Communication is very important within an organization. Any message, instruction, suggestion, request etc must be spread and not kept to oneself and only the process of communication allows this to happen. It helps the organization become efficient and successful (Thompson, S.). However, there is more to just this. The communication process must be effective in order to get the most of it.
Communication is a process through which information is sent, received and acted upon. With the passage of time and the advent of globalization, communication has become a more fundamental aspect of sending and receiving information from all around the world. Communication is a vital part of both, everyday life as well as organizations. It is imperative to communicate on a daily basis and the importance of communication can is judged through its effectiveness. This paper would focus on interpersonal communication, its importance in every organization and its effectiveness. Moreover, it would elaborate on the barriers to effective communication and how they should be overcome.
Discussion
Communication is defined as the exchange of information, ideas, opinions and feelings. Communication is said to be affective when it is received and understood in the manner intended by the sender. This means tat communication can take a number of forms, including written, spoken, non-verbal (body language), graphical, pictorial or, increasingly, electronic forms using information technology.
Communication is not only imperative in daily life, but it is essential to the achievement of organizational objectives. This is because the basic purpose of any communication is to influence the actions of others. In an organizational context, the aim is to influence others to work towards the achievement of the goals of the organization. ((Jewell, 2000).
Communication at work can be classified by media, direction and the degree of formality. Media derives communication into verbal, non-verbal, Written and numerical forms. The spoken words lack the permanence of the written word, but it is more raid and flexible in terms of adjusting to circumstances. Moreover, the spoken word can be supported by non-verbal communication- body language, for instance, will reinforce the spoken message. However, the most difficult situations to handle in the workplace is where conflicting messages are received by the eyes and ears. Another feature of the spoken word is that we convey meaning both in words we use and in the way they are spoken. Hence, the same combination of words can be a request or an order, a statement of fact or a question. This is both strength and a weakness. It is a way of economizing on words and, therefore, time. However, it can cause confusion where the recipient is unable to pick up on the intonation. For workers whose first language is not English, this can cause particular problems. The spoken word is important in some situations where a bold written statement could cause resentment. It has to be appreciated that resentment is often caused not by criticism itself, but the manner of its delivery. Hence, unless a written statement is necessary as a part of the disciplinary process, a quiet word might communicate the message without leaving a sense of grievance. Non-verbal communication is limited to a supportive role, communicating very simple messages. Nevertheless, it is still very important in face-to-face communication. Written communication at work places has distinct advantages. The message can be precisely presented and is permanently on record. However, it is time-consuming to produce and may lack clarity. Its greatest defect as a form of communication is that it fails completely if it is not read.
Communication at work follows a direction. The direction is dependent upon the nature of the message, its sender and the intended receiver. Downward communication follows the authority and responsibility relationship in the organization chart. It usually takes the form of giving instructions, directions, assigning duties or providing information to those delegated to perform tasks. Upward communication takes the form of reporting back results, making suggestions or perhaps airing grievances. Horizontal communication refers to contacts between people at the same level within the organization. It is coordinative in nature and usually involves sharing information, resolving conflicts and solving problems across an organization structure. (Jewell, 2000)
A further aspect of direction relates to whether communication is one way or two way. Where there is no facility for a reply or feedback it is called one-way communication. For example, an advertisement or information posted on the notice board. One-way communication within an organization is associated with an authoritarian style of leadership. For simple communication a one-way channel is might prove satisfactory, but it carries with it the danger of being misunderstood. Feedback built into two-way communication is a feature of the democratic leadership style at the workplace. The facility for feedback is important in ensuring that the message is fully understood and in enabling subordinates to contribute to the process of decision making.
Communication at work can be classified into formal or informal. The latter is unofficial, unplanned communication outside the organizations formal channels. Informal communication channels are said to satisfy ones personal needs, counter monotony at work, and provide a source of job related information that is not provided by formal channels.
In spite of the best intentions of the sender and receiver to communicate, communication is often subjected to several barriers that inhibit the effective exchange of information. Communication problems in an organization result in inefficiency, failure to achieve organizational goals and a disruption among the employees. Before it is possible to improve communication, it is necessary to diagnose what the problem. The problem m could be with the encoding of the message such as lack of planning, use of jargon, verbosity and so on. There could also be transmission problems such as the use of an inappropriate channel of communication, failure to speakwrite clearly or distortion. There are often decoding problems faced on the part of the receiver including the failure to take in the message, distraction, lack of interest or information overload. Some of the most common and troublesome barriers of communication are perceptions, filtering, language and information overload. Perceptions affect the integrity and the meaning of the message hence it is a vital source of noise in the process of communication.
The information can be affected through the perception of the receiver if the message is unclear. Filtering normally takes place when a message is sent through a long chain of communication channel. Some messages are filtered while passing through the organizational hierarchy which may involve deleting or delaying negative information in order to make the situation seem favorable (McShane Travaglione, 2003). Two potential language barriers that may take place during communication are the use of jargons and ambiguity of the content. Jargons are technical words or acronyms that are often used in formal communication, they are often used to improve the efficiency of communication and shape the culture of the organization and help employees feel the presence of their identity in the organization. Despite if the positive impacts of jargons, they are often a source of noise in the communication process. If the receiver is not clear on the meaning of a jargon, the meaning of the message is distorted. Similar are the consequences of the use of ambiguous language during communication. It is possible for the sender and the receiver to interpret the message differently, hence, resulting in the failure of communication.
Effective interpersonal communication is dependant upon the ability of the sender to get the message across as well as the performance of the receiver to listen and interpret the message in a way that was intended by the sender. (McShane Travaglione, 2003)
Some of the essential features of effective interpersonal communication are imperative for successful transmission of information. In order to get the message across effectively it is important for the sender to empathize with the receiver for them to be able to understand from the perspective of the receiver, it is essential to repeat the message, use timing effectively and be descriptive about the problem that is at hand. Active listening from the part of the receiver holds significance in the process of communication. The three important constituents of listening must be observed from the receiver side in order to effectively decode the message. The components are sensing, evaluating and responding.
To reduce the communication barriers at the work place and minimize its impact it is important to ensure that the message is clear and precise but adequately detailed, to keep the communication channel as short as possible, to make sure that the channel of communication are clear to all the participants of the communication process, build in feedback, to establish a factor of trust between the sender and the receiver of the message, moreover, to ensure that physical conditions are appropriate for messages to be heard or received in other ways. (Stimpson, 2002)
Communication is a complex process of transmitting and understanding information between two or more people. We communicate to make better decisions, distribute valued knowledge, coordinate work and fulfill social needs. Communication is also an integral part of most processes to gain power, apply organizational politics and persuade people to change their beliefs and attitudes.
Communication is a process through which information is sent, received and acted upon. With the passage of time and the advent of globalization, communication has become a more fundamental aspect of sending and receiving information from all around the world. Communication is a vital part of both, everyday life as well as organizations. It is imperative to communicate on a daily basis and the importance of communication can is judged through its effectiveness. This paper would focus on interpersonal communication, its importance in every organization and its effectiveness. Moreover, it would elaborate on the barriers to effective communication and how they should be overcome.
Discussion
Communication is defined as the exchange of information, ideas, opinions and feelings. Communication is said to be affective when it is received and understood in the manner intended by the sender. This means tat communication can take a number of forms, including written, spoken, non-verbal (body language), graphical, pictorial or, increasingly, electronic forms using information technology.
Communication is not only imperative in daily life, but it is essential to the achievement of organizational objectives. This is because the basic purpose of any communication is to influence the actions of others. In an organizational context, the aim is to influence others to work towards the achievement of the goals of the organization. ((Jewell, 2000).
Communication at work can be classified by media, direction and the degree of formality. Media derives communication into verbal, non-verbal, Written and numerical forms. The spoken words lack the permanence of the written word, but it is more raid and flexible in terms of adjusting to circumstances. Moreover, the spoken word can be supported by non-verbal communication- body language, for instance, will reinforce the spoken message. However, the most difficult situations to handle in the workplace is where conflicting messages are received by the eyes and ears. Another feature of the spoken word is that we convey meaning both in words we use and in the way they are spoken. Hence, the same combination of words can be a request or an order, a statement of fact or a question. This is both strength and a weakness. It is a way of economizing on words and, therefore, time. However, it can cause confusion where the recipient is unable to pick up on the intonation. For workers whose first language is not English, this can cause particular problems. The spoken word is important in some situations where a bold written statement could cause resentment. It has to be appreciated that resentment is often caused not by criticism itself, but the manner of its delivery. Hence, unless a written statement is necessary as a part of the disciplinary process, a quiet word might communicate the message without leaving a sense of grievance. Non-verbal communication is limited to a supportive role, communicating very simple messages. Nevertheless, it is still very important in face-to-face communication. Written communication at work places has distinct advantages. The message can be precisely presented and is permanently on record. However, it is time-consuming to produce and may lack clarity. Its greatest defect as a form of communication is that it fails completely if it is not read.
Communication at work follows a direction. The direction is dependent upon the nature of the message, its sender and the intended receiver. Downward communication follows the authority and responsibility relationship in the organization chart. It usually takes the form of giving instructions, directions, assigning duties or providing information to those delegated to perform tasks. Upward communication takes the form of reporting back results, making suggestions or perhaps airing grievances. Horizontal communication refers to contacts between people at the same level within the organization. It is coordinative in nature and usually involves sharing information, resolving conflicts and solving problems across an organization structure. (Jewell, 2000)
A further aspect of direction relates to whether communication is one way or two way. Where there is no facility for a reply or feedback it is called one-way communication. For example, an advertisement or information posted on the notice board. One-way communication within an organization is associated with an authoritarian style of leadership. For simple communication a one-way channel is might prove satisfactory, but it carries with it the danger of being misunderstood. Feedback built into two-way communication is a feature of the democratic leadership style at the workplace. The facility for feedback is important in ensuring that the message is fully understood and in enabling subordinates to contribute to the process of decision making.
Communication at work can be classified into formal or informal. The latter is unofficial, unplanned communication outside the organizations formal channels. Informal communication channels are said to satisfy ones personal needs, counter monotony at work, and provide a source of job related information that is not provided by formal channels.
In spite of the best intentions of the sender and receiver to communicate, communication is often subjected to several barriers that inhibit the effective exchange of information. Communication problems in an organization result in inefficiency, failure to achieve organizational goals and a disruption among the employees. Before it is possible to improve communication, it is necessary to diagnose what the problem. The problem m could be with the encoding of the message such as lack of planning, use of jargon, verbosity and so on. There could also be transmission problems such as the use of an inappropriate channel of communication, failure to speakwrite clearly or distortion. There are often decoding problems faced on the part of the receiver including the failure to take in the message, distraction, lack of interest or information overload. Some of the most common and troublesome barriers of communication are perceptions, filtering, language and information overload. Perceptions affect the integrity and the meaning of the message hence it is a vital source of noise in the process of communication.
The information can be affected through the perception of the receiver if the message is unclear. Filtering normally takes place when a message is sent through a long chain of communication channel. Some messages are filtered while passing through the organizational hierarchy which may involve deleting or delaying negative information in order to make the situation seem favorable (McShane Travaglione, 2003). Two potential language barriers that may take place during communication are the use of jargons and ambiguity of the content. Jargons are technical words or acronyms that are often used in formal communication, they are often used to improve the efficiency of communication and shape the culture of the organization and help employees feel the presence of their identity in the organization. Despite if the positive impacts of jargons, they are often a source of noise in the communication process. If the receiver is not clear on the meaning of a jargon, the meaning of the message is distorted. Similar are the consequences of the use of ambiguous language during communication. It is possible for the sender and the receiver to interpret the message differently, hence, resulting in the failure of communication.
Effective interpersonal communication is dependant upon the ability of the sender to get the message across as well as the performance of the receiver to listen and interpret the message in a way that was intended by the sender. (McShane Travaglione, 2003)
Some of the essential features of effective interpersonal communication are imperative for successful transmission of information. In order to get the message across effectively it is important for the sender to empathize with the receiver for them to be able to understand from the perspective of the receiver, it is essential to repeat the message, use timing effectively and be descriptive about the problem that is at hand. Active listening from the part of the receiver holds significance in the process of communication. The three important constituents of listening must be observed from the receiver side in order to effectively decode the message. The components are sensing, evaluating and responding.
To reduce the communication barriers at the work place and minimize its impact it is important to ensure that the message is clear and precise but adequately detailed, to keep the communication channel as short as possible, to make sure that the channel of communication are clear to all the participants of the communication process, build in feedback, to establish a factor of trust between the sender and the receiver of the message, moreover, to ensure that physical conditions are appropriate for messages to be heard or received in other ways. (Stimpson, 2002)
Communication is a complex process of transmitting and understanding information between two or more people. We communicate to make better decisions, distribute valued knowledge, coordinate work and fulfill social needs. Communication is also an integral part of most processes to gain power, apply organizational politics and persuade people to change their beliefs and attitudes.
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