WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

Webster defines communication as a process by which information is exchanged

between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviour.
Communication is a process of sharing and conveying messages or information
from one person to another using different means, medium, context, media, and
cultures.

There are different ways and terms in which communication can be manifested. It can be
through face-to-face, a phone conversation, a group discussion, a meeting or interview, a
letter correspondence, a class recitation, and many others. In other words, the basic
functions of communication are to achieve understanding or shared meaning and to
persuade, inform, entertain and manage relationships.
NATURE OF COMMUNICATION

1. Communication is a process.
Communication as a process means it is a step by step activity and it is
essentially a two-way process that involves the active participation of both the
sender and receiver. It is the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or
behaviours to express or exchange information or to express your ideas,
thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.
Communication is a dynamic process which is influenced by the
communicator’s mood and thinking.

It is a
complex process
too. By complex process,
it means, one message
may be
interpreted in many ways
by different people.
In the sample image,
a teacher
explains a
lesson in a class of 20
students. There may also
be 20 different
understanding of
the lesson. That is
why there is a need to
seek for clarification called feedback.
2. Communication is much more of an ART than a science. There is no right or
wrong way to communicate – no set of absolute rules to be followed but there
are underlying principles to guide us into effective communication.

3. Communication has a sender and receiver. Communication occurs between

two or more people acting as the speaker or the receiver of the message. In
other words, it is a two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which
participants do not only exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas and
feelings but also create and share meaning. In general, communication is a
means of connecting people or places.

4. Communication is verbal or non-verbal.

 Communication can be expressed through written or spoken words
(verbal) or actions (non-verbal) of both spoken words and nonverbal actions at
the same time. Communication is not all about sending or receiving facts in
words. It does involve ideas and emotions that are expressed through signs,
symbols and gestures.

The sample image shows both verbal or spoken words and nonverbal
actions. The man uses both verbal and non-verbal cues when he winked at the
lady and at the same time greeted her and offered her a drink. On the other hand,
the girl’s smirk is a gesture of disgust or dislike. Even without the use of words,
the lady’s gesture is still understood as a form of communicating her disapproval
towards man.

5. Communication is inevitable.
Inevitability means communication is taking place even when someone does
not want or intend to communicate. This “does not want to communicate” feeling
of someone actually does communicate something. What does this mean? It
simply means that you cannot avoid communicating. Why?
The truth is, we are communicating constantly because even when you do not
want to communicate, you are communicating! Isn’t that ironic? Yes, you are
sending a message by the way
you smile, or frown, sit or move or
by the way you walk or dress up
yourself and by your actions.
And even when you are sleeping in
class, you are communicating
that you are either bored or sick or
whatever your reasons be!
This notion tells us that
communication is everywhere.
Thus, it is impossible to not
communicate. The dark clouds,
the deep blue sea, the howling
dogs, your empty room or even the silence of the night, these are all
communicating and telling us something. Try discovering that yourself.
 6. Communication is irreversible. This means that what you have said can
never be unsaid. Irreversibility happens the very minute you click the “OK” button
for a comment or post on your social media and that it would be too late to take it
back when a lot of people have already reacted, and commented to it. The same
thing when you perhaps throw a hurting or offensive word to your enemy because
of your anger.
You can later be sorry for what you have
said but once the damage has already
been done, it can never be undone. You
may ask for forgiveness, or say you did not
mean what you said but it takes time for
another person to heal and forget.
That person may forgive you for what
you have said but
the effect of what you have said is
lasting. This characteristic
of communication implies that as
senders of message, we must be careful
and choose
the appropriate words to say
before saying them.

7. Communication is Unrepeatable.
Unrepeatability means that an act of communication can never be
duplicated. We may say the same thing over and over again but the effect of
what you said the second or third or fourth time will not be the same as the first
time you said it.
Even if we intend to say the same thing again which is possible but the
ideas here is, the outer world has changed by the second utterance. The
listeners may be different, our mood may be different, or our relationship might
be in a different place. You don’t get a second chance to make a first
impression.
One of the best examples is at home when you hear your mother or sister rants
about your laziness. The first time you heard it, your reaction would have been bad.
You probably cried or stayed in your bedroom for the whole day. But when you
heard it the second time or the third, there is that different effect. You probably
wouldn’t react to it at all, or perhaps just laugh it out! The sure thing is, you cannot
duplicate an act of communication.

This time let’s take a closer look at the illustration on how the communication
process takes place in any given situation.
Diagram 3: The Communication Process
 As you can see in Diagram 3, communication goes through a certain process
involving the sender, who is the source of the message, the message, which is the
shared information, the receiver, whose function is to decode the meaning of what
was received and of course, the feedback, referring to the receiver’s reply to the
message.

LESSON 2: ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

“There’s only one rule for being a good talker - learn to listen.”
~ Christopher Morley ~
So what are the elements involved in the communication process be it in the
sample image shown or in any given communication context?

Communication is composed of elements that help us better understand its process.

Study the illustration below.

The Elements of the Communication

Let us discuss briefly each of the elements shown in the illustration. You have to
remember that every element has its own importance that greatly affects effective
communication.
1. Sender
The sender is also known as the source of the message or information. The
sender is responsible for making putting meaning into his/her message. A
sender is also known as the speaker or encoder.
In the illustration, you will see the teacher being labeled as the sender since
she is the one giving the information to her audience.
2. Message
The message is the information, ideas, or thoughts conveyed by the speaker
in words or in actions. As in the illustration above, the message is all about
communication which is lesson of the day. The message by the way is an
important element that is being shared by the sender and the receiver.

3. Encoding
This is referring to the process of converting the message into words,
actions, or other forms that the speaker understands. The sender is also
considered as the encoder in the illustration shown because it is her who puts
meaning into her message.

4. Channel
The channel is the medium or the means, such as personal or nonpersonal,
verbal or nonverbal, wherein the encoded message is conveyed. In the example,
the channel or the medium of communication or how the message was
conveyed is through personal or face-to-face communication using verbal
language. Other channels of communication will be discussed in the succeeding
modules.

5. Decoding
Decoding is the process of interpreting the encoded message of the speaker
by the receiver. The receiver analyzes the message received before giving
his/her response. In the illustration, there are actually several recipients or
receivers of the message but directly, the teacher addressed Mr. Lance Dacer.
This suggests that the teacher as the sender is expecting Lance Dacer as the
receiver to give his feedback or response.

6. Receiver
The receiver acts as the recipient of the message, or someone who decodes
the message. Again, all those present in the class are considered receivers of
the message.

7. Feedback
Feedbacks are the reactions, responses, or information provided by the
receiver. It could come in many forms. It could be through words, gestures, or
actions. If you look at the illustration, there are implicit or not direct feedbacks
such as one student is jokingly courting his seatmate. The misbehavior of the
student while the discussion is going on is already a feedback in itself. It
suggests that the student’s attention was not on the teacher but on his seatmate.

8. Context
The context is the environment where communication takes place. It is a
communication situation. If we are to look again at the illustration, we can say
at once that the setting is in the classroom which is true. Why, the presence of the
teacher, the students, the discussion are taking place in a classroom setting.
Without context, communication cannot take place. There has to be a context for
 communication to happen. In a picnic, a wedding, in the church or dinner, at a
basketball game or a bus ride are just a few of the many contexts where
communication can take place.

9. Barrier
Barriers are also called noise in communication. These are factors that affect the
flow of communication. Students’ talking to one another while the class discussion is
going may distract the attention of other students, or someone who has a toothache
may not be able to concentrate at the meeting. In the illustration above, one student
is not attentive to the class as she was instead bothered by the thought of someone
she hates.

5 Basic Functions of Communication

1. Control – to exercise restraint or direction formally or informally. This happens
particularly among members or acquaintances.
Using communication to regulate or control means you use verbal and nonverbal
cues to manage an individual or group. This kind of communication is meant to
encourage the other person to reciprocate encouraging or positive feedback from the
initial interaction. This kind of communication also controls the behavior of person and
this control will adhere to the rules or culture/practices of their organization, group, or
fellowship.

Example: An interviewee trying to control herself to meet the expectations set by the
interviewer. The interviewee changes her behavior according to how the interviewer
manages the conversation.

2.Social Interaction -
Communication allows
acting and reacting to the
behavior of people around
us. By revealing our thoughts
and feelings, we elicit
reactions from others.

One of the reasons why we communicate is to connect with others or with

ourselves. Social Interaction and Emotional expression are the most used form of
communication we use. We use it every day when we hold conversations with our
friends or classmates, or when we express how we feel when we felt offended or
when we feel happy and state our opinion.
However, the way we communicate with others will depend on how close we are to
them or how much we value them. How you talk to your best friend will be very different
with how you talk to someone you just met or to someone with high authority.
 3. Emotional Expression -
Communication makes possible
the release or unloading of
emotions, resulting in catharsis. It
facilitates people’s expression of
their feelings and emotions.

Emotional expression is also a form of communication. As with how you talk with
someone depending on your relationship with that person, emotional expression can
also be communicated differently depending on how emotionally close you are to the
person.

4. Motivation - the energy

that influences a person’s
behavior in different ways to his
pursuit of his goal or objective. It
encourages people to live better.

To motivate means to stimulate people to act on their goals. However, the

motivational kind of communication can work in two ways, positive or negative
motivation.

Positive motivation happens when the speaker who is motivating someone or a

group uses his or her skills in communication as a bridge towards self assessments,
confidence, knowledge, etc. Negative motivation, on the other hand, can lead either to
communication apprehension, social anxiety, shyness or public speaking anxiety.

Communication anxiety happens when a person becomes fearful of

communicating with another person or a group. This fear is either imagined or real, and
may have rooted from a previous experience. Signs of apprehension include sweaty
palms or feeling upset stomach also known as butterflies in the stomach. These physical
signs motivate someone to avoid communication or feel anxious when forced to
communicate.

Context apprehension happens when the anxiety to communicate happens in

certain situations only such as interpersonal, small group or public speaking.

Fear of Public speaking is also called stage fright. This is when a person hesitates
or avoids speaking in front of a large group or large audience.

The next is shyness, this happens when you feel uncomfortable when speaking to a
small group or people. Shy people are afraid to initiate communication or actively
participate in small group discussions.
 Lastly, we have social anxiety, which is when someone hesitates interpersonal
communication. This kind of anxiety happens when a person feels threatened and
scared of what other people say or think about them.

5. Information dissemination
- It is the most basic function of
communication that provides
data and information for
effective completion of tasks,
solution of problems, and
elimination of uncertainty.

Information exchange is the core reason why we communicate. Information is

needed for an individual to build a harmonious relationship with others and with its
environment. Information and communication will always be linked to each other.

These are the five functions of communication. As an effective communicator, you

must set your goal as to what you want to achieve before you proceed so that you can
utilize your knowledge in verbal and non-verbal cues to your advantage.

WHAT’S MORE?
The purposes of communication can be
effectively realized and fulfilled by using
different kinds of “talks.” (Locke, 1998)

1. Small-talk is a form of non-threatening communication that may be used to affect

social interaction.
Purposes:
To maintain the status quo;
 To break the ice;
 To get acquainted; and
 To establish a relationship
2. Light-Control Talk is the tactful use of power to get results and may be used to
motivate people.
Purposes:
To persuade;
 To direct;
 To seek but not force agreement; and To use legitimate authority.
3. Heavy- Control Talk is designed to place blame and to control or regulate
people. This creates defensiveness on the part of the receiver and is rarely, if ever,
appropriate.
 Purposes:
 To blame;
 To attack;
 To threaten;
 To coerce; and To demand.

4. Search Talk is another non-threatening approach when you want to gather data
or the consensus of others to be able to provide information.

Purposes:
 To center or an issue; and To examine and clarify the issue.

5. Straight Talk is good for problem-solving and conflict resolution and may be used
to facilitate emotional expression for catharsis, which is the act of purging, cleansing,
and unloading of ideas and emotions.

Purposes:
 To concentrate on the here and now;
 To focus on issues;
 To share feelings;
 To acknowledge feelings and;
 To accept without judging.

VARIOUS MODELS OF
COMMUNICATION

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly
improve the quality of every part of your life.” -Brian Tracy-
Communication models describe the process of communication, visually show the
relationship among variables and help find and correct communication problems.

What are the three standard models of communication?

1. Linear Model of Communication (Transmission Model)

The linear model was the first kind of model that experts have made to
understand the process of communication. It has improved and has been updated
over the years. The following are the remarkable characteristics of the linear model:

1) Unidirectional - Linear model is one-way communication where the speaker

sends messages to the receiver with or without effect. Senders can only transmit
messages while receivers can only receive the messages. This model of
communication applies to mass communication.

2) Simple - This model presents a simple communication acts because the

transmission of message shows only the beginning and the end and that there is no
interchanging of roles between the sender and receiver.
3) Persuasion not Mutual understanding
This model shows the one-way direction of communication which promotes advice
and influence rather than mutual understanding between receiver and sender.

The first three characteristics emphasize the lack of feedback in this model which has
been criticized as a missing element in the communication process

4) Values psychological over social effects:

This model focuses more on the psychological effects (such as understanding the
messages) rather than the social effects (like building the relationship among
communicators).

The Shannon-Weaver model (1949), also known as the transmission model and
the mother of all communication models is one best example of a one-way or linear
process of communication consisting of five elements (see diagram below) which
have been criticized for missing one element in the communication process, feedback.

The Shannon-Weaver Model illustration above shows the characteristics of the

Linear Model of Communication. First, as shown in the direction of the arrow, it is a
unidirectional or one-way direction where the speaker sends messages to the
receiver with or without effect. Second, it is simple as it only shows beginning and
end of communication, but there is no interchanging of communication roles between
communicators. The first two characteristics emphasize persuasion and
understanding the message rather than mutual understanding and social
relationship.

Example of the elements of the Shannon-Weaver Model

Elements Example:
Sender You
Receiver Your friend
channel Your mobile network
encoder Your mobile’s network company
Decoder The receiver’s Smartphone
Noise your friend receives only parts of the SMS message you tried
to send due to disruption of mobile signal
 Transactional Communication Model
The Transactional Model of Communication illustrates how the sender and
receiver take turns in conveying and receiving messages and are called as
“communicators.”
The sender and receiver’s roles are reversed each time sending and receiving
messages occur at the same time. Since both sender and receiver are necessary to
keep the communication alive in Transactional Model, the communicators are also
interdependent to each other. Thus, if the receiver is not listening to the sender,
Transactional Communication is not possible.

Frank Dance (1967) introduced the Helix model that best illustrates the
Transactional Model by showing how the development of communication is
based on previous experiences or behaviours as well as how the
knowledge-base of a person deepens and expands throughout life. He
emphasized, “that communication while moving forward is at the same time
coming back to itself and being affected by its past behavior…” Dance’s
model also shows how the external and internal factors that are learned
throughout life influence the person’s understanding of a message.
 The characteristics of Transactional Model

1. Communication evolves from the very first day (origin) until the existing moment.
2. Communication is largely dependent on its past.
3. Concept of time.
4. Communication process is the product of what we learned.
.
So to put it in simple terms, Transactional Model of Communication involves three
principles:
1. people send messages continuously and simultaneously
2. communication events that have a past, present, and future, and;
3. participants play certain roles in the conversation.

Interactive Communication Model

This model, also known as the convergence model or the

Schramm Model of Communication emphasizes the coding and decoding elements of
the process which also focuses on the message exchanges between the sender and
receiver and vice versa. Rather than linear or a one-way process, communication is a
two-way street, with a sender and a receiver.
Wilbur Schramm introduced the interactive communication model where he
emphasized the need for the source to encode the message as well as for the
receiver to decode the message. These messages will always be affected by the “field
of experience” from various factors namely; social, cultural, psychological, situational
experiences or gained knowledge.
In this model, noise is considered as a form of barrier in communication. The
following elements are included in this model of Communication:

Elements Functions
1. Sender sends the message
(transmitter)
2. Encoder converts the message into codes before sending
3. Decoder gets the encoded message then converts it into the
language understandable by the receiver
4. Interpreter tries to understand and analyze the message. The
message is considered received after the interpretation is
done and message is understood. Interpreter and
receiver are the same.
5. Receiver gets the message. Decoding and interpreting is
also part of his/her role.
6. Message data sent by the sender and information that the
receiver gets.
7. Feedback process where in receiver responds to the
received message

8. Medium or channel used to send the message.

media
9. Noise interference disruptions during the process. This is
(interference / also created when the intended meaning sent by the sender
disruptions) is different from what was interpreted by the receiver.
10. Field of patterns which affect the communication process. This can
Experience be from society, culture, situations, psychological or
sociological events or experiences of the sender and
receiver.

Figure 2: Schramm Model of Communication

Features of Interactive Communication Model

1. It has a never-ending process of communication and feedback where there is role-

switching between the sender and the receiver as they continue the exchange of
messages. It means that in the next flow of communication, the sender may become
the receiver while the receiver in the first communication process becomes the sender
in the next communication flow when gives his feedback or response.

2. Feedback is seen as an important part of this model to ensure that communication

takes place. With feedback, it gives the sender the chance to know whether his / her
receiver got the message the way he / she intended it to be understood. Feedback in
short, helps communicator to seek for clarification.

3. The field of experience affects the messages being exchanged. It means that the
background of the persons involved in the communication process plays a role in how
they interpret the messages received or how they encode the messages they will be
sending.

4. It encourages interaction. This means that the Interactive model triggers the
communicators to give their responses because they share common experiences and
thus share a common understanding.

“If there is no commonality in the sender and receiver field of experience. Then,
communication does not take place.”
 STRATEGIES TO AVOID COMMUNICATION BR

“Communication works for those who work at it.”~John Powell~

TOPIC 1: WHAT IS COMMUNICATIONBREAKDOWN?

Communication breakdown, as defined by Emily Rodgers
in her online article, “is a failure to exchange information,
resulting in a lack of communication.”

What does “lack of communication” mean? To answer that question let us look at
the examples of communication breakdown in the workplace or in any given
communication scenario as provided by Rodgers.

1. A staff member making a mistake due to miscommunication or not enough

information given in training. In the classroom context, you as a learner, may
makemistakeindoingyourtaskbecauseofmiscommunicationorlackofinformation

2. Two members of staff doing the same task and not realizing. In the classroom
context, it could be two members in the group make a duplication of activity and leave
out one task undone instead.

3. A colleague not treating a client correctly. A classroom officer showing unfair

treatment to one classmate for his/her attitude/appearance for instance, may cause
misunderstanding among students.
4. Certain vital tasks not being completed either on time or to the highest
standard because no one in the team is giving updates to each other. This
happens most of the time in the classroom when members in a group do not try to
communicate, express themselves, or reach out to one another.

5. An overworked manager sending an email missing vital information to their

team because they’ve got a client on their case about completing work. A group
leader or SSG president, for example, may fail to disseminate important
announcement to the class because he/she is pressured to finish another task.

6. A junior spreading Chinese whispers about the current state of a project’s

completion because they misheard what their manager was saying. In a
classroom scenario, student A tells student B that Student C may not be able to
graduate but student A is not so sure about it because he/she only overheard a
conversation of her teachers. The act of spreading the “talk” is called gossiping.
Passing on wrong information may result to communication breakdown.

According to Rodgers, communication has a great impact to a team. So if you

expect to have a successful class, a team, a group work - it requires communication
that is “well-oiled machine to individual parts that simply cannot function without each
other” between you and the one you are communicating with or among members of a
the group.
 TOPIC 2: COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Rodgers (2017) presented key communication barriers that cause

communication breakdowns.

1. Lost in translation

Lost in translation occurs across emails

when the receiver perceives the message
differently because of lack of tone. It could
also be a misinterpretation of a message
because of the presence of words that have
double meanings.

Lost in translation is not necessarily

referring to a language barrier but to how the
receiver interprets the words, phrases or
sentences received.

The man in the image can be seen

reading an email but ended up confused.
Confusion comes in when a person does not
understand what he is reading.

He needs clarification at his end by either asking the source what was meant in
the message or by asking someone who has background information of what was
sent. Otherwise, communication breakdown will take place if this is not resolved.

2. The attention span of a gnat

This refers to human attention span which

accordingly, can only listen for 8 seconds
meaning we have less time to remain engaged
to what we have just listened to before switching
off or start thinking of other things, thus missing
important information.

This lack of attention means that information

constantly has to be repeated, which may be
frustrating for the speaker, not to forget how
tiring it is to be repetitive.

In the sample image and which is usually

the scenario in the classroom, the teacher would
repeat, if not recap, the most important details of
the lesson. Repetition catches attention and
ensures retention.

3. Too much information

If there is no efficient communication flow
plus the problem of sharing information to wrong
people, overload of information can result to
chaos.
 Effective communication needs wisdom as to what, how much or how little, when
and to whom information is to be given.

4. Under pressure
High-stress jobs or tasks mean
there’s often no time to communicate
properly. If you’re on a tight deadline or
you’re behind on your target, you’re not
going to waste precious minutes
formulating the perfect email, and doing
such practice will result to greater
consequences.

On the same note, if you show

yourself too busy and too preoccupied
with something, your classmate or friend
who is supposed to share with you an
information may opt to back off in
communicating with you for fear of
interrupting you or for fear that they may
be either rejected or scolded.

If the stress in your jobs get in your way

and you allow it to block communication between you and your classmates or group
mates, you are inviting in communication breakdown.

Amidst your stressful tasks, you need to handle yourself properly, manage your
stresses, and carefully plan the tasks to do without jeopardizing the quality of your
work or assignments. Moreover, never sacrifice your relationships with people just
because you are too preoccupied. Take time to relax before doing anything else.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
1. Language Barriers

Language and linguistic differences may become barriers to communication. But

it is not also a guarantee that when two
people speak the same language, they
understand each other because if the receiver
still does not understand the words used in
the message received, the words used may
act as a barrier.
This goes to mean that even if people
speak in the same language, but in different
jargon, still, there is a language barrier.

Jargon is a set of specialized vocabulary

in a certain field. Engineers have their own
jargon that only people in their profession
understand. Doctors of Medicine have their
own jargon that patients may not understand.
To avoid communication breakdown,
engineers, doctors, scientists have to use
layman’s vocabulary of simple words.
 The sample image is a conversation between an engineer and a doctor.
Misunderstanding is possible if they will
both use their respective jargon.

2. Psychological Barriers

The psychological condition of the

receiver affects his/her message
reception of the message. For example,
someone who is stressed or anxious
will not be as receptive to the message
as compared to the one who is not
stressed.
When we are at the peak of our
anger, it is easy for us to say things that
we may later regret and we may also
misinterpret what other people are
saying. This anger becomes a
psychological barrier. Thus, there is a need for us to manage our stresses and our
emotions at all costs should we want to avoid communication barrier.

The image above shows an example of psychological barrier when Mario who is
thinking on how to tell his mother about failing grades could not concentrate to what
Lani was saying. Here, he missed relevant information from Lani.

3. Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers may emanate from the receiver's physical condition. For
example, a receiver with a defective hearing may not be able to grasp the entirety of the
spoken words, especially with noisy surroundings.

In this image, Moira’s stomach ache hinders her from listening to her teacher’s
discussion.

4. Physical Barrier
Physical barriers refer to the geographic
location between the communicators. It is
basically referring to the distance or proximity
between the sender and receiver.
As said, communication is easy when
communicators are within short distances where
there can be many options to use for
communication.
 Observe the communicators in this image. Leo is shouting so Mike could hear.
Their distance is keeping them from hearing each other properly.

5.Attitudinal Barriers
Prejudices and other related biases are examples of attitudinal barriers. These
are behaviors or perceptions of any of the communicators that hinder them from
interacting effectively.
Attitudinal barriers to communication may
arise from personality conflicts, poor management,
and reluctance to change, or no motivation.
Effective listeners of messages should attempt to
hurdle their own attitudinal barriers to effect
effective communication. Open-mindedness and
willingness to learn new things are vital in
overcoming barriers.

The sample image is showing a listener’s

prejudiced attitude towards the speaker. This kind
of attitude is a barrier to communication.

6. Using generalizations and stereotypes

Speakers who make unqualified

generalizations undermine their own clarity
and credibility. Be cautious not to get holed in
the habit of using stereotypes, or making
generalizations about complex systems or
situations.

Another form of generalization is

"polarization" or creating extremes. Try to be
sensitive to the complexities of situations,
rather than viewing the world in black and
white.

The sample image shows how

generalization causes misunderstanding and
if not corrected may lead to communication
breakdown.
7. Jumping to an immediate conclusion
Confusing details with inferences is a
common factor. Do not pretend you know the
reasons behind events, or that certain facts
necessarily have certain meanings.

Make sure you have all the information you

can have, and then talk clearly about the facts
or interpretations you attach to those.

In the sample image, the boy hastily made

a conclusion about why the girl was sweating
profusely which irked the girl. Making
conclusions without proofs will create problems
in communication.
8. Dysfunctional feedbacks

Ignoring or not responding to a suggestion or query quickly undermines effective

communication. Interrupting others while they are talking also creates a poor
atmosphere for communication.

In the sample image, a very common classroom scenario, what seems like an
ordinary communication situation often leads to communication breakdown. Even
when a simple query is not addressed, or is being blocked by something or someone
else, or when the sender himself is not sensitive to the reactions, comments,
suggestions or questions of his audience/receiver, chances for communication
breakdown are tremendous

9. Lacking the confidence

Lacking confidence can be a big barrier to effective communication. Being shy,

difficulty being assertive or low self-worth can block your ability to express your
needs and opinions known.
Also, a lack of knowledge of
your own rights and opportunities
in a given situation can prevent
you from telling your needs
openly.

In most cases, bullying and

shaming by peers cause extreme
shyness among individuals which
eventually leads to one’s inability
to express thus, fail to
communicate. Students, be
assertive, know your rights, and
develop your self-esteem!
TOPIC 3: EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

 Loss of morale
When you experience communication breakdown, there is
a tendency that your sense of purpose, and enthusiasm
towards the task, may also be affected.

 Demotivation
Communication breakdown results to weakening or even
loss of one’s motivation to do what you are supposed to do.

 Embarrassment
A person who has experienced communication breakdown
with his team or is the cause of the communication barrier will
eventually feel guilty and incompetent over that failure and will
feel haunted by that embarrassment.

 Anger
Communication breakdown is so annoying that anyone
involved can get into serious trouble.

 Tension among the team

Everybody in the team gets affected when communication
breakdown strikes. Chances are people will be pointing fingers
to one another. The question here is who’s to be blamed? No
one. Everyone in the team is responsible and is equally
important in solving the problem.

 Stress caused to individuals

Communication breakdown does not only affect the one
who caused it but equally, it affects the person who received
the message but failed to understand.

 Loss of clients, business and sales (or friends/relationships)

Communication breakdown is really harmful. It will not only
break relationships, it can even do worse. It means losing people
who trust you and whom you trust. Now, you don’t want that to
happen, do you?

 Disorganization
Nothing goes right when a communication breakdown occurs.
Things, situations, relationships just fall apart and for all you know,
you are facing broken pieces. Don’t wait for that to happen. Do
something before things got shattered because of careless
communication.
  Gossip
When communication goes out of control, rumors begin to
spread like a virus. Wrong information breaks out and spread
faster than the truth that’s why treat communication with proper
care. Communicate properly and honestly.

TOPIC 4: 5 WAYS TO RESOLVE A COMMUNICATION

BREAKDOWN
(Rodgers)

These are simple things to do to ensure communication is never a

problem.

1. Observe
Take the time to observe how each member of your team works, talk
to them in regular one-to-ones, and discuss how best they like to receive
information, relating to their job role, and then how they feel they can best
use this information for others.

2. Options
Whether giving your team another computer-based tool, introducing
more huddles and meetings, encouraging them to pick up the phone
more, or urging them to physically walk round to a person’s desk, giving
them communicative options will help them feel less trapped in the
restrictive vices of the email world.

3. Sharing is caring
Updates, updates, updates! Site-wide updates are vital for keeping
everyone in the know. This is within reason. Don’t rely on email for this.
Meeting and discussion with the team are important.. Your team members
deserve transparency.

4. Practice makes perfect

Providing consistent training sessions on how and why we
communicate, the best way to write an email, communicating with
everyone or with the whole class or team and how to give feedback in the
most effective way will lift communication breakdowns the more you do
them. Training are also a great way to bring groups/ class together who
may not already be in direct contact with each other, building morale
through one shared goal.

5. One team, one dream

If you resolve a communication breakdown and teach your team the
value of communication, the benefits abound. Good communication builds
a strong team that people want to engage in, it streamlines work
processes, it equips individuals with the tools to take on anything that’s
thrown at them and ultimately makes whatever you are doing, a success.

Those mentioned above are generally found in the following

strategies in communication on how to overcome barriers:

1. Active Listening

Active listening is a skill that can be acquired and improved with

practice. However, this skill can be difficult to achieve and will, therefore,
take time and delay. 'Active listening' means actively listening or fully
focusing on what is being said rather than just 'hearing' the message of
the speaker.

Active listening involves listening with all senses. There are both verbal
and non-verbal indicators that convey active listening. Non-verbal signs
include smiling (if appropriate), making eye contact, nodding at
appropriate times, and avoiding interruptions. These non-verbal cues relay
the message that you are interested in what the speaker has to say, and
that your attention is fully invested. Giving verbal signs of active listening
can also be meaningful. Paraphrasing involves looking for slightly different
terms to repeat the main idea of the speaker and is also a great way to
show active listening.

2. Use Common Language

It is important to consider the audience that you are speaking to
and use language that can be easily understood. Avoid using unfamiliar
terminology or jargon when speaking to clients and their families. An
important tool to use when speaking is to stop occasionally and ask
questions to ensure that your message is being understood as intended.

3. Give Constructive Response

While the response that you give the speaker/sender may
occasionally be negative, it is important that it be constructive in nature.
The goal of the feedback should be to further the abilities of the speaker.
This will bond the interpersonal relationship, and enhance future
communications.

3. Focus on the issue, not the speaker

Try not to take all personally, and similarly, express your own wants
and opinions in terms of the job at hand. Solve problems rather than
attempt to manipulate others.
 5. Be genuine rather than control.
Be yourself, openly, and honestly. Be honest with yourself, and
center on working well with the persons around you, and acting with
integrity.

6. Empathize rather than remain alone.

Although professional relationships entail some borders when it
comes to interaction with colleagues, it is important to show sensitivity and
to really care about the people you work with. If you don't care about
them, it will be difficult for them to care about you when it comes to being
together.

7. Be patient towards others.

Allow for other points of view, and be liberated to other ways of doing
things.
Diversity affects creativity and innovation.

8. You have to promote yourself and your own experiences.

Be strong about your own rights and needs. Undervaluing
yourself motivates others to undervalue you, too.

2. Conciseness
1. Completeness To be concise basically means, getting straight to th
It is very important that that receiver gets to hear everything so that proper responses, reactions,

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