CHAPTER

Fundamentals of
1 Communication

Learning 0bjectivesAfter reading this chapter, you will be able to

understand the importance of
communication in the professional world
familiarize yourself with the features of successful
professional communication
identify the various purposes for which communication is used in professional situations
learn about the role of creative and critical
thinking, as well as emotions in communication
get acquainted with the different flows of communication in an organization
understand the barriers in communication and learn the ways to overcome these barriers

1.1 INTRODUCTION

MrA.R. Bajaj is the Chairman of Mirch Masala Foods Pvt.

Ltd, New Delhi. Since the open-
ing of its first outlet in Delhi three years back, five more outlets of Mirch Masala have
come up in other cities. Customers walking in at a Mirch Masala outlet are received with
a smile, entertained courteously, and explained the highlights of different food items
listed in an aesthetically-designed menu. Those who visit Mirch Masala appreciate the
courteous behaviour of the attending staf. Everyone around seemed so much willing
to serve you/was how Mr Parsanna, who recently visited Mirch Masala, quipped. On the
other hand, Hot & Sweet Pvt. Ltd, which started almost four years back, is struggling
hopelessly. Customers often complain about the indifferent attitude of waiters. They
have named it Hot & Sweet but nobody is sweet there and nothing is served hot; wait-
ers prefer to keep you waiting before paying you any attention and when they do, they
speak to you as though they were the bosses around You feel so unwelcomed there
said Mrs Suhasini Roy, who recently dined at Hot & Sweet.

What do you think is the fate of these two fancy food outlets? Would Mirch
Masala and Hot & Sweet move on their way to growth, success, and popularity?
We seriously doubt it. It indeed is quite natural that Mirch Masala is growing but
Hot & Sweet seems on its way out.
Yes, we believe that with the passage of time, Mirch Masala is going to grow
owing to its good communication network within and outside the organization.
Hot & Sweet, on the other hand, is most likely to ebb away into
anonymity due to
lack of openness, motivation, and proper communication flow
2 coMMUNICATION SKILLS

The case in discussion highlights

the deterministic power of communication in the
profes.
sional world. In an age where one has to either communicate or collapse, communication
holdu
the key to the growth of an organization. The system that fails to recognize the need
for an
effective communication fails to sustain itself for a long time.
Let us learn further why it is so.

1.2 COMMUNICATION-AN OVERVIEW

A blow witha word strikes deeper than a blow with a sword.
Robert Burton
Living in an atomic world, we are well past an age when the blow of a sword would pose any
considerable threat to us. Today, verbal blows appear mightier than the physical ones. Not
just
that, words-both written and spoken-have acquired a significantly crucial and an almost
decisive force in contemporary times.
Essentially, ours is a society that moves on the wheels of communication. Particularly in
the professional world, it is communication and its related skills that decide a person's career
curve. The better one's communication skills, the higher are the chances for him/her to touch
the zenith of success. The poorer one's communication skills, the greater is the possibility of
not achieving one's goals.
Actually nothing happens in professional world without communication, though it
only a means, and not the end. Still it is communication that propels the management pro-
cess and serves as the lubricant for its smooth operation. It helps professionals in their five
major managerial tasks, namely planning, organizing, executing, staffing, and controlling.
Since every organization is a social system that involves interaction among people
work
ing at different levels, proper communication among them becomes necessary for achieving
the goals of an organization. In a way, it is communication that defines the existence of an
in
organization contemporary times. When communication crumbles, the organized
comes to an end. Communication thus is vital to the survival, sustenance, and growth of an
action

organization.
It is so because in a professional world, what professionals do most of the time is com-
municate. The necessity and importance of communication skils can be gauged from the
fact that professionals spend nearly three-fourths of their working time in communicat-
ing their ideas, views, and plans to others. Communication in the professional world occu-
pies such a pivotal position that there hardly exists an activity in the business and industry
that does not require communication to play any role.
Consequently, the organization that
disregards its importance cannot compete and survive in a demanding professional world
that more than anything else demands its incumbents to be articulate, expressive, anu
communicative.
Understandably therefore, while selecting a new recruit, one of the first things that compa
nies look for in an individual is the person's ability to communicate effectively with others. Our
communication skills thus has the potential to make or ruin our fortune.
It is precisely to address this professional need that we need to master the various aspects O
communication skills. However, before we proceed further, let us make aneffort to acquain
Ourselves with the other nuances of the term communication,
process, and features.
starting with its definitio
 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION 3
1.3 DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION
Communication, the buzz word in
today's world, originates from the Latin word communico or
communicare, which means 'to share'. Various
munication' in their own way. researchers and analysts define the term "com-
Despite their different
communication essentially means the transfer of versions, can be briefly summed up
it that

tion from one person to ideas, feelings, plans, messages, or informa-

another'. Obviously however, communication is considered
only when it gets the desired action or effective
Let us explore some of the
response.
essentials of communication with the of the discussion that
help
follows.

| 1.4 PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is a process whereby information

Sender is encoded, channelled, and sent by a sender to a
receiver via a medium. The receiver then decodes
the message and gives the sender a feedback. All
Feedback forms of communication require a sender, a chan-
Message
nel, a message, a receiver, and the feedback that
effectively winds up the process. Communication
requires both the sender and the receiver to have an
Receiver area of communicative commonality. The process
Fig. 1.1 The Communication Process can be well understood with the help of Fig. 1.1.
However, sometimes there occurs a hindrance in
the communication process, which is called noise.
Sender Noise can be defined as an unplanned interference
in the communication environment, the one that
causes hindrance to the transmission of the mes-
sage (Fig. 1.2). It may mainly due to two
occur
Feedback Message
reasons: disturbance in the channel/medium and/or
some kind of error in the message sent.
Before we go further, it is important for us to under-
Receiver stand how general purpose communication differs
from professional communication. Table 1.1 high-
Fig. 1.2 Noise Hinders Communication Process
lightsthe basic differences between these two types.

Professional Communication
Table 1.1 Differences between General and
General Communication Professional Communication

Contains general message

Contains a formal and
Content professional message
Informal in style and approach Mostly formal and objective
Nature
communication Follows a set pattern such as
No set pattern of
Structure sequence of elements in a report

Mostly oral Both oral and written

Method
(Contd)
 cOMMUNICATION SKILLS

Professional Communication
Table 1.1 (Contd) G e n e r a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n

Always for a specific audience,

specific
audience
customers, banks, etc.
for a e.g.,
Not always
Audience
Frequently involvesjargon,

normally
involve the use
graphics, etc.
for achieving the
Does not
graphics, professional purposes
Language vocabulary,
of technical
etc.

COMMUNICATION

PROFESSIONAL
SUCCESSFUL
FEATURES OF for us to oer
1.5 world, it is quite important
matters a lot in the professional communication.
communication successful professional
Since features of
most important individ.
transmitted between
the is
acquainted with which
information

is a two-way process
by among
them.
Communication
may develop
1. that an understanding in an
organizations so interactions among persons
uals and/or of meaningful
is a continuous
process understood in a desired way
Communication and
2.
results in meanings
being perceived communication activity.
organization that in the entire
sender keeps changing
receiver and the non-verbal forms. Therefore, it also
3. The role of the both verbal and
includes
C o m m u n i c a t i o n broadly used in face-to-face
4. language, and body language
includes lip reading, finger-spelling, sign
ideas, thoughts, feelings, plans,
communication.
etc.
disseminates important
which transmits and or technique of persuasion
5. It is a process understood to be an art
Communication skills generally
are
6. features.
written, and non-verbal
through the use of oral,

COMMUNICATI1ON
1.6 IMPORTANCE OF
of business.
factors make communication indispensable in the world
The following

1.6.1 Growth
both
business houses usually operate
Due to the emergence of multinational companies, large thorough
office of a large corporate maintains a
within and outside the country. The head them
each of its branch offices. It keeps
and up-to-date knowledge of the various activities at ItS
which in turn establishes a link among
well-acquainted with the activities of all the centres,
various branches and leads to the growth and smooth running of the entire business.

1.6.2 Complexity
This is an age of specialization and therefore, even in a single organization different activities,
such as planning, production, sales, stores, advertising, financing, accounts, welfare, ete., ac
handled by different departments. If these departments do not communicate with one anotn
as well as with the management, there will be no coordination among them. For instance, wheu
production is fully geared up, stores may report shortage of raw materials. Similarly, the finainc
department has to apprise the other departments regarding its constraints, which might havec
been the result fluctuations in the market. In fact, all the departments and f
of recent un
an organization have to go hand in hand to achieve its goals and for that, they need to keep
communicating with one another.
 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION L5
1.6.3 Competitiveness
Items of common
consumption, such as cigarettes, soaps, blades, clothes, etc., are availd
tea,
ble in a dozen brands
today. Marketing research suggests that firms which communicate Det
ter sell better. The better the communication skills of a salesperson, the larger the number
of customers he/she can attract. Salesmanship is primarily an art of communication. Besides,
companies keep competing with one another through advertisements and other propagandist
strategies 1or securing a higher position in the market. All this involves communication at every

step.

1.6.4 Harmony
Trade unions believe in bargaining with the management and insist on the protection of the
rights and dignity of the workers. The management and such unions share a delicate relation
and without proper communication between the two, no harmony can be expected to exist in
an organization.

1.6.5 Understanding and Cooperation

If there exists good communication between the management and employees, it will bring
about an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidence. Only when the employees know exactly
what is expected of them, can the management utilize their potentialities and make up for their
limitations. Through effective communication, employees get job satisfaction and develop a
sense of belongingness with the enterprise which ultimately helps the organization grow well.

| 1.7 PURPOSE OF PROFESsiONAL COMMUNICATION

Professional communication aims at achieving the following objectives:

Advising However competent a professional may be, he/she cannot have specialized knowl
edge of all the branches such as licensing, taxation, publicity, engineering, etc. To succeed in
his/her job, he/she will have to seek frequent advice. Also, the junior employees need to be
advised by the supervisory staff on how to go about doing their jobs. A proper and timely inter-
action with experts in the related areas helps the management take wise steps and grow.
Counselling Even an efficient employee may become slow and indifferent if he/she is facing
personal problems at home. Such employees are encouraged to consult the counselling depart-
ment. Through effective communication, employees and workers share their concerns, ventilate
their problems and thus are restored to their mental and physical health.

Giving orders Order is an authoritative communication. It is a directive to somebody, always

a subordinate, to do something, to modifty or alter the course of something he/she is already
doing, or not to do something. Whatever be the nature and size of an organization, orders are
absolutely essential. Ordering without bullying, however, is an art that requires effective com-
munication skills.
Providing instructions Instruction is a particular type of order in which the subordinate is
not only ordered for a particular job, but also given guidance on how to go about doing it. All
instructions are orders, but all orders need not be instructions. Regardless of the fact that the
management intends to give instructions or issue orders, effectiveness in communication is

mandatory if the right impact is desired to be created.

 cOMMUNICATION SKILLS

effective communication holds the i

6 Ihust as marketing
is crucial to
all business,
rests on communication. it i1
Marketing
the entire function
of marketing hard
Since c o m m u n i c a t i o n . Sometim.
marketing itself. without effective nes
ta
getting through
of its operations suggestions related to its
varioue
to imagine
any obtaining right tional
c o n s u l t a n t s for
also hire c a n be turned
down.
companies communicated,
suggestions

aspects.
If not properly effort to influence the attitudes, feelin or
defined as an
Persuasion may be have to be buv persuaded to
Persuading
action based on that. Buyers prod
of others or to
induce
and the disgruntled workers have tolbe
beliefs incompetent,
oftices, the lazy, the a.
alone that can inspire indolent and
ucts. In factories or communication
is effective
persuaded to do their work. lt towards achieving the
common objectives o an
and keep them persuaded
ninterested people
organization. o r violate rules
n o r m s of the organization
do not abide by the
Giving warnings Ifemployees is a forceful m e a n s
of communication for it
to warn them. Warning
it may become necessary need to be communicated well
Sensitive in nature, warnings
of urgency.
carries with it a
s e n s e
and not exaggerated.
so that impact
is properly created hence is important
of all individuals and
Morale stands for the mental health effective commu-
Raising morale be maintained only through
organization. Morale to
for the growth of an organization-actually is a powerful
and
and hence within the
nication among professionals such as courage, determination,
the sum of several qualities,
intangible factor representing binds them with a sense of
a kind of lubricant among people,
confidence. It acts as
the best interest of
clarity, and work in cooperation with
one another in
them to
togetherness, and impels
their organization.
in potential employees
Communication is needed in
the recruitment process to rope
Staffing organizational
The recruits are told about the company's
of merit to work for the enterprise. communication helps the
new entrants
and practices. This way, proper
structure, its policies, This also pro-
with the organization and utilize their potential effectively.
associate themselves communica-

of work among employees. Thus, in such situations too,

motes proper delegation
of an organization.
tion helps in building a good image enter-
of
Communication is of vital importance
in projecting the image an
wIder
Projecting image which elite groups and
environment that is affected by the information
prise in the social
won-
and accomplishments. One can hardly
its goals, activities,
public have acquired about advertisements, notices,
announce
meticulousness with which all the brochures,
der at the
written and designed by the organizations.
are made public-are
ments, and circulars that
documents are ruthlessly revised
and edited linguistically unti
Understandably, all important
achieve the objective of carving
and retaining a positive image.
they help the organization
matter how good a product is,
it cannot succeed without eftec
Preparing advertisements No billboards.
is done through newspapers, magazines, television,
tive advertising. Advertising
effective communication, persuasive
and catchy adver
Internet, pamphlets, cards, etc. Without the desireu
material can neither be conceived nor created to achieve
tisements and publicity

objective. mple
both simp
Making decisions Communication also has an important function in solving
and complex problems, and making accurate decisions to positively influence organizatio
performance. If not properly communicated, even a good decision may sound Ilike a bad S P
 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
Getting feedback The receiver's reaction
the message is also a form of
to
back to the sender.
Through this mechanism, communication
companies know how much they sell, what pubiic
opinion has been formed about their
Good companies also seek
product, and what the customers feel about their products.
feedback with regard to the satisfaction of the
them. It helps them remove the employees serving
unnecessary cobwebs arising out of the ills of hierarchy and
achieve the purpose within an
organization.
Thus, communication is like a two-way street that entails the
relation between the sender and
the receiver both in
day-to-day and business communication. In this process, a cycle of commu-
nicating messages is formed between the sender and the receiver.
Having discussed the purpose and importance of communication in the business world, let
us discuss its different
forms.

1.8 ROLE OF CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING IN

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Critical thinking and creative thinking are considered high order skills which are essential for
professionals. Critical thinking is the active, persistent, and careful consideration of beliefs or
knowledge keeping in view the available evidence whereas creative thinking is the generation
of new ideas. Both are fundamental to human intellectual progress and instrumental in the
development of the society. Depending on context and purpose, critical and creative thinking
skills can be interdependent or separately applied.
Critical thinking, in fact, is a self-reflective process that involves elements of
conceptualiza-
tion, reasoning, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of the available information upon which
judgement is based. This involves a wide variety of skills that must be used in order to form that
opinion/decision. A few of these include:
making careful observations
being inquisitive and asking the relevant questions
challenging the beliefs, examining assumptions, and probing opinions which may evenbe
against already established facts
recognizing the problems and issues that may appear in future
assessing the validity of statements and understanding the logic and strength of argu-
ments given
making workable decisions and finding valid solutions
The ideal critical thinker is habitually inquisitive, well-informed, dependent on reason, open-
minded, flexible, objective in evaluation, honest in resolving biases, prudent in making judge-
ments and willing to reconsider the judgements made earlier. As a professional, you will always
come across new problems and aberrations to the existing practices, your ability to think crit-
ically will help you convert the problem into an opportunity. In order to be a critical thinker,
you need to be
Inquisitive Judicious
Systematic .Truth seeking
Analytical Confident in reasoning
Open-minded
Creative thinking, on the other hand, is the generation of new ideas within or across domains of
knowledge. It requires preparation, incubation, insight, evaluation, elaboration, and communi-
cation. In order to develop this, you must try to put aside the common assumptions, look beyond
 cOMMUNICATION SKILLS

10 professional to he.
diversity, it becomes important for a ware of all such
cultural communicate accordinglv
Given such d i f f e r e n c e s and
behavioural
culturally triggered
COMMUNICATION

DIFFERENT
FORMS OF
1.11
classified into the following types:
Communication is generally
Verbal c o m m u n i c a t i o n
Interpersonal communication
Oral communication
.Extrapersonalcommunication
Written communication
Mass communication
Media communication
Non-verbal communication
Intrapersonal communication
communication.

Figure 1.3 provides a skeletal view of professional

with some of these varieties of communication.
Let us briefly get acquainted

1.11.1 Verbal Communication

time in speaking and lis
Since a professional has to spendlarge amount of his/her working
a
the time he/she has to use language as a
tening to others besides reading and writing, most of verbal communication.
termed as
This type of communication is
vehicle of communication. written word used in the
stands both for the spoken and the
com-
Verbal communication thus
oral and written communication.
munication process.It can further be divided into
between the sender and the receiver is called
Oral communication A face-to-face interaction
two or more than two per
oral communication. In this type
of communication, there could be
communication. For instance, whenever
we
as a medium of
sons who use spoken language

Communication

Means, kinds, manners, forms

Types (Parties involved) Flow

Intrapersonal Interpersonal Mass Extrapersonal

Vertical Horizontal Diagonal Spiral

Verbal
Extralinguistic Non-verbal
Linguistic Paralinguistic/vocal cues

Kinesics Proxemics Chronemics Artefacts Haptics (Touch)

Written

Oral

Fig.1.3 Communication at a Glance

 FUNDAMENTALS OF cOMMUNICATION LL
make presentations, deliver speeches, participate in group discussions, appear for interviews,
or simply interact with somebody, we are involved in oral communication.
Written communication In this type of communication, the sender uses the written mode to
transmit his/her messages. Reports, proposals, books, handbooks, letters, emails, etc. come in
this category. Written communication is routinely used for documentation purposes in business
and government organizations.

1.11.2 Non-verbal Communication

When a message is communicated without using a word, the process requires non-verbal
cues to be transmitted and received. Non-verbal communication forms an important part in
the world of professional communication. It can be further categorized into two partsbody
language and paralinguistio features. Body language involves aspects such as personal appear
ance, walk, gestures, facial expressions, hand movements, posture, and eye contact. The para-
linguistic features include a person's voice, volume, pitch, rate, pauses, articulation, voice
modulation, etc.

1.11.3 Intrapersonal Communication

This implies individual reflection, contemplation, and meditation. So, whenever communica-
tion takes place within one's own self, it is termed as intrapersonal communication. One exam-
ple of this form of communication is transcendental meditation. It is also believed that this type
of communication encompasses communicating with the divine and with spirits in the form of
prayers and rites and rituals.

1.11.4 Interpersonal Communication

This is a direct, written, or oral communication that occurs between two or more persons. The
oral form of this type of communication, such as a dialogue or a conversation between two
or more people, is personal and direct, and permits maximum interaction through words and
gestures.

1.115 Extrapersonal Communication

Communication does not take place only among human beings.If we observe carefully, we find
that sometimes we do communicate with non-human entities, such as animals, birds, etc. For
instance, whenever we command our pet dog or cat to sit, stand, or go, they immediately follow
our orders. Whenever we caress them or pat on their back for doing something good, they are
elated and they start wagging their tails. This type of communication is known as extrapersonal
communication.

1.11.6 MassCommunication
This is generally identified with tools of modern mass media, which include books, the
press, cinema, television, radio, the Internet, etc. It is a means of conveying messages
to an entire populace. This also includes the speeches delivered by a prophet or a political
leader.
 1 2 coMMUNICATION SKILLS

media, such as
tronie media help of
of ele
electronic
u .

1 . 1 1 . 7 M e d i aC o m m u n i c a t i o n

that takes
place only
with the hel
I n t e r n e t hasbecom
become a
major
com
includes
c o m m u n i c a t i o n

television,
Of these, the
ete. mean
It video,
LCD,
cell phones,
c o m m u n i c a t i o n .

puter, o r personal
sorts of official
for all ORGANIZATION

NETWORK IN AN
COMMUNICATION

or growthth of
of anan organizati. organizati.
1.12
i n s t r u m e n t to
The
measure the success

as an serves quantity of rmation

information flowing thr
t
Communication
the quality and
is recognized by
must flow faster
than ever befora
success ofan organization enterprises,
Even information

's business informed abot

its personnel.
In today organizations, to keep oneself the
loss. In large
a little delay might cause a great and for performing excellently
in the market. it
is
various departments
smooth operation of the in the organization,
to know and understand tho
professional, who plays a key role
essential for a network in an organization.
communication that constitute the
different forms of
of Communication Flow
1.12.1 Different Types
at different layers and levels which reou
gu-
Communication in professional organization flows
a
of communication flow in an organization
The different types
late, guide, and propel its flow.
are as follows:

Horizontal Crosswise
Vertical .Spiral
- Upward

Downward

CEO

CFO COO CPO CMO

Finance Finance Operation Operation

Manager Manager I Operation Operation
Manager Manager II
ManagerI Manager l

Production Production
Manager Production
Manager l Manager I
Legend:
Executive Executive = Horizontal
Executive CEO= Chief
Executive Officer
= Upward CFO =Chief
Finance Oficer
Executive Executive
= Downward COO= Chief
Operations Offcer
Executive
Executive CPO= Chief
Production Officer
FiG. 1.4 Crosswise (Diagonal) CMO
=Chief Marketing Officer
Information Flow in an
Organization
 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION

The information flow in an organization can be seen with the help of Fig. 1.4, which showS the
communication flow that streams in various directions within an organization. Communication
may flow horizontally, i.e., among people of the same rank in an organization. This is for
bet
ter coordination among various departments and for effective decision-making purposes. In
order to achieve the production target for a particular month, the discussion held between the
production manager and the supply manager will certainly be a perfect instance ofhorizontal
communication. However, when the production manager imparts certain instructions to the
workers and supervisors for the same purpose, it will be downward communication. Here the
information moves from the higher authority to its subordinates. And in the same context, if the
supervisor reports to the production manager regarding the present state of production, it will
be a case of upward communication.
f the management circulates a copy of new bonus and incentive scheme among all the
employees, it will be called spiral communication in the organization. Sometimes however,
communication flows between persons who belong to different levels of hierarchy and who
have no direct reporting relationships. This is used generally to quicken the information flow,
improve understanding and coordinate efforts for the achievement of organizational objectives.
Such a movement of an information flow is termed as diagonal communication.
In organizations, informal communication also permeates the personal and professional lives
of employees. This informal flow of communication is called grapevine. For instance, rumours
about the company's expansion, promotion of an employee, relations between two colleagues
are some of the examples of grapevine. It flows in all directions. Grapevine may create both
negative and positive impact on the environment within an organization.

1.13 BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

If we look around carefully, we will see that there are people who do not listen to others at meet-
ings; quite a few of them write incomprehensible memos, some do not value other's opinions;
some others are unable to seek cooperation from their colleagues and subordinates. Moreover,
even a thoroughly prepared communicator commits mistakes, even though the errors are rarely
as frequent or as serious as the ones made by a careless communicator. When the flow of com-
munication gets impeded, it is termed as communication barrier.
Let us study the different types of barriers that affect the effectiveness of communication in
an organization.

1.13.1 Verbal Barriers

More often than not, most people consider themselves to be good and effective communicators
simply because they feel they can speak fluently. While speaking fluently is an important aspect
of communicating, yet it is not the only requirement. One should be able to listen effectively,
others are familiar with. Thus,
speak fluently and clearly, write well, and read in the language(s)
there are some verbal barriers such as verbal attack, speaking loudly unnecessarily, and using

complex words and Some of the following reasons may create verbal hindrances in the
phrases.
communication environment.
Lack of proper planning Too often, we find that people start talking or writing without

thinking or planning. They do not clearly state the purpose of the message. This often results in
miscommunication or partial breakdown in the communication process.
 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
variety of language For
Selection of a wrong
14 interactions, we choose differens
various human
Your report varieties of expressions.
Imagine a lawyer flaun
is clownish Thankyou,
courtroom gambits
and
exploiting hi
and chimerlcal Sirl ing his
skills to c o n v i n c e his wife to give
argumentative
tea! The chances are that he
him a cup of on't
is obvious: it is a wron
get that! The reason

chosen and hence it fails t

variety of language
elicit the desired
result. Because
of a
wrong vari.
even a strategy, otherwise effec
ety of language,
fail miserably.
tive and useful, may

Badly encoded
or wrongly decoded mes
sages The sender may have clarity about the
to be conveyed, but it may still
message that is
People
Badly Encoded Messages Play
on the message
Cruel Jokes that reach the receiver because
not

been improperly expressed. Choice of wrong words,

absence
of punctuation marks
might have of ideas, use of unnecessary jargon,
etc. bring
or wrongly-timed pauses, poor organization
listeners who may contribute to
the messy world of
vaguenessin the message. At times it is the
different way.
misinterpretation by decoding the message in a startlingly
Let us consider the following situation.
to the report submitted by his Marketing
Trainee
The Manager of Sieve Internationals refers
assumes from the
as bombastic. The young
amateurish employee with a limited vocabulary
bursts into a grateful Thankyou
form of the word that it must mean something like fantastic and
decoded message can lead to a hilarious situation for the
very much, Sir! So a badly or wrongly
onlookers but an embarrassing one for the people involved.
Semantic gap Semantic gap or distortion might be deliberate or accidental, for example, an

advertisement saying, "We sell for less, raises the question, 'Less than what?" Is the product
sold to less number of people or offered at a less price? Thus, a message such as this may
have different connotations and may leave the recipient of the message wondering about the
real intention of the message. Thus, whenever there is a gap between the message sent and the
message received, it might have arisen due to the language employed and the way it has been
interpreted.
Differences in perception of a message Different people perceive a single message in di-
ferent ways. Consider a situation wherein there occurs a dispute between a worker and his/her
superior and a third person is asked to inquire into the matter. During investigation, it is very
likely that both the worker and the superior will not recall the situation in
This is mainly because their exactly the same way
perception levels are not the same. To overcome this problem, one
needs to communicate from various
of
perspectives, try to verify the matter from different poinis
view, and then come to a conclusion.
Similarly, in
business situation, one should be
a
because like many very careful in the choice of words. It
things in the world, the words we utter are also
tations. Words such as open to a variety of interpi
of other words
good, bad, proper, inappropriate, character, nature and a large nun
are
hence need to be usedessentially subjective in nature and can be
interpreted in various ways aand
carefully in order to avoid ambiguity in the
message.
 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION L5
Sometimes certain words and idiomatic expressions are culture
Variation in language
specific. If we do not use them appropriately in the respective cultural context, it might leadto
miscommunication or non-communication. For instance, what is called sidewalk in the US, in
Britain it is called pavement, whereas in India, it is called platform. Similarly, it is apartment in
the US.flat in Britain, and house in India. In the same way, we find in Britain to table a proposal
means to act on it, whereas in America it means to postpone.
Therefore, if we use such expressions indiscriminately, it would lead to confusion and con-

sequently may lead to the breakdown of communication.

1.13.2 Non-verbal Barriers

in mind the
Apart from the basic aspects of communication stated earlier, one needs to keep
non-verbal aspects too in order to be considered adept in communication skills. Moreover,
when verbal and non-verbal messages clash, receivers tend to trust the non-verbal messages.
Sometimes even flashing eyes, rolling eyes, quick movements or very slow movement,or
avoiding eye contact may also cause non-verbal
barriers to effective communication. Raising
eyebrows constantly suggests that the speaker
is not convinced about the information that he/
she has shared. Bulging eyes leave the audience
alienated as the speaker unnecessarily sounds
arrogant. Even when presenter keeps his/her
a
hands or thumbs constantly in the pockets of
his/her trousers, he/she will certainly appear
snobbish, scared, or deceptive his/her audi-
to
ence. Similarly, if some awkward gestures are
constantly used by the speaker, these will create
blocks in the smooth flow of communication.

Chapter 10 on non-verbal communication deals

Mobile Games: New-age Barrier to Effective Listening with the topic in greater detail.

1.13.3 ListeningBarriers
Poor listening results in incomplete, incorrect, and inconsistent responses. Sometimes people
do not listen to others properly and patiently because rather than listening to others' views, they
to keep quiet so that they may articulate their own
may just be waiting anxiously for the speaker
views. Experience suggests that those who listen to others with dwindling attention fail to speak

properly.It is so because listening is the mother of all speaking.

Listening requires concentration, patience, and focus; the turbulence characterizing a quin-
tessential twenty-first century mind, however, renders the whole task extremely challenging.
And although we all pretend to listen to others while sitting in a meeting
or attending some

oral presentation, we usually are occupied with the idea of speaking at the earliest opportunity.
human urge, while listening is a compulsion. We all aspire to be
It is so because speaking is a
speakers but not necessarily all of us crave to be a listener. That is why, there are many speakers
but just a few listeners. Moreover, listeners interrupting the speakers or avoiding an eye contact
with them also causes barriers to effective listening.
1 6 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
listening
barriers in he communi
tho .

cause
also
reasons may
the following
Besides
the above, listener's time
the
c a t i o n e n v i r o n m e n t :

he/she is wasting
though communication
as
the speakerfeel
of the ongoing

Making that is not part

thoughts
distracted by something his/her
.Being and completing
Getting
ahead of the speakerwith one's own set ofexamples
story
the speaker's
.Topping
what is being discussed sake
Forgetting
questions for
the of probing effective listening.1 .
Asking
too many
discussed in Chapter 9
on developing skills
elaborately
have been
These barriers
Barriers
Mechanical in transmic
ission
Physical and
disturbance
1.13.4 the
communicators,
distance between factors in
of the most important
Closed office doors, physical Research shows that o n e
barriers. c o m m u n i c a t e effectively as
physical
create others helps people
channels, etc. Nearness to often affects commu
is proximity. b a r r i e r that hu-
cohesive teams theretore, is a
building another better.
Distance
font small sizes
one or margins, very
them get to know text, lack of space
functioning machines, faultv
helps badly indented
nication. At times, poor printing, barriers. Similarly, erratically
c a n lead to
communication between two
which affect
and crowded paragraphs mechanical barriers for instance
are s o m e of the m e c h a n i c a l barrier,
devices and systems be seen as a
Failure of microphone
during a speech may
parties.
1.13.5 Psychological Barriers
damaging and cause frequent
barriers are far more

barriers, psychological barriers are closely

linked to emo-
Compared to physical Psychological
of c o m m u n i c a t i o n . a message. Some
disruptions in the process an important
role in the
communication
of
emotional barriers play distrust, absent
mindedness,
tional barriers; the presence of fear,
barriers may arise
due to
such psychological obsessive temperament,
multiple distrac
emotional apathy, intensity
of feelings, lack of interest, we may
For instance, on receiving a message,
between the communicating parties. turmoil of our own.
tions, and so on in s o m e emotional
as we may be caught up
not beable to interpret it properly

1.13.6 Miscellaneous Barriers

which detailed discussion
other barriers too for
a
discussed so far, there are
Besides the barriers
is provided below
undesirable human tendency to jump
to hasty con
Premature evaluation of message It is an
and generalize the ideas withou
disapprove what is being said or written,
clusions, approve or the listeners
often leads to failure in communication because
being convinced. This tendency
without fully understanding its real essence.
and readers evaluate the message
In various organizations, the employees in the key
positions get unre
Information overload tend
Struggling with an information overload thus, they often
stricted flow information.
of information. For
ce,

information unconsciously while processing the ded nst

ignore the important the inten
miss the word 'not' in a message, which reverses
the person concerned might
meaning. It is also observed that people respond to information overload by simply escap
task of communication, for wherever authorities demand detailed
example, docur
rom the
tation for procuring government contracts; people sometimes shirk the task and simpiy "
furnish

unauthentic or incomplete information.

 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
Distrust, threat, and fear Inconsistent and unpredictable behaviour of the superior leads
to arousing distrust and fear among the subordinates. If a subordinate has been punished for
presenting unfavourable but true facts in the past, he/she will not express his/her Ideas however
innovative and crucial they may be due to real or imagined fear. Eventually, the communication
process in a scenario like this will break down.
Less time for orientation and for
adjustment to change Changes affect people in different
ways and it may take some time to adjust to the implication of changes occurring regularly both
in our personal and professional worlds. Some communication situations indicate a need for
further training, career adjustment, or status identification. If the employees do not get sutti-
cient time to adjust, alte, or prepare themselves to face the changes around them, it harmpers
communication and can severely affect their performance in an organization.
Emotional reaction On his retirement day, a senior executive of a leading firm received many
sincere tributes during a special dinner hosted in his honour. When finally asked to speak, he
got up from his seat, spoke a few words but could not continue. He was choked with emotion.
Depending on the intensity of our emotions thus, our response or reaction may create a barrier
in communication. Emotions such as fear, suspicion, anger, and joy may act as hurdles in mak-
ing ourselves clear to our audience.
Rigid attitude Human communication is all about sharing and conveying emotions, ideas.
and attitudes. A stubborn attitude on the part of the listener or the speaker may lead to a failure
of communication. It is a well-known fact that we cannot learn anything unless we purge our
selves of our pre-conceived notions

1.14 SOME REMEDIES

Following are some of the ways to overcome the different types of barriers we confront both in
our personal and professional lives:
1. Send the data only to the people who require that.
2. Emphasize the major ideas.
3. Delete unwanted details.
4. Maintain transparency in policy matters.
5. Ensure clarity in message and look for a genuine feedback.
6. Understand others' emotions.
variations and the appropriate variety in the
7. Understand other cultures and language use

given context.
8. Make sure that information overload does not affect the communication environment

adversely. and views

9. Maintain openness and acknowledge that people have different perceptions
regarding things. in fears.
10. Encourage innovative ideas and views so that people
do not unnecessarily live
11. Listen attentively to others.
12. Speak with clarity and conviction.

To sum up, barriers which arecaused due to fear, ecstasy, joy, threat, etc. can easily be overcome

by increasing self-avwareness, careful listening, and a desire to share and build empathy towards
others. Moreover, by knowing more about the receiver's background and the level of knowledge
we can achieve the desired result in communication.
or language proficiency,

about. Such type of listener is sharp, intelligent, and
good at interpersonal communication skills.
8. Grapevine is a formal communication flow in an
organization which has both positive and negative
impact on the environment.
9. 1 had personal problems, so I could not prepare the
budget effciently. I am sorry for this. We cannot sub-
mit the details to the client today! Such utterances
reflect the lack of commitment and sincerity on the
part of a professional.
10. Communication helps management only to make
accuratedecisions to influence organizational per-
formance positively.
11. The observance of the receiver's reaction to the
message is a kind of tool to maintain smooth com-
munication flow between or among individuals.
12. The discussion held between the production man-
ager and the Head, HRD, is a perfect example of
horizontal communication.
13. If the management circulates a memorandum
regarding change in working hours among all the
employees, it will be a case of spiral communication.
14. It is imperative to listen carefully to others in order
to avoid confusion regarding instructions, advice,
FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
2. How important is 'effective communication' in
today's business word? Discuss a few aspects of
business where communication is very important.
3. Counselling, instructing, giving orders, persuasion
are some of the purposes of communication. Discuss.
4. Discuss the different levels of communications in
detail.
5. Explain the importance of communication in busi-
ness in about 300 words.
6. What steps would you follow if you have a commu-
nication problem?
7. What are barriers to communication? Do you
remember any case of poor communication?
Specify what went wrong in the case that resulted in
poor communication.
8. How does a receiver influence the sender's com-
munication skills? Substantiate your answer with
appropriate examples.
9. Discuss any four barriers to communication and sub-
stantiate your answer with one example for each.
10. 'My father sees me reading newspapers everyday.
Today he asked me about'the Big Bang-the biggest
I
experiment, but could not give any information. I
read only sports news: Identify the communication

proposals, reminders, etc. barrier involved in this statement and discuss how it

15. Information overload strengthens the communica- affects communication negatively.

tion network in an organization. 11. 'A free flow of information ensures the success of an
16. Every workday, every employee frequently sends organization' Elaborate this statement in the light of
and receives messages and, as the size and com- the flow of communication in any organization.

the organization increases, do the 12. Growth and success of an organization broadly
plexity of so

number of messages and the possibilities for com- lies in continuous, multi-directional, and multi-level
flow of communication Elaborate the statement cit-
munication-related problems.
ing suitable examples from your own experience.
17. Rigidity thought helps the officer in maintaining a
of
13. Whether organization is small or large, it is com-
an
good rapport with his/her subordinates.
confused munication that binds the organization together
18. Badly encoded message leaves its receiver
Discuss in detail the formal flow of communication in
and not well informed
an organization in thelight ofthe above statement.
Concept Review Questions 14. How does a receiver influence the sender's com

munication skills? Substantiate your answer with

imply? Why is
1. What does the term 'communication'
communication vital in today's world? appropriate examples.
effective

ANSWER KEY.
Objective Questions
5. T 6. F
1. T 2. T 3. F F
9. T 10. F 11. T 12. T
7. F 8. F
15. F 16. T 17. F 18. T
13. T 14. T
1 8 cOMMUNICATION SKILLS

flow in the
different types ofcommunication
RECAPITULATION
horizontal, vertical, downwa. d and
informa- These are
of zation.
exchange
refers to
an and spiral communication.
C o m m u n i c a t i o n

upward, diagonal, that

and
emotions.

communication, is, grape

tion,
ideas,
feelings,
c o m m u n i c a t i o n
is to get
one's mes An informal
flow of
organizations.
of involves exists in
The purpose
This is a
process
that vine, also r e c e i v e d is not the sam.
others.
message
Sometimes the
to receiver.
sage
across
and the
of the
message called breakdown.of
sender both the sent. This is
both the
successful only when as the message
barriers in commhu-
In fact, a
message
is
s a m e way. It is caused by
receiver perceive
it in the communication.

sender and
the
involves inter- various verbal, non-verbal, listenina
business usually nication due to
C o m m u n i c a t i o n
in
communication
between
other factors; overcoming
these barriers ic
communication,
or some
entire communica
personal other business for making the
management
and staff as well as
highly important
tion process successful.

contacts. that encoded messages, under.

Proper planning, rightly
communication

different forms of
There are
inter conducive communication
verbal, non-verbal, cultures,
exist. These are known as standing other
media environment devoid of
environment, that is,
communication, an
intrapersonal, mass
personal,
and extrapersonal
communication.

fear and distrust, may help in overcoming these

communication,
network of
has a proper barriers.
Every organization due to
is established
communication, which
- WISEWELLQUIPS
Hmmm... They aren't
looking for much raise this
time...Fine... I'l give them

Do you know, we 7 per cent. They will be

are going to get Really? We.. Why? happy even with that
10 per cent raise that's fantastic!
Don't you know\
thisyear? Iwasn'texpecting it'sstill recession
even a 5 per cent/ (Yeah...Maybe! times..
raise.

EXERCISES
Objective Questions
I. State whether the following statements are true (T) or De
4. Good listening skills are inherent and cannot
false (F).
inculcated.
1. Effective communication leads to better work 5. To improve communication and to compete more
production.
2. When
effectively, many of today's companies encouray
verbal and non-verbal
messages clash, receiv teamwork and better interpersonal
ers tend to believe the
non-verbal
communicatio
3. messages. Business communication is both highly formal ano
External communication often
consists of email, unstructured.
memos, and voice
messages; internal communica- 7. Before the sender ne
tion consists of letters. completes his/her message, alk
listener thinks, '1 know what he/she is to
going la