Communication Processes

7 Important Communication Processes for Improving Your Business
(1) Sender/Communicator:
The sender is the person who sends his ideas to another person. For example, if the manager wants to inform his subordinate about a work plan and communicates with him in this regard, here the manager acts as a sender.
(2) Message:
The message forms the subject-matter of communication. It means that whatever the sender wants to say is the message. It includes opinion, feelings, views, attitude, orders, suggestion, etc.
(3) Encoding:

It refers to the process of converting the message into communication symbols. For example, to make use of words, gestures, pictures, etc. to convey the message.
(4) Media/Transmission:
A person who is anxious to send a message has to make use of some medium for communication. There can be many media of communication like face-to-face conversation, letters, internet chatting, telephone, E-mail, symbols, etc.For example, if the message is to be sent to some distant place quickly it would be proper to use telephone as a medium of communication.During the transmission of a message, it is very important to keep the media of transmission free from noise.
(5) Decoding:
The sender can send his ideas briefly in the form of symbols or diagrams. Understanding it correctly is called decoding. For example, a telegram carries a long message in the form of a few words and when the receiver tries to understand the message in detail, his effort is called decoding.
(6) Receiver:
A receiver is a person for whom the message is sent.
(7) Feedback:
Feedback is a signal pointing out to what extent the receiver has really received and understood the sender’s message correctly.
Noise is the hindrance in the process of communication. It creates hurdle in the way of conversation. It can take place at any step in the process of communication.
The process of communication is repeated time and again because the work continues unabated in a business organisation and no work can be accomplished without completing the process of communication.
How to Improve Communication within Your Organization? (17 Ways)
Some of the ways to improve communication within your organization are as follows:
1. Clarity of Purpose:
In the first place we must be clear about what we want to communicate. This requires careful planning. Somebody has very aptly said, “The major mistake in communication is to believe that it happens”. It should be kept in mind that all communication is a result of thinking in advance and planning out what has to be conveyed to whom, in what way and when. No meaningful communication takes place offhand or at random.
2. Cater to the Head and Heart:
Emotional involvement is every bit as important as information when it comes to attracting an audience and motivating listener’s to change. An emotional response will increase the time and energy a listener spends thinking about the message. Furthermore the decisions that are reached logically are strengthened if the decision is also emotionally rewarding. The focus should be on the needs of the receiver.
3. Sharing of Activity:
Effective communication is the responsibility of all persons in the organization. They may be at any level—managerial or non-managerial. All of them have to work towards a common goal. It means, therefore, all of them, in different ways, have a share in the process of communication. That is why managers are advised to consult with others whenever necessary. A useful practice is to remember the headings ‘For Action’ and ‘For Information’ when communications are being planned.
4. Use of Symbols:
It has been repeatedly said that communication is carried through a mutually understood set of symbols. It means that both encoding and decoding should be done through symbols that are familiar to the sender and the receiver.
That is why managers, and especially the specialist staff, are advised to avoid using highly technical vocabulary or jargon that is understood only within a strictly limited group. They should remember that beyond their technical vocabulary there is a commonly understood language that does not create any communication problem.
5. Focusing on the Needs of the Receiver:
Whenever we communicate we must keep in mind the needs of the receiver of the message or information. It should be our effort to see that whatever message or information we send across must be of value to the receiver. This awareness on our part will make him more receptive.
6. Use of Feedback:
A renowned authority on organisational behaviour says, “Use feedback”. Communication is complete only when the message is understood by the receiver. We can never know whether he has understood the message unless we get the feedback.Many communication problems arise because of misunderstandings and inaccuracies. We can avoid these problems by asking questions, requesting a reply to our letter, and encouraging the receiver to give his reactions to the message.
7. Listening:
Communication cannot be effective unless, the receiver listens with due attention or anticipatively. It further shows that communication is a joint responsibility of both the sender and the receiver. Participative listening is an essential condition of effective communication.
8. Controlling of Emotions:
It is rather sad to note that we do not always communicate in a fully rational manner. Our reasoning is often clouded by negative feelings or emotions. The result is that all kinds of misunderstandings come up due to emotion-loaded encoding of the message or misinterpretation of the incoming message at the level of decoding. That is why modern management experts advise us to exercise self-control. Emotions, especially negative emotions can simply mar communication.
9. Politeness of Manners:
In communication, the tone of voice, the choice of language and the congruency or -logical connection between what is said and how it is said influence the reaction of the receiver. That is why managers are nowadays advised to avoid authoritarianism or in other words, to exercise authority with grace. Politeness begets politeness and encourages participative communication involving people at all levels. Truly effective communication is based on politeness and finesse.
10. Elimination of Noise:
Every possible effort must be made to eliminate the element of noise that distorts communication at the transmission stage. Anything going wrong with the sound equipment or any disturbance in the transmission line is bound to spoil communication.
11. Clarification of Assumptions:
No effective communication can be based on assumptions. Every effort must be made to clarify assumptions and have a clear, positive picture of the receiver of our message. In the same way the receiver also must get rid of all assumptions about the sender.
12. Avoidance of Ambiguities:
Connotations and ambiguities lead to semantic problems. The sender of the message should be careful to see that the receiver does not have to go beyond the text of the message. It is therefore, advisable to use explicit words and expressions. And words having double meaning should also be avoided.
13. Socio-psychological Background of Communicators:
All effective communicators take care to understand the socio-psychological background of the receivers of their messages. The golden rule is ‘First understand, then be understood’.
14. Completeness of Message:
An effective message is a complete message. The receiver should not be left guessing. It may lead to misunderstanding. A complete message carries all necessary facts and figures.
15. Conciseness of Expression:
Completeness does not mean inclusion of unnecessary details or diversions. An effective message is concise and crisp. For this purpose the sender must be clearheaded and properly focused in his vision.
16. Cordial Body Language:
This point is specially important for face-to-face oral communication. We must be careful to see that we maintain proper posture including confidence and politeness, eye contact and, as far as possible, pleasing gestures. And positive body language is based on positive feelings.
17. Commands Attention:
By demonstrating how relevant the message is for the receiver and taking him realize its usefulness by shoeing that it is compatible with listeners’ beliefs the communication can be effective. Attention is very necessary to ensure that all the relevant details are included in correct and clear manner.
9 Important Measures to Overcome the Barriers of Communication
In order to remove hindrances in the way of communication the following steps are worth consideration:
(1) Clarify Ideas before Communication:
The person sending the communication should be very clear in his mind about what he wants to say. He should know the objective of his message and, therefore, he should arrange his thoughts in a proper order.
(2) Communicate According to the Need of the Receiver:
The sender of the communication should prepare the structure of the message not according to his own level or ability but he should keep in mind the level, understanding or the environment of the receiver.
(3) Consult Others before Communication:
At the time of planning the communication, suggestions should be invited from all the persons concerned. Its main advantage will be that all those people who are consulted at the time of preparing the communication plan will contribute to the success of the communication system.
(4) Be Aware of Language, Tone and Content of Message:
The sender should take care of the fact that the message should be framed in clear and beautiful language. The tone of the message should not injure the feelings of the receiver. As far as possible the contents of the message should be brief and excessive use of technical words should be avoided.
(5) Convey Things of Help and Value to the Listener:
The subject matter of the message should be helpful to the receiver. The need and interest of the receiver should specially be kept in mind. Communication is more effective in such a situation.
(6) Ensure Proper Feedback:
The purpose of feedback is to find out whether the receiver has properly understood the meaning of the information received. In the face-to- face communication, the reaction on the face of the receiver can be understood.
But in case of written communication or some other sort of communications some proper method of feedback should be adopted by the sender.
(7) Consistency of Message:
The information sent to the receiver should not be self- contradictory. It should be in accordance with the objectives, policies, programmes and techniques of the organisation. When a new message has to be sent in place of the old one, it should always make a mention of the change otherwise it can create some doubts.
(8) Follow up Communication:
In order to make communication effective the management should regularly try to know the weaknesses of the communication system. In this context effort can be made to know whether to lay more stress upon the formal or the informal communication would be appropriate.
Similarly, suggestions can be invited in respect of the medium of communication (oral, written and gestural) to know as to which medium would be more effective and appropriate.
(9) Be a Good Listener:
It is the essence of communication that both the sender and the receiver should be good listeners. Both should listen to the each other’s point of view with attention, patience and positive attitude. A sender can receive much relevant information by being a good listener.