Communications in Business
| Author | Sharon O'Neil, Jerry Evans, Heather Bigley |
| Pages | 126-128 |
Page 126
Communication, stated simply, is the act of conveying a message, through a channel, from one person to another; that is, connecting or sharing thoughts, opinions, emotions, and intelligence. Communication is a mechanism for all types of interaction and connectivity: communication can instantaneously bring people together, link ideas and things, deliver news and facts, and impart knowledge. Because communication can be expressed as words, letters, pictures, gestures, signals, colors, and so forth, it is credited with being the single element that has brought the world closer together.
People communicate for one of four reasons: to inform, influence, persuade, or entertain. In business, effective communication will influence outcomes and it is the critical backbone of an organization's ability to operate internally and externally as well as nationally and internationally.
Communication, in its most basic definition, involves a sender (encoder) and a receiver (decoder). The sender encodes a message, deciding what content and relationship codes to use, and sends it via a communication channel such as face to face (verbal and nonverbal) and written (frequently using electronic technology). The receiver takes the message and, in the decoding process, attempts to understand its content and relationship meaning. After decoding, the receiver then may respond, via a communication channel, to the sender with a new message based on the receiver's perception of what the message imparted in terms of information and the relationship with the sender. It is at this point that one-way communication becomes two-way communication.
To be most effective, the feedback loop (the receiver's decoded interpretation of the original message) should go forward; that is, the receiver should respond to the sender. The feedback loop provides the sender with two vital pieces of information: (1) if the original message was correctly understood as sent and (2) the new message. The feedback loop allows for early correction of incorrectly decoded messages. The decoding, encoding, and feedback loop continue as the parties communicate.
In the decoding of a message, miscommunication and/or missed communication can occur. In the feedback loop, the receiver must clarify how that message was perceived. The greater the number of people involved in the message exchange process and the greater their differences in values, beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of the subject matter, the greater are the chances that the message will be decoded improperly and a communication breakdown will occur.
Communication is most successful when it is understood by all persons involved in the process. That is, good communication is free from social colloquialisms, cultural mores, and gender biases. Because communication may be conveyed in many forms, it is frequently described in two general categories: verbal and nonverbal. Nonverbal communication includes body language, gestures, and signals. In general, successful communication depends on how well a sender conveys a message to a receiver relying on the six senses (seeing, speaking/hearing, intuition, smelling, touching, and tasting) and feedback.
Several rules facilitate successful communication. The following checklist provides a guide to creating...
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