Unit -1

Unit -1 Basics of Communication

Objectives After completing this unit , you will be able to :

Comprehend the concept of communicationDiscuss the importance and objectives of communication Explain the process of communication Learn about the different types of communication Describe the 7 Cs of communication

Communication Communication refers to a process of exchanging facts, ideas, thoughts, beliefs or opinions between two or more individuals.

The process of communication includes encoding, channeling and imparting information by a sender to a receiver with the help of medium. The receiver receives, decodes, and understands the message and sends his/her feedback to the sender.

Importance of Communication Communication is the most important ingredient of any business. However small or big, a business bay be, its success depends on how effective its communication system is , whether it is within the organization or outside the organization.

Inaccurate or ineffective may lead to conflict within the organization and loss of goodwill outside it. Communication skills are prerequisite(require) to personal, academic and professional success.

Effective communication skills help young managers to kick start their career, in fact, according a study the basic skills required at the entry level of todays jobs are communication skills and this includes all aspects of communication that is , oral, written and the listening skills.

Evening for building good relations in any professions, you require good interpersonal skills for which in turn you require excellent communication skills.

3. For every profession , communication skills are important , as they help in smooth and effective working of an organization.

4. Good communication skills can enhance your career growth , personality and you have the confidence to influence and to motivate rather than just command and control.

5.Effective communication can help in achieving organizational success as well because the satisfaction level of the employees and hence the productivity level multiples.

Even an individuals own effectiveness increases by enhancing communication skills.

Thus it is in the interest of both an individual and an organization . It becomes very important for all to study Communication and understand and adopt the various techniques that can help to enhance tha productivity of all , thereby looking forward to success.

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Objectives

Objectives of Communication

1. To exchange information The most important and basic purpose of communication is exchange of information. In an organization, the management needs to keep its employees well informed about their role and responsibility in the organization and about the goals, policies and rules of the organization.

Well informed employees always perform better and the environment is also more conducive, hence the productivity is more.

Similarly , if an organization communicates effectively with its clients , the clients are more satisfied and organization improves its image in the market.

2. To provide advice and counseling It is the duty of managers or superiors to provide assistance to their subordinates in the task assigned to them. The advice and counseling may be either on official or on personal matters. This becomes important so as to improve the productivity of the subordinates and hence the organization.

The official advice may be related to a particular task or the goals, policies and rules of the organization.

The manager also needs to take that his team members are not under undue stress. Psychological counseling can help the de-stress a person and improve his performance.

3.To issue order and instructions The order and instructions are based on the authority of the superior and the subordinates are expected to follow them. These again may be given in a written form or orally as the need may be. But the important fact to remember here is that the orders and instructions always travel Downwards in the hierarchical pyramid or one-way flow only.

An important thing to remember is that the orders and instructions should be properly communicated in a clear language to avoid any miscommunication .

4.To impart education and training Communication is also used for the purpose of educating the masses about the product and services of the organization . Unless the consumers are made aware of the products and services, they will not use them.

The price, the quality , the used are some of the important factors that every consumer needs to be made aware of and this is done through advertisements in the newspaper, magazines etc .

5. To motivate Motivation activates a person and channelizes his entire energy and attitude towards the attainment of the desired goals . A good manager should know to motivate a team, so that he need not order them to work. Motivated people work harder and perform better.

To motivate subordinate, a manager needs effective communication skills or rather peoples skills as we call them. An organization can motivate their employees by providing them incentives . Monetary benefits are perhaps the most effective form of motivation. Other ways can be in the form of appreciation awards, even simple praise for outstanding efforts sometimes can increase the productivity of employees.

6. To raise MoraleHigh morale and efficient performance go hand in hand. An efficient system of communication helps to boost the morale of the employees. If there is a positive and conducive environment in the organization, the morale of the employees is high. The high morale leads the organization to its desired goals. Care needs to be taken that the polices of the organization do not reflect any negative attitude towards the employees.

Upward communication helps to release pent-up emotions and de-stress the employees. And in todays scenario this is very much required. A healthy environment, minus negative approach and minus rumours helps an organization to move ahead towards its desired goals.

7. To give suggestionGood ideas on a subject may come from all working in an organization. It is usually observed that suggestion boxes are maintained in the organizations, these days.

This is actually improving the upward communication and letting the employees know that their opinion also matters. Obviously, this leads to motivated and happy employees and hence the organization grows.

8. To persuadePersuasion means, to influence the beliefs and attitude of others. The success of any business depends on the art of selling of its services or products. And persuasion is an art which everyone needs to excel at. Good communication skills, both oral and written, are helpful in developing good persuasion skills.

9. To warmAlthough harsh, but warning is an objective of communication. It may involve warning subordinates on account of their misbehavior, negligence, defiance of rules, and lack of punctuality or any other action on the part of the employee which could harm the organization or its image in the business world.

Process of CommunicationThe communication process consists of six basic elements: encoding, message, decoding, receiver, and feedback. The process of communication is shown in Figure. Elements of Communication Process:-

Sender

Encoding

Message

FeedbackReceiverDecoding

Now, let us discuss the elements of communication ( as shown in figure) in brief:Sender: Refers to a party or agent who sends the intended message to another party or agent. Sender is also referred as a source in the process of communication.Encoding: Refers to a process that puts the thoughts in a framework of symbols or words.Message: Refers to the collection of symbols or words that together convey the intention of the sender. The message is sent by the sender to the receiver.Decoding: Refers to the process of deciphering the received message and understanding its intended meaning.Receiver: Refers to a party or agent who receives the sent message. The receiver is also called audience or destination. Feedback: Refers to the response of the receiver to the message of the sender. This part of the communication process establishes a two way communication between the receiver and the sender. It can be an acknowledgement of receiving the message or reply to the message.

Types of CommunicationIn an organization, communication can be categorized on the basis of channel used, direction of information flow, and the means used to communicate. Managers issue orders and instructions to employees to enable them to carry out their work effectively. This form of communication is formal. Sometimes, informal communication also takes place among the individuals in the organization due to superior to subordinate, subordinate to the superior, or between supervisors/ subordinates at the same level.Apart from this, an organization communicates

Types of Communication :-

On the Basis of Channel UsedOn the Basis of DirectionOn the Basis of Means UsedFormalInformalUpwardDownwardHorizontalDiagonalVerbal Non-verbalWritten Visual

Basis of Channels

Formal Communication: This type of communication occur in a formal pattern that is acceptable in a organization. It involves meetings, conferences, corporate letters and written memos within the organization. The formal communication can take place between two strangers at the time of first meeting. Thus, the formal communication follows a straightforward , rigid, precise and official approach.

Informal Communication: Includes a free and uninhibited communication between two agents, parities or people who share a rapport with each other. Such communication needs to two people who have same wavelengths or common interests. It involves communication between friends and family members. This type of communication is not based on any rigid rule or guideline and does not have any restriction of time or place. Online chats and long telephonic talks are the examples of informal communication.

Basis of Direction Upward Communication: It refers to the flow from the lower level to upper level of organizational hierarchy. For example , when an employee makes a request or communicative idea to the senior. Upward communication encourage the active participation of employees in the functions or their departments.

Downward Communication: it refers to the flow from upper level to lower level. For example, when a superior issued orders and instructions to subordinates . When a general manager passes orders to supervisors, the flow of communication is downward. It includes new policy through official statement, memos, reports, speeches, notices and meetings.

Horizontal Communication: it refers to the communication taking place among the members at the same level in the organization. For example, marketing manager may communicate the marketing plan to the production manager. The flow of communication between the individuals at the same positions.

Diagonal Communication : Refers to the communication that takes place between individuals in different departments and at the different levels of organizational hierarchy. Diagonal communication takes place under particular circumstances. For example, a diagonal communication takes place when a head of a department at on one branch of a bank communicates with a cashier of the other branch of the same bank.

Basis of Means Used Verbal Communication: It take place with the help of sounds, words and language. The various languages spoken throughout the world have been originated from a number of a sounds and gestures. It is an integral part of communication that involves people belonging to different cultures, ages and races. This communication involves the act of speaking , which is an effective way of communication. It is classified in types: interpersonal communication and public speaking.

Interpersonal communication takes place between two or more people generally at personal level.

Public speaking involves single speaker and many audience.

Cont.Non-verbal Communication: It refers to the kind of communication that involves various characteristics such as tone of the voice(inflections), smell, touch and body motion. It may have symbol and sign languages that do not require words to be conveyed . For example, finger on lips is a sign of telling the other person to be silent.

It involves also body posters and gestures. It is said that words may be false; however body language conveys a true message.

Cont.Written Communication: It involves the use of e-mails, articles, reports and memos. For business purpose , it can be used in many different languages depending on the location and language of an organization. Thus the written document needs to be edited a number of times before it is conveyed to the intended individual of the organization. It may also be used for the purpose of informal communication , for example, mobile Short Message Service (SMS).

Visual Communication: It involves the visual display of information , such as photos, formats, signs, codes, symbols and designs. For examples, television,DVDs, and other audiovisual aids of communication represent communication .

Grapevine

Grapevine Grapevine communication travels in every direction without any restrictions. Some have also named it a rumor mill. A message spreads like wildfire almost instantaneously as soon as it enters the grapevine.

The channel although unofficial, are created and controlled by the people themselves.

Factors leading to the grapevine There may be feeling of uncertainty among the employees when the organization is passing through a difficult phase.Sometimes lack of self-confidence in an employee is the cause of the grapevine. Sometimes sycophancy prevails in the organization and favored group is formed, giving others a feeling of insecurity that gives to their pent-up (enclosed) feelings through the grapevine.

Grapevine Chain Single strand chain is one in which A passes a piece of information to B who passes it to C and so on.

Gossip chain is formed when a person A seeks out everyone around him and passes the information to all.

Probability chain is random kind of chain , where information is conveyed according to the law of probability.

Cluster chain is formed when a person A tells a piece of information to a selection number of people who in turn pass it on to another group of selected people.

Advantages of the GrapevineSocial relations are built and the grapevine provides a high amount of psychological satisfaction to the employees. People come closer to each other and this builds organizational solidarity.

Speed at which the messages are transmitted in the grapevine is unbelievable .

Since all information cannot sent across by official channels hence the grapevine is used to supplement the official to transmit information.

Feedback also reaches the management very fast through the grapevine. This feedback can be useful to the organization.

Disadvantages of the GrapevineDistortion of the news is the major disadvantage of the grapevine; this channel of communication respects nobody and can destroy the image of even the noblest of the people.

Rumor is the untrue part of the grapevine . Personal motives are usually dominant in the spread of news through the grapevine.

Incomplete information is sometimes transmitted through the grapevine and thus a person cannot get a complete picture of any issue.

Lack of authenticity is there in the news travelling through the grapevine as it is spread by word of mouth, and there are no tangible facts to support the news.

Effective use of the GrapevineThe managers need to understand that the grapevine cannot be ignored and it will neither die nor wither and also that it can have damaging effects, therefore it is in the interest of the organization that the manager learns to use the grapevine effectively for the benefit of the organization.

Rumors should be contradicted promptly and not wait till the harm is done.

A manager should keep his ears and eyes open and try to spot the leaders and win their confidence.

The management should let the employees be a part of the decision making process as for as possible. This helps the employees to feel like being a part of a family.

Every manager needs to adopt an open door policy and maintain a healthy environment. A manager needs be a good emphatic listener so that the employee feels free to talk to him rather than indulge in rumor mongering.

Contd.The organization is the source of bread and butter for its employees and nobody would like to harm the source if respect and dignity of all is maintained. Harmful rumors would automatically come to an end, and fruitful a grapevine could be cultivated.

The manager should use the grapevine for feedback and even try to improve any short comings that may be there in him as well as the management.

Using the grapevine effectively can improve true productivity of the organization; therefore every manager should learn to do so.

7 Cs of CommunicationA communication can be called effective if the receiver understand the intended meaning conveyed by the sender. For a business communication to be effective, it should have seven qualities, seven Cs or principles of effective communications.

7 Cs of Communication

7 CsClarityCourtesyCompletenessConcretenessCorrectnessConsiderationConciseness

ClarityRequires that a simple language should be used in communication. Moreover, the communication should be clear enough, so that the receiver can easily understand the message of the sender. Conveying clear information enables the receiver to read the mind of the sender with an ease. One should keep in mind the following points to convey a clear message:

Objective of the message to be conveyedLength, simplicity, and relevancy of sentencesSuitable medium to convey the messageThe targeted receiver (top level, medium level, or lower level of the organizational hierarchy)Use of examples, illustrations, and visual aids

CompletenessImplies that communication should contain all the necessary information to get the desirable response from the sender. On the other hand, the sender should answer all the questions asked by the receiver and pay attention to all minute details. This leads to effective communication, which results in accomplishment of predefined goals. If the communication is not complete, it can result into misinterpretation of information by the sender or receiver. Following points should be taken into consideration, while checking for completeness of communication:

Answering all asked questionsConveying extra details when desirable; however, the details should be relevant Checking for five Ws, that are what, when, where, why, who

ConcisenessImplies that the message should be free from superfluous details, which helps in saving the time of both, the sender and receiver. Moreover, to make the communication effective, one should avoid wordy expressions and repetitions. However, making the message concise does not aim at losing the completeness of the message.

Consideration Consideration requires preparing the message keeping the recipient in mind. A sender, while sending the message should take into consideration the views, thoughts, background, mindset and education lavel of the receiver and vice versa. A considerate message should have the following features :

Laying focuses on you approach, that is keeping the receiver on senders place. Show interest in the sender while sending to him/her. This helps in receiving the positive response from the sender.

Correctness it implies that the message should state accurate facts and figures . Moreover, on e should use the right level of language , in addition, the message should be free form grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.

Concreteness It implies that the message should be specific and to the point . The details provided in the message should be definite and vivid. One should avoid using vague and obscure statements in the message.

Courtesy It is one of the most important element of an effective communication. One should use polite words in the message and should be appreciative, thoughtful and tactful, while receiving or sending a message.

Summary In this unit , you have learned the basic concepts of communication . Further, the unit has explored the importance and objectives of communication . It has also explained the process of communication. This unit has also outlined the different types of communication . In the end , the unit has detailed on the 7 Cs of communication

Thank You