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The Individual Sending The Message. The Sender Must Present The Message Clearly
The Individual Sending The Message. The Sender Must Present The Message Clearly
We talk to our
spouses, kids and friends without giving much thought to how we're doing it.
It might seem easy, but communicating effectively actually takes quite a bit of finesse.
Choosing the right words, listening with our minds instead of just our ears, and getting our
message across are skills that we all need to work on.
At home and in social settings, miscommunication can lead to arguments. In the
workplace, the repercussions can be far more serious. Poor productivity, unmotivated
employees can result from communication breakdowns at the office.
To improve communication within our team and throughout our entire company, we need to
implement a few easy but important changes to our corporate philosophy and practice.
There are five components to any communication and a sixth that is the overall
environment of the workplace in which the communication takes place. The components of
communication are:
The individual sending the message. The sender must present the message clearly
and with enough detail so that the receiver shares meaning with the sender.
The context for the message. The context is how the message is delivered by the
sender of the message. Context involves nonverbal communication such as gestures, body
language, facial expressions, and elements such as tone of voice. Most of the context for a
message is only available when the receiver can see and hear the message sender. Email
and IM emoticons, for example, are a poor substitution as they are formulated by the
sender without input from the receiver.Another piece of the context is the emotions that are
involved in the communication circle. Is the sender angry? Is the receiver indifferent to the
content of the communication or disdainful of the sender? Normal human emotions affect
whether a message is successfully shared.
The person receiving the message. The receiver must listen carefully and intently,
ask questions for clarity, and paraphrase to ascertain that the receiver shares meaning with
the sender. If the receiver trusts the sender, the chances for effective communication
increase.
Since communication methods are so diverse since the dawn of computers and mobile
devices, decisions about the delivery method have become more complex. The delivery
method must suit the communication needs of both the sender and the receiver.
Communication methods include: verbal communication, instant messages (IM), email,
letters, signs, posters, videos, screen shots, telephones, notes, forms, written documents,
and more. These methods will continue to expand and employee expectations for instant
communication about everything having to do with their work will continue to grow.
In person communication has increased in importance especially for organizational
information that might call for change, provide employee recognition, or allow for on-thespot questions. In-person communication is also favored because employees have access to
the component, context.
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