:

If sender and receiver have personal biases and prejudices against each other, oral communication becomes ineffective. They tend to find faults with others’ suggestions rather than arrive at consensus.

6. Misunderstanding:

Fraction of inattentiveness can result in loss of important information. This results in misunderstanding and varying perception about the message conveyed.

7. Noise:

Oral communication is prone to noise. Disturbance in telephone lines, mike connections, faxes, interference by the third person etc. reduces the effectiveness of oral communication.

9. Assigning responsibility:

It is difficult to assign responsibility and hold people accountable for mistakes and inaccuracies in carrying out the messages as they are not recorded for reference.

‘Actions speak louder than words.’ Our gestures and facial expressions can express what words cannot. We do not communicate through words alone. A pat on the back or a word of praise can motivate workers to do things that oral or written instructions cannot. In fact, body movements, gestures, voice, tones etc. account for about ninety three per cent of our communication. Only above seven per cent of communication is done through words.

Nonverbal communication takes place without use of words. It conveys messages through body movements and audio-visual signals. It helps to understand the mental and emotional state of the sender and receiver, form impressions about attitudes and behaviour of people and, thus, helps to improve the communication. It is a less deliberate and conscious form of communication. Gestures and expressions come on their own and reflect the effectiveness of communication.

Non-verbal communication can take the following forms:

1. Body language (kinesics)
2. Para language
3. Sign language
4. Space language, time language and surroundings.

A. Body Language (kinesics):

Body language is the language of body. It is the way our body communicates through its parts. Our face, eyes, posture, gesture etc. reflect our attitudes, emotions, mood, feelings (positive or negative) etc. A nod of head, blinking of eyes, waving of hands can indicate lot about our reflexes without actually speaking anything. ‘Face is the index of mind.’ Face can tell what we are thinking without actually saying the same.

While words speak consciously, body speaks sub-consciously. It always tells the truth. We can jumble with words but not with our body. Body also reflects our status. In a conversation of two persons, one of whom is sitting erect and tensed and the other relaxed and strong, it can be inferred that former is the subordinate and latter the superior.

“We talk with our vocal cords, but we communicate with our facial expressions, our tone of voice, our whole body.”

Study of messages conveyed by our body is known as ‘Kinesics’.

Our body speaks through its parts as follows:

1. Facial expression:

Face expresses what is going on inside us. Face speaks what words cannot. Fear, anger, surprise, sadness, happiness etc. are reflected through our facial expressions. The forehead, eyebrows, cheeks, lips etc. reflect our inner emotions. Though not very often, facial expressions give wrong signals also. A person may be frowning because of acute headache while his co-workers may take it as a sign of resentment.

2. Eyes:

Eyes, as part of the face, express how deeply we are involved in the discussion. When two persons are talking, direct eye contact is the most effective way of expressing oneself to the other. Raised eyebrows and eyelids express surprise or excitement.

Closed eyelids may express pain or deep concentration. Fixed eyes express concentration. Long eye contact reflects interest in the subject while brief eye contact reflects disinterest. Sometimes, eyes may send wrong signals also. Red eyes reflect anger but if a person has not slept the whole night, red eyes reflect lack of sleep and not anger.

3. Head:

Head position reflects confidence in the subject being discussed. Nodding of head shows that listener is understanding the speaker. Head held high is a sign of honour and self-confidence. A head bent low is a sign of modesty and politeness. In negative cases, it may even reflect shame and a sorry figure. Head posture is, thus, an important indication of non-verbal communication.

4. Gestures:

Gestures are the physical movements of arms, legs, hands and head. They reflect meanings which are usually understood by everyone. Tapping foot reflects impatience, tapping finger reflects thinking, pounding fist on the table reflects anger, ‘V is a sign of victory, a blink of eyes shows acceptance and twisting of lips shows disagreement.

5. Body shape:

Our body can take three shapes:

(a) Ectomorph: thin and tall,

(b) Mexomorph: strong, muscular and bony,

(c) Endomorph: fat, round and soft.

The shape of our body reflects our physical appearance, confidence level and character. Tall and erect body is seemingly more confident than stout and stooping body.

6. Posture:

Posture is the way we carry ourselves. An erect posture reflects confidence, a bent posture reflects thinking, relaxed posture reflects balanced state of mind, sitting backwards with legs apart is a sign of disinterest. The way we sit and stand reflects our attitude towards job and the person whom we are talking to.

7. Appearance:

Physical appearance, that is, the way we dress, do our hair style, wear make up, wear our shoes etc. greatly reflect our attitude towards our job and peers. Appearance is a strong form of non-verbal communication. Pleasant appearance attracts the listeners and non-pleasant appearance does not.

B. Para Language:

Para means ‘like’ and para language means ‘like language’. It is use of non-verbal communication, which is similar to language. It is closest in meaning to verbal communication. Words convey meaning through para language.

It indicates how a speaker speaks. ‘Thanks’ said with a sad face and ‘sorry’ said with a happy face do not convey the right meaning. Sarcasm, criticism, nervousness, calmness, joy, anger etc. are reflected through tone and pitch of the voice.

Para language facilitates non-verbal communication in the following ways:

1. Voice:

Voice is an important indicator of our personality. A soft voice indicates calmness and hard voice indicates harshness or strictness. A clear voice indicates clarity of subject and stammering voice indicates nervousness. Clarity of voice affects effectiveness of communication.

Voice takes care of the following aspects:

(a) Pitch variation:

Pitch of the voice means tone of the voice. Voice can have a high or low pitch. A person speaking at the same pitch becomes boring for listeners, howsoever interesting his subject may be. Voice modulation makes the speaker interesting. Some words also need extra stress to convey the right meaning.

High or low pitch indicates the following:

(i) Authority:

People having high authority tend to speak in high tone and those subordinate to them tend to speak in low tone or pitch. High authority people who are humble by nature, however, speak in low pitch.

(ii) State of mind:

People in excitement or anger speak in high tone and those in balanced mental state speak in low or soft tone. “Don’t raise your voice. I’ll not be convinced by your shouting” reflects high tone of a person in angry mood.

(b) Volume variation:

Volume means loudness. Voice should be loud enough for audience to hear.

Volume of voice is affected by the following:

(i) Mode of communication:

If the speaker is talking on phone, his volume has to be low but if he is addressing a seminar or conference, the volume is comparatively high.

(ii) Size of audience:

A large audience or gathering requires high volume of the speaker and a small gathering requires low volume.

(iii) Emphasis on words:

Certain words or sentences that need special attention are spoken at a higher volume than the rest.

(c) Speed and pause:

Speed is a great contributor to voice. Speed has to vary with the subject matter being conveyed. Important matters should be discussed at a low speed so that no part of the information is skipped out. Routine and general information may, however, be communicated at a fast speed. Use of grammatical pauses (comma, full stop, question mark, exclamation mark etc.) increases the efficiency of speed. Punctuation marks break the speed and add powerful influences to it.

Note the change in this conversation:

A: “How are you I have not seen you for long I hope everything is fine.”

B: “How are you? I have not seen you for long. I hope everything is fine.”

B’s communication is more powerful than that of A. Pauses make the speech powerful provided they are used at the right places.

(d) Non-fluencies:

Non-fluencies are the pauses that are scattered at intervals over the speech to make it more interesting and understandable. Use of words like ‘ok’, ‘all-right’, ‘Is it clear’, ‘oh’, ‘uh’, ‘um’ etc. make communication effective. They add fluency to the speech. They give breathing time to both speaker and the listener. Nevertheless, their use should be made judiciously. Using too much of these words can make communication boring.

2. Proper stress on words:

Proper stress on words clarify the meaning of the sentence.

(a) I am going with you:

The stress is on ‘I’. It means I and nobody else is going with you.

(b) I am going with you:

The stress is on ‘you’. It means I am going with none other than you.

Stress changes the meaning of sentences and conveys what the sender intends to convey.

3. Mixed signals:

What one wants to say and how he says must correspond with each other.

A says to B: “Please switch off the light. It’s been on for hours.”

B gets irritated and replies: “I switched it on just half an hour ago. How do you say it’s been ON for hours?”

Though A wanted to say that the light was on for quite some time, use of the word ‘hours’ miscommunicated the message.

‘What’ and ‘How’ of the message should go together to make communication effective.

Language can be improved by listening to good speakers and news channels on Television and Radio.

Para language is an important supplement to verbal communication. It makes verbal communication complete and effective. It tells about the personality, position, educational background and mental state of the speaker.

However, different signals convey different meanings in different cultures. Pauses in speech are considered good by Japanese but Americans prefer fluency in speech. Receivers or listeners must, therefore, be open-minded and patient when they are listening to people of different cultures.

C. Sign Language:

Signs are the symbols that convey almost 50 per cent of what we want to say. Sign language is a non-verbal form of communication where sender conveys message through symbols.

Sign language can be of the following types:

1. Visual signs:

Visual signs convey messages through pictures and drawings. Ancient civilisation speaks about itself through carvings and engravings on walls.

Use of posters, pictures, paintings, maps, diagrams, colours etc. is very common to convey the intended messages. Mathematical symbols like ‘<‘, ‘>’, ‘=’ are commonly used in solving mathematical problems. Geography and history books contain maps and charts.

Pamphlets used by tourism industry contain pictures of famous places to give a bird’s eye view to the tourist. Colours are also an important indication of messages. Red generally denotes anger, white denotes peace and green denotes progress. Pictures speak what thousand words together cannot. They make communication effective by attracting attention of the listener.

Presentations in seminars and conferences make ample use of visual signs through slides and graphs. Pictures make communication interesting and also reflect cultural background of the communicator. In the business world, posters and pictures are extensively used for advertising.

However, symbols must be used cautiously when people of different cultural backgrounds are conversing with each other as different symbols could convey different meanings in different cultures. Interpretation of symbols depends upon mindset of the speaker and the listener.

2. Audio signs:

Use of audio signals is an effective tool that supports non-verbal communication. Alarm clocks, siren, bells, ambulance, fire brigades and police vans have peculiar sound which convey standard meanings. The moment one hears the sound of an ambulance, one leaves way even if it is not carrying any patient. (Sound of a police van signals theft somewhere). If we have to take a 3.00 p.m. flight for which we want to get up at 12 midnight, phone alarm or alarm clock serves the purpose best.

Business houses make use of different audio signals to announce emergency, lunch break, starting of the day, end of the day, call a peon etc.

Audio signals make communication faster and effective. They are useful in time management and streamline working of the organisation. However, wrong use of such signals should be avoided, otherwise they become ineffective communicators.

Sign language, thus, cannot be a complete substitute for verbal communication in all cases. It is only an important supplement to verbal communication.

D. Space Language, Time Language and Surroundings:

The space around us, time and physical surroundings are as important non-verbal forms of communication as verbal communication.

Their importance is discussed below:

1. Space language:

Study of communication through space around us is known as space language or ‘proxemics’. Say, we are standing four feet away from our boss and communicating with him. Whether we can reduce this distance or not depends upon how close and intimate we are with him.

If we want to communicate with our friends and relatives, space language can specify the distance we would like to maintain with them and whom we would tolerate in that space. How close we are to the person with whom we are communicating, what is his status, what is our relationship with him, are reflected through the space or distance we maintain with him.

Edward T. Hall presents the space language through the following distances:

(a) Intimate space language:

This indicates a space of 18 inches between the communicators. Within this space, body language is more effective than spoken language. This space is occupied by those who are very close and intimate, like friends, relatives or official contacts. Communication in this space is usually done through eye contacts, whispers, handshakes etc. In the official context, confidential and sensitive matters are generally discussed in intimate space.

(b) Personal space language:

This space varies between 18 inches and 4 feet. Within this space, people talk to personal friends and visitors who may not necessarily be in very close proximity with each other. Normal conversation is carried within this space which is personal but not confidential. In official context, it may relate to important business decisions.

(c) Social space language:

This space varies between 4 feet and 12 feet. This is used for formal business communication. It is not affected by personal relationships, expressions and feelings. Communication is planned and dominated by reason.

(d) Public space language:

It is the space beyond 12 feet. It is used to convey formal messages. Speaking in large seminar halls or addressing public gatherings during elections are examples of public space language. Emotions and personal biases find no place in this form of space language.

Use of space also indicates the way people wish to interact with others. People who sit in the front are active communicators while those who sit at the back are generally listeners. They are not much interested in communication.

Though space or distance between communicators largely tells about the relationships between them, it may not always be so. A doctor and a patient, a lawyer and his client sit very close to each other while communicating but their relationship cannot be described as informal.

2. Time language:

‘Time is money’. Work done in time speaks a lot about the worth of the candidate. An employee who always reaches on time reflects his loyalty and interest in the job. People who value the time high are also valued high by others. Directors and secretaries of government organisations often give appointments to people to indicate value of time for them. Time taken to complete a task indicates worth of the task and the person performing that task.

Time management is a widely practiced field of management today.

3. Surroundings:

Surroundings represent the physical environment in which we work. A well-furnished, carpeted, softly coloured office with a well-designed layout and beautiful paintings on the walls, speaks a lot more than an office with ordinary layout and furniture. The way we decorate our homes also speaks about our taste, status and background.

Architects and structural engineers are widely consulted to give size and decoration to the rooms that can attract business clients and also provide a positive environment to people to work. Environment or physical surrounding is an important non-financial incentive that promotes organisational productivity and profitability.

Kinesic communication is the technical term for body language, i.e., communicating by body movement. We call the study of kinesic communication kinesics. Kinesic communication is a non-verbal form of communication. However, it is not the only non-verbal way of communicating with other people.

When we communicate with others, we can speak, i.e., utter words. We can use body movements such as gestures and facial expressions. We can also write letters, texts, and emails to other people.

People in one ship can communicate with those in another ship using Morse code or flags.

Kinesic communication is one of the many ways we can communicate non-verbally. Non-verbal communication is one of the processes of conveying messages without writing or uttering words.

Kinesics or kinesic communication is all about communication through body movements, such as gestures and facial expressions. It is all about non-verbal behavior using any part of the body. It also includes communicating using the body as a whole.

In popular culture, we call this ‘body language’. In fact, the founder of kinesics, American anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell (1918-1994), never used the term ‘body language’.

He did not like the term, insisting that our bodies do not convey what linguists define as ‘language.’

“Facial expression, gestures, posture and gait, and visible arm and body movements.”

Birdwhistell filmed people in social situations and analyzed them. He showed how humans communicate in ways we had not clearly seen before.

He argued that all body movements convey meaning. In fact, he believed that non-verbal behavior had a grammar. A grammar that we could analyze in similar terms to spoken or written language.

The Different Elements in The Process of Communication

Sender

The very foundation of communication process is laid by the person who transmits or sends the message. He is the sender of the message which may be a thought, idea, a picture, symbol, report or an order and postures and gestures, even a momentary smile. The sender is therefore the initiator of the message that need to be transmitted. After having generated the idea, information etc. the sender encodes it in such a manner that can be well-understood by the receiver.

Message

Message is referred to as the information conveyed by words as in speech and write-ups, signs, pictures or symbols depending upon the situation and the nature and importance of information desired to be sent. Message is the heart of communication. It is the content the sender wants to covey to the receiver. It can be verbal both written and spoken; or non-verbal i.e. pictorial or symbolic, etc.

Encoding

Encoding is putting the targeted message into appropriate medium which may be verbal or non-verbal depending upon the situation, time, space and nature of the message to be sent. The sender puts the message into a series of symbols, pictures or words which will be communicated to the intended receiver. Encoding is an important step in the communication process as wrong and inappropriate encoding may defeat the true intent of the communication process.

Channel

Channel(s) refers to the way or mode the message flows or is transmitted through. The message is transmitted over a channel that links the sender with the receiver. The message may be oral or written and it may be transmitted through a memorandum, a computer, telephone, cell phone, apps or televisions.

Since each channel has its advantages and disadvantages, the choice of proper selection of the channel is paramount for effective communication.

Receiver

Receiver is the person or group who the message is meant for. He may be a listener, a reader or a viewer. Any negligence on the part of the receiver may make the communication ineffective. The receiver needs to comprehend the message sent in the best possible manner such that the true intent of the communication is attained. The extent to which the receiver decodes the message depends on his/her knowledge of the subject matter of the message, experience, trust and relationship with the sender.

The receiver is as significant a factor in communication process as the sender is. It is the other end of the process. The receiver should be in fit condition to receive the message, that is, he/she should have channel of communication active and should not be preoccupied with other thoughts that might cause him/her to pay insufficient attention to the message.

Decoding

Decoding refers to interpreting or converting the sent message into intelligible language. It simply means comprehending the message. The receiver after receiving the message interprets it and tries to understand it in the best possible manner.

Feedback

Feedback is the ultimate aspect of communication process. It refers to the response of the receiver as to the message sent to him/her by the sender. Feedback is necessary to ensure that the message has been effectively encoded, sent, decoded and comprehended.

It is the final step of the communication process and establishes that the receiver has received the message in its letter and spirit. In other words, the receiver has correctly interpreted the message as it was intended by the sender. It is instrumental to make communication effective and purposeful.

Consider the following points related to the feedback involved in the process of communication:

• It enhances the effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender to know the efficacy of his message.
• It enables the sender to know if his/her message has been properly comprehended.
• The analysis of feedbacks helps improve future messages. Feedback, like the message, can be verbal or nonverbal and transmitted through carefully chosen channel of communication.
• We can represent the above steps in a model as the model of communication process.

Types of Feedback

Kevin Eujeberry, the world famous leadership exponent mentioned the four types of feedback. The types are as follows:

• Negative Feedback or corrective comments about past behavior
• Positive Feedback or affirming comments about future behavior
• Negative feedforward or corrective comments about future behavior
• Positive feedforward or affirming comments about future behavior

The Model of Communication Process

The process of communication, however, is not as smooth or barrier-free as it seems. From its transmission to receipt, the message may get interfered or disturbed with at any stage by many factors which are known as barriers to effective communication. One of the factors is poor choice of communication method. In addition to a poor choice of communication method, other barriers to effective communication include noise and other physical distractions, language problems, and failure to recognize nonverbal signals. We will discuss these barriers of communication in a subsequent chapter.

An Effective Communication is a communication between two or more persons wherein the intended message is successfully delivered, received and understood.

In other words, the communication is said to be effective when all the parties (sender and receiver) in the communication, assign similar meanings to the message and listen carefully to what all have been said and make the sender feel heard and understood. In the business context, the communication is effective if the information shared among the company employees contributes towards the organization’s commercial success.

The effective communication includes not just the way you use the words but also covers several other skills such as, non-verbal communication, ability to understand your own emotions as well as of the other person with whom you are communicating, engaged listening, ability to speak assertively, etc.

There are several barriers to effective communication which are listed below:

1. Semantic Barriers
2. Organizational Barriers
3. Psychological or Emotional Barriers
4. Personal Barriers

Effective communication in the organization enables the employees to deepen their connection with others and improve teamwork, decision-making, and problem-solving capacity. The communication is a skill which is learned, and an individual can gain spontaneity in it by putting in his extra efforts and participating in more public conversations.

Significance of Effective Communication

In this section, we will understand the significance of effective communication:

Construct and Foster Sustainable and Productive Relationship

Effective communication should be the focus in businesses as it becomes largely difficult to properly construct and foster productive relationship without it.

Give space to Innovations

Effective communication facilitates innovations in a business organization by allowing employees and management to come up with innovative ideas that might further help in the overall development of the organization.

Help Build an Effective Team

A work environment enriched with effective or open communication helps in building a cohesive and effective team. Effective communication always boosts the morale of employees. It brings in the zeal in employees to work towards achieving the common objectives of the organization. Regular internal communication can also lead to an improved work ethic if the staff are reminded of achievements and feel that they are working towards a common goal.

Effective Management

When there is hassle-free and open communication between the management and the employees, it leads to a steady rise in the pace of progress of the organization. Effective communication, therefore, yields effective management. Managers come to know the attitude and grievances of the employees and the latter gets to know the managers’ attitudes towards them and also the policies of the organization.

Contributes to the Overall Growth of the Organization

Effective communication builds desired interpersonal, interdepartmental and management-employee relationship which in turn are essential preconditions for realizing the vision of the organization. In other words, effective communication contributes to the overall growth of the business.

At the professional level, it is essential to know how to deal adequately with peers, make good decisions even in stressful situations. This is one of the reasons why effective communication skills are increasingly valued.

Effective communication in the organization enables the employees to deepen their connection with others and improve teamwork, decision-making, and problem-solving capacity.

Characteristics of Effective Communication

The characteristics or principles of effective communication are pivotal for ensuring a productive communication. The major characteristics are as follows:

Completeness of the Message

Communication must be complete so as not to baffle the recipient. Better communication helps in better decision-making by the latter. It develops and enhances the reputation of an organization.

Clearness and Integrity of the Message

The message to be conveyed or sent must have clarity and integrity for better understanding. Clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of the message. The pith and substance of the message should be based on honesty and accuracy.

Conciseness of the Message

The intended message must be free from verbosity and should be so written that it is intelligible at the first sight. Short and intelligible message sent to the receiver is ever appealing and comprehensible. It saves time and cost as it is understood at the first instance.

Consideration of Physical Setting and the Recipient

In order to make communication more effective, the overall physical setting, i.e., the media of communication and the work environment, must be considered. The content of the message must take into account the attitude, knowledge, and position of the recipient.

Clarity of the Message

The message should have clarity of thoughts and ideas in order to be understood clearly. Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words and symbols.

Courtesy to be maintained

The sender’s message should be so drafted or prepared that it should be polite, reflective, and enthusiastic. It must show the sender’s respect for the receiver and be positive and focused at the receiver.

Correctness of the Message

The drafting of the message should be done in such a manner that the final message doesn’t have any grammatical errors and repetitions of sentences. The message should be exact, correct and well-timed.

Effective Business Communication

Successful business largely flourishes on effective business communication. Effective communication skills are vital for building active and effective interactions among the colleagues, clients, bosses, and media.

It is of foremost importance for all personnel in all phases of business life in any organization.

Although everyone employed in an organization boasts of having acquired the skills of effective business communication, there is a need ever felt for improving these skills.

Methods of Effective Business Communication

• Web-based communication: For better and improved communication, anytime and anywhere.
• Video conferencing: This allows people in different locations to hold interactive meetings.
• Reports: This is important in documenting the activities of any department.
• Presentations: This is a popular method of communication in all types of organizations, usually involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Flash.
• Telephone meetings: This allows speech over long distance.
• Forum boards: This allows people to instantly post information at a centralized location.
• Face-to-face meetings: The nature of such meetings is personal and should be succeeded by a written follow-up.

Effective Business communication can further be categorized into:

• Effective oral business communication
• Effective written business communication

Effective Oral Business Communication

Effective business communication mostly involves listening and speaking. Both the speaker and the listener share responsibility of making the message clear and understood. Besides, body language, tone of voice, choice of words and phrases, message clarification and communication style also play a role and impact the effectiveness of interpersonal transaction and interactions.

Techniques of Effective Oral Business Communication

In this section, we will discuss the different techniques of effective oral business communication. The techniques are described below:

• Speakers should know how to articulate their message so as to enable the listener to understand it well and deliver it in a manner that is consistent with the message itself.
• The speech or spoken words should be properly worded and concise.
• The speech should be contextual like serious issues are best delivered in a serious tone.
• Knowing the listener(s) and how they react is instrumental in conceiving the subject matter of the speech.
• For effective business communication, quiet location counts much. If one party is distracted by both external and internal distractors like sound, communication fails to yield desired result.
• Involvement of all the concerned is of vital importance to make communication effective. Involvement means complete attention and dedication to discussion or analysis.
• Effective or active listening is essential for participants in a communication. It is practiced by both the speaker and the listener in effective communication.
• In order to become a better listener there is a need to eliminate all distractions during the conversations.
• Active listening involves eye contact, nods, gestures and brief comments to show understanding. On the basis of these gestures and comments, the listener’s comprehension and reaction can be assessed. In case the listener seems confused, the speaker needs to re-assess the wording or delivery of the message.
• The listener may ask questions, validate what is being said and provide input if necessary.
• While speaking or interacting with someone, don’t just listen to whatever they are saying rather be attentive and make mental notes.
• Asking questions during discussion or an important conversation adds weightage to communication. It also helps the participants to learn everything they need to know. It shows that they are listening and confirming understanding and giving respect.
• Questions are powerful instruments to make communication effective. It enables the persons concerned to get required feedbacks.

There are usually two types of questions to be asked during a communication process.

• Close-ended questions, which are often answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’ are essential when the communicators want to gather basic information quickly or want to obtain an answer without a long or drawn-out explanation.
• Open-ended questions provide a broader and more comprehensive answer.

Feedback is a crucial part of communication and is vitally required by all concerned in a communication process. It marks the end of a communication process. The communicator on one side should convey his/her information in such a way that his/her targets can offer feedback or criticism on the information given.

During a particular conversation, a discussion or meeting proper and relevant communication types and the mediums should be put in place. Visuals should be shown to present information in a pleasant and palatable manner.

Reinforcing a positive and supportive culture will develop a clear understanding between employees. One of the very effective ways of communicating company’s culture is by taking help of the culture deck.

It is hard to have open communication if both sides fold their arms, clench their jaws and refuse to look each other in the eye. Nonverbal communications like gesture, tone of voice, eye contact are more meaningful than spoken words. If nonverbal messages are overwhelming the conversation, it might be better to wait until things settle. Nod your head and maintain an open posture to show you’re absorbing what the other person is saying.