Section 1 - The communications process
Communication is a two way process. It involves someone saying, writing or inferring something such as a message, a request, or an order, to someone else with the objective that they will respond in a particular way. If there is mutual understanding about what is required then the necessary action takes place and effective communication has been achieved.
The process of communication is made up of a series of steps.
- Step 1. The person instigating the communication (the sender) decides what it is they want to communicate. They choose the language, words or symbols they will use to get their message across. This is termed encoding.
- Step 2. The sender will then decide how they will get that message to the person with whom they wish to communicate. They will choose an appropriate communications channel. They may choose a verbal channel, such as a face-to-face meeting or a telephone conversation, or a written channel, such as an email or a letter.
- Step 3. The person for whom the communication is intended (the receiver) will interpret the communication they have received and reconstruct the original message. This is termed decoding.
- Step 4. The receiver of the communication will then give feedback to the sender to either indicate that the message has been received and understood or that the message has not been understood and clarification is required. Feedback can take the form of:
- visual feedback such as a nod of confirmation or a quizzical look to indicate that the message has not been understood
- verbal feedback such as 'Yes, I agree.' or 'Can you please repeat that?'
- written feedback
Communication is only complete when the sender is certain that the receiver has received the message, understood it, and acted as intended. This is a two-way process with both the sender and the receiver feeding back to one another to indicate understanding. The process may seem straightforward, but throughout the process there are a number of potential sources of communications failure.
Encoding and decoding
Failure occurs when the sender and the receiver do not interpret the message in the same way. The sender may encode their message using terms, words or symbols that are inappropriate, not recognised or not understood by the receiver. The receiver may decode the message in a way that was not intended. If a message has been misunderstood then the feedback may also be misaligned.
Channel
The sender may use an inappropriate communications channel. This will impact upon the speed with which the message can be sent, who receives the information and the opportunities for feedback. Communication channels are further discussed in Section 2.
Barriers
There are a number of barriers which effect successful communication. These include different perceptions, cultural differences, noisy environments and differences in the language we use. These are further discussed in Section 3.
Member pages
Choosing how best to encode your message is further developed in the member pages section of this portal.
Section 2 - Communication channels
We use different channels to transmit our communications. We may choose to transmit our message verbally, or we may choose to transmit our message in a written format. Verbal channels include meetings, telephone conversations and video-conferencing. These communications can be either face-to-face, such as a meeting or a discussion, or non face-to-face such as a telephone call. Written channels include letters, reports, drawings and emails.
The type of channel we choose will have an impact upon the effectiveness of the communication and also the opportunity for feedback.
Face-to-face verbal communication
| Advantages: This channel offers the opportunity for instant feedback from the receiver. They can ask for clarification of information, indicate their understanding of the information, or identify that they do not understand what has been said prompting the sender to encode the message in a different way. In addition there is also the opportunity to pick up on both the sender's and the receiver's body language - their facial expressions, eye contact, posture - which will indicate if and how they have interpreted the communication. |
Disadvantages: The effectiveness of face-to-face communication is dependent on the relationship between the sender and the receiver and can also be difficult when a message needs to be sent to a large number of people. Verbal messages can also be distorted by noisy environments and physical distance. |
Written communication
| Advantages: Written communications offer the advantage of speed and the opportunity to transmit the same communication to a large number of people. It is a lot quicker to send out an email to all staff requesting information than it is to meet with them individually or in groups. |
Disadvantages: Written communications can often lack the opportunity for feedback. If I send out a letter to my customer I cannot be sure that they have received the information or that they have understood it. In addition, the receivers may not all interpret the message in the same way. |
Non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal communication is often referred to as body language. This is the means by which we communicate in face-to-face situations outside of our spoken words. These non-verbal messages have more of an impact on our audience than the verbal words that we use. It is therefore important that these non-verbal signals are consistent with the spoken message we wish to communicate. Non-verbal communication includes our facial expressions, our eye movements, our appearance, our posture and our tone of voice. Body language is further developed in the member pages section.
Member pages
The choice of communication channel and body language are further developed in the member pages section of this portal. Communication channels
Section 3 - Barriers to Communication
There are a number of barriers that can affect the success of our communication. These include:
The physical environment
Noisy environments, remote locations and physical separation can all impact on the successful transmission of information.
Information overload
We are bombarded with so much information each day that it is impossible for us to take it all in. Therefore, we 'filter' this information, assimilating some information and rejecting others. This can lead to communication difficulties as the receiver may reject information considered vital by the sender, because they do not consider it important.
Perceptions
Our perceptions are based on our experiences, our knowledge, our background and our culture. We all have our own perceptual style which impacts upon how we interpret the information we send and receive. Differences in perception between the sender and the receiver can therefore lead to communication difficulties. The sender and the receiver may come to different conclusions regarding the importance of the information, the tone of the message, or the action that is required and the message will therefore become distorted.
Attitude
Our attitude to the person sending/receiving information can have an impact on the communications process. Differences in status between the sender and the receiver, or dislike or suspicion of one another can influence the success of the message getting through.
Cultural differences
Different cultures can interpret messages in different ways because of their cultural background, experiences and knowledge. For example, some cultures are very time sensitive and will treat requests for action appropriately. Other cultures are not so time sensitive and will not be aware of implicit references to time. Time sensitivity would therefore need to be communicated in a very explicit manner. It is also important to consider cultural differences with regards to our body language. This is further developed in the member pages.
Differences in language register
Our language register is the language we use for a particular purpose or in a particular context. For example we may use a technical register in the workplace, a formal register with people we are meeting for the first time and an informal register with our families. It is important that when we encode our message we consider the language register of the receiver. If the receiver does not understand or use the same language register then the message will have to be encoded in a register that they will understand. The use of technical language, acronyms, or inappropriate language can result in a breakdown in communication.
Congruency of message
Our words and body language must be aligned and send the same message. If we are expressing the importance of a new initiative but our tone and body language indicate that we do not consider it important, then this incongruence will be picked up by our receivers.
Skill
Some people are just better at communicating than others. They have a greater ability to encode and decode messages than others. This is because they have developed their communication skills based on their knowledge and experience of what works well.
Member pages
Becoming a better communicator is developed in the member pages.
Section 4 - Communication in an organizational context
Formal organizations exist in order to achieve their set objectives and goals and communication underpins an organization's ability to achieve these objectives. For example, an organization needs to communicate its customer requirements, its mission and objectives, its financial stability, and its policies and procedures need to be communicated downwards.
Organizations are made up of individuals who, through a formalized structure, are brought together to enable an organization to achieve its objectives. The role of a manager in an organization is to co-ordinate and direct the contributions of these individuals. It is therefore a manager's role to integrate communication through the organization's formalized communication's structure in order to achieve organizational effectiveness.
Structuring organizational communication
Most organizations experience problems with communication. Communication is embedded into every management function in an organization and managers are key to successful communication in an organization. Information is communicated in a number of different ways through an organization's formalized structure.
Downwards communication
Downward communication is used to communicate messages downwards through the management hierarchy. For example, an organization's mission and objectives or its policies and procedures.
Upwards communication
Upwards communication is used to bring employee ideas and feelings upwards through the management hierarchy. Sometimes this will be facilitated by using employee representatives and in some organizations may involve the use of unions.
Horizontal communication
Horizontal communication facilitates the communication of people of similar levels who work in different departments across the horizontal structure of an organization.
The grapevine
As well as the formalized communications structure, an informal structure will exist in an organization. This facilitates the passing of information between people who have come together for social reasons. This structure often cuts across the formal organizational hierarchy and departmental boundaries. This informal structure is often referred to as the 'grapevine'.
Three-way flow
It is essential that there is a three-way flow of information through the formalized structure. It is important that organizations communicate their purpose and objectives downwards to ensure that all employees are working towards the same goal. There must also be a process of upwards communication to ensure that employees can seek clarification and give feedback. It is also imperative that there is effective horizontal communication to ensure that employees are aware of how everyone is contributing to the success of the organization.
Communications technologies
The use of communications technologies within an organization can support communications but their existence will not, by themselves, solve communication difficulties. Communication difficulties usually stem from failures in the communication process.
Further developments in member pages
The member pages of the Body of Quality Knowledge portal are only available to CQI members. Further developments in this section include:
- accurate encoding - choosing the best way to encode your message
- information richness - choosing the best channel for your message
- transactional analysis - the different ways in which we communicate
- effective listening and questioning - key steps to make us better communicators
- body language - how to read the unsaid message
- neuro-linguistic programming - understanding different outlooks and perceptions and building rapport
References
I have selected a number of texts and websites that I feel will give useful and additional information on the topics outlined in this section.
Texts
Boddy, D. (2005) Management: an Introduction, Financial Times Prentice Hall
This is an excellent introductory text for anyone who is new to management or who wants to develop their knowledge and understanding of management issues.
Mullins, L. (2006) Essentials of Organizational Behaviour, Financial Times Prentice Hall
This is a summarised version of the fuller Laurie Mullin text - Management and Organizational Behaviour. This is an excellent reference source for anyone who wants to develop their knowledge and understanding of how organizations behave and the role of the manager in co-ordinating team and individual behaviour.
Ready, R. and Burton, K. (2004) Neuro-linguistic Programming for Dummies, John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
This is a useful and comprehensive text outlining techniques for better communications and building rapport which are appropriate to both personal and business communications.
Websites
www.managers.org.uk The website of the Chartered Management Institute
This is a useful website which has free access to a number of research reports on various management issues.
www.i-l-m.com The website for the Institute of Leadership and Management
This is a useful website which has free access to a number of articles on a variety of management topics.
www.bbc.co.uk The BBC website.
This is a varied and interesting site that has both a comprehensive selection of news articles and also a number of dedicated sections on issues of interest to all individuals. This include sections on communication, motivation, stress, anxiety, confidence and health. The site has a number of interactive quizzes to assess individual responses.
www.acas.org.uk The website for acas.
This website has lots of useful information on managing workplace relationships and communications.
www.changingminds.org This website has numerous pages on all aspects of communication, building rapport and gaining commitments from others.