Communication is defined as the process of meaningful interaction between two or more people with a view to arriving at a common meaning and understanding. There are different types of communication and these are used on different occasions. In this section on communication skills, Technofunc will provide you with the skills most needed in today’s dynamic and demanding workplace.
Communication can be achieved through the use of language, written or spoken, and gestures. Each of these modes of communication has its own advantages and disadvantages. Communication may involve repeated interactions or negotiations of meaning, with the interlocutor and receiver playing an active role in this process.
What is Communicate?
The dictionary definition is “to exchange (thoughts) or make known (information or feelings) by word, writing or other means, to convey”. We all communicate with others from birth. When we interact with others, we communicate with them. Communication is more than just messaging or exchanging information. It involves not just words, but the use of all of our senses. Together with face-to-face dialogue, our facial expression, our tone, our body language, our ability to listen patiently, all contribute to the transmission of messages and information between people. We now live in an age of communication characterized by speed, efficiency, and the ability to transcend physical or geographic boundaries. Being able to quickly share information between people means that a disaster in one part of the world can be dealt with in another; This led to the fall of corrupt governments as people were able to come together to challenge authoritarian regimes. People in remote areas fighting injustice have connected with people on the other side of the world who can support their cause. As with everything, new technologies such as email and text messaging have the potential to be good or bad.
Importance of Communication Skills
Employer surveys consistently show that communication skills are critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success. When making hiring decisions, employers often rank communication skills among the most in-demand skills. Most job postings specifically ask for excellent oral and written communication skills. When hiring senior executives, communication skills seem to be the most important factor in making hiring decisions.
Effective communication in business is as important as the blood flowing in the human body and hence managers try their best to overcome all communication barriers. Communication skills are very important as you need to demonstrate that you can add value to the business beyond your technical qualifications. Communication skills generally mean reading, listening, non-verbal, speaking and writing skills.
In this section, we will introduce you to some basic concepts in communication, its importance in business organizations, the different types of communication, the different modes to use, as well as their comparative advantages and disadvantages. We’ll also give you an overview of the strategies used for effective communication in face-to-face and other areas. Employer surveys consistently show that communication skills are critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success.
Communication skills must be learned
You weren’t born with the ability to read, listen, speak and write effectively. These skills must be learned. As humans, we have the ability to express ourselves and share our thoughts and feelings in many ways. We could live in isolation, never communicate with another person, but that would not create value. We can keep our feelings to ourselves or we can share them. Each person has their own unique view of things, and each point of view is valuable. By sharing these individual ideas or points of view with each other, global solutions can be found.
Good communication is learned and improved. “It starts with listening well and being prepared to recognize the ideas, ideals and ethics of others, while at the same time considering adapting one’s own to changing circumstances or because they have been shown to be unacceptable to others. Effective listening is more than just hearing the words of others. It is about concentrating all our energy on understanding and interpreting the message with the meaning intended by the sender. It is not at all necessary to use difficult words, phrases and terms to impress others. Rather, it is the clarity with which we express our ideas and simply the way we put forward our thoughts that is the essence of good communication.
Thrive in the demanding world of work depends on many factors, and one of the most important factors is the quality of your communication. Someone can share an idea that the other person might not even have considered.
The communication process
Changes in today’s work environments include more than innovative technologies, team management and different work environments. The United States is becoming more and more diverse. New electronic technologies are affecting the way workers communicate. In our always-connected and all-connected world, we exchange information and stay in touch using email, cell phones, text messaging, social media, computers, satellite communications, wireless networks and even by “tweeting”. Through teleconferencing and videoconferencing, we can arrange meetings with associates all over the world. The rapid development of social software such as blogs, wikis and peer-to-peer tools makes it easier for workers to communicate online and wirelessly almost instantly.
Communication is a central factor in the emerging knowledge economy and a major consideration for anyone entering today’s workforce, we need to take a closer look at the whole communication process. Communication, in simple terms, is the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another. The crucial element of this definition is meaning. The central objective of communication is the transmission of meaning. The communication process is successful only when the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it. Below are the elements of communication:
- Communication involves at least two people the sender and receiver
- The theme of the communication: the content of the message to be transmitted
- The channel which is the medium through which the message travels, e.g. letter, telephone, e-mail, etc.
- The code is the language of the message, for example English, French, Hindi, etc.
- The form of the message constituting the selection of particular grammatical and lexical choices of the message
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