“Communication is not only the essence of being human, but also a vital property of life”. John A. Piece
Communication is around us everywhere. It is lifeblood of every organization and even relationships of all kind. Communication is an interpersonal process of sharing information, knowledge, ideas, opinions, expressions, emotions and many other such things in form of speaking, symbols, thoughts, signs and body language. Communication consists of transmitting information from one person to another, Communication is a learned skill. Speaking, listening and the ability to understand verbal and nonverbal meanings are skills in communication. Communication is the base for whatever we do we would not be able to do even the everyday things that we do on a daily basis. When it comes to the work world, whether it’s a small family run company, or a giant, corporation, communication is the only way to run a business smoothly. Without effective communication, messages can get mixed, and information can be skewed. Whenever communications occur between employees of a business we call it Internal Communication and when businesses communicate with people or other organizations outside we call it external communication. Effective Communication links together all the different activities involved in a business and ensures all employees are working towards the same goal and know exactly what they should be doing and by when. Effective communication is therefore a key to the success of a business.

There are thousands of fast ways of communicating like emails, fax, telephones, web-blogs, messages, website, web portals, webinars, pod casting. Today communication is quick and easy to find as technology has made it faster and easier and myriads of more ways emerging every day.

But are we really ‘communicating’ with such abundant tools of communications? Are we really reaching to our listeners? Are we making the difference we hope to make? How can we actually communicate effectively? The answers to these questions are in understanding the difference between communication and effective communication.

Out of the many types of Communication the two fundamental types are as follows:

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

It is said that communications is composed of different methods which include: words, voice, language, tone and non verbal cues. Verbal communication is an inseparable part of Business communication. In a conversation according to modern research

Words are 7 % effective

Tone of voice is 38% effective

Non-Verbal cues are 55 % effective

Non –Verbal communication includes body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and motions body postures (like sitting, standing, legs/arms crossed, relaxed or tense), and even the way we dress up and the way we stay silent is kind of a non-verbal communication. It is vital for business professionals to realize that most of our communication occurs non- verbally. Because WHAT we say is not as important as HOW we say it! We need to understand and get knowledge of non-verbal cues so that we may respond to someone in a way that is appropriate / suitable to their communication style, and it may prepare us to prevent any hostile situation to get intense.
“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” Indira Gandhi.

We provide information through our STATIC FEATURES which include: distance, Personal space, Orientation / positioning, postures and physical contact. The distance we stand from some one conveys a message, a message that is culturally shaped, for e.g. it may convey a message of attraction and in some cases a massage of status. Personal space is the boundary we set between ourselves and others; it reflects our level of comfort we share / express while sending and receiving messages. We may position ourselves face to face, side by side if we are competitors or cooperators respectively. Our postures convey a degree of formality or relaxation in the process of communication. Our physical contact of shaking hands, patting, embracing etc they all send and receive a massage of intimacy or lack of attraction.

There are some DYNAMIC FEATURES of non verbal communication that provide information. Our Facial Expressions; the yawns, raised eyebrows, smiles, frowns they are continually monitored by the recipient. The hand movements, the clenched fists are the Gestures with universal meanings. The Eye Contact may signal when to talk or when not to, its frequency may signal boredom or interest, it may also convey emotion or lack of emotion
As a communicator one should be sensitive to the non-verbal cues like tone, pitch, the quality of one’s voice and the dynamic and static features also. Our Communication and Cooperation improves as learn to recognize and respond appropriately to the non-verbal cues (the wordless massages).

Communication Process

The communication process starts with a sender or the person who wants to communicate a though to the other person/ persons. The sender interprets the thoughts into various symbols and words that the receiver can understand and then transmits the message. The message is transmitted through a medium such as email, oral or any written or visual media. Then there is a receiver for whom the message is meant. The last step is feedback where the receiver responds to the message sent by the sender.
Wilbur Schramm (1955) developed the most commonly known model of communication process, which broke the process down into five clearly defined consecutive stages or dimensions
These are as follows:
1. The sender has the need to communicate.
2. The need is translated into a message (encoding).
3. The message is transmitted.
4. The receiver gets the message (decoding).
5. The receiver interprets the message and provides feedback to the sender.

Wilbur Schramm Communication process model (1955)


The critical part of communication is the information, which is being transferred. Two important stages of communication are a) encoding and b) decoding. Encoding is translation or conversion of the idea or intention or message into words or signals so that receiver would reconvert the same as intended by the sender. Decoding is what the receiver does to reconvert the received words or signals into the idea or intention or message as originally intended by the sender. Understanding of the process of communication can facilitate transactions.

Effective Communication Skills

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. “ Anthony Robbins
Effective communication is an essential component of Organizational success, whether it is interpersonal, inter-group, organizational or external communication. Communication is simple yet it is complex, easy to do and easy to blunder. According to Kathy Walker in her ‘Communication Basics’, “we hear only half of what is said to us, understand only half of that, believe only half of that, and remember only half of that’’
Communicating effectively helps build trust and respect, encourage learning and accomplish goals. To be effective change agents and or leaders, communication involves the use of following four skills.
1. Leveling
2. Listening
3. Validating
4. ‘I…’ statement

Leveling

It is wrong to expect the other to know what is in our minds. Misunderstanding and conflicts occur only when one party does not know the importance of information. Effective communication occurs only when both parties know the relevant information. Leveling means giving the other person the feelings rather than expecting him/her to read your mind. We need to develop a level or uniform playing field in all interpersonal interactions.

Listening with Relaxed Attention

We should not only hear what is said to us but actively process what others say. We should not think about what we are going to say next but what others are saying. When we confront difficult issues listening is more important than speaking or any other form of expression. Listening is an art and everyone can learn the art of active listening. The key to active listening is ‘relaxed attention’, i.e. listen with your whole body by using verbal and nonverbal skills. Avoid interrupting the speaker.

Validating

This skill is about acknowledging the thoughts, ideas and feelings of the other person. Its about letting the other party/person know that you heard their position or opinion, and that you recognize their thoughts, feelings and ideas.

‘I…’ Statements
Half of the effective communication is active listening and the other half is expressing what you feel, think or want in a non-defensive and non-offensive way. And that way is expressing with an ‘I’. it makes you the sole responsible of your wants and feelings, without sounding like you are blaming or attacking the other person or persons.

Effective Communication for Leaders

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” James Humes
We think of a good communicator as a good speaker, as they can express themselves clear;y with confidence. But this is only the half truth. The key and often forgotten component of effective communication for leaders is LISTENING.
“Successful leaders, we have found, are great askers, and they do pay attention.” Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus
If you cannot make an impact and communicate effectively to your people then it doesn’t matter what you know about anything. In that case you have not only failed but you have also not been felt, you are not just there.
Communication, as we have discussed takes place only when others understand what you are trying to get across them. If they don’t understand then you are just wasting time regardless of your words, pictures or anything else.
Communication underpins effective leadership, and leaders need to be aware of what and how they communicate to others in words and actions. The most important skill leaders can develop is the listening skill as F.J Roethlisberger said, “The gate way to communication, then is, to listen for understanding.” Listening for meaning is one of the key components of emotional intelligence. To understand someone else is to consider their perspective, their motivations and their needs, and only then leaders and their followers can move forward to build a solution, a path and a committed partnership.

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