Communicationisanintegralinstinctofalllivingthings.Themostimportantbearingsofcommunicationarebestunderstoodwhenthereisalackofit.Thefollowingarticlediscusseshowimportantcommunicationisandwhyitplayssuchavitalroleinourdailylives.
Thereismoretocommunicationthanjusttalkandgesture.Listening,understandingandinterpretingareasmuchintegraltocommunicationaswords-verbal,writtenorgestured.Yes,evengesturesincommunicationplayacrucialroleinconveyingandinterpretingthemessage!Similarly,howwecommunicateorexpressourselvesgoesagreatwaytowardsdetermininghowourexpressionsareinterpreted.ToquoteKarlPopper,"Itisimpossibletospeakinsuchawaythatyoucannotbemisunderstood".Faultyorincompletecommunicationcancompletelymarthepurposeofcommunicatingandmayresultindamagingconsequences.Thisiswhereunderstandinghowimportantcommunicationisandcommunicatingtherightwaycomesintopicture.Noteveryoneisequallyendowedwiththeabilitytoeffectivelyexpresshimselfandthisiswherethesignificanceofcommunicationskillscanbetrulyfathomed.Communicatingtherightwayisequallyimportantineverywalkoflike,beitinpersonal,professionalorsociallife.Come,let'stakealookatsomemajorareaswhererightcommunicationoralackofitcanhaveseriousimplications.
TheCommunicationProcess
Thecommunicationprocessinvolvesasenderorcommunicationsource,thesubjectmatterofcommunication,expressionsusedforcommunicating(encoding),themediumofcommunication,receiver(s)ofthecommunicationandtheinterpretationthereof(decoding)andfeedback.Thiscanbediagrammaticallyrepresentedasfollows:-
Thelastpart,i.e.FEEDBACKiscrucialindeterminingwhetherthecommunicationhasbeenunderstoodbythereceiverinthesamelightasintendedbythesender.Letustryandunderstandtheimportanceofcommunicationindifferentwalksofourdailylives.
GravityofCommunicationinBusiness
Thesuccessofanybusinessliesasmuchinnetworkingandbuildingsoundprofessionalrelationshipsasitdoesinindividualtactandbusinessacumen.Communicationisacrucialdecisivefactorinbusinessrelations.Itisveryimportanttosaytherightthingsattherighttimeandattherightplacewhendealingwithpartners,customers,stakeholders,mediaand,sometimes,evencompetitors.Anymiscommunicationorambiguitycanpourpailsofcoldwateronyourhardworkandruinyourchancesofsurvivalintoday'scompetitivebusinessenvironment.Maintainingprofessionaletiquetteinoralandwrittenbusinesscommunicationisofutmostimportanceandmustnotbetakenlightly.Weshouldbegratefulthatwearelivinginaneraofenlightenmentwherewehaveaccesstotrainingonjustaboutanythingunderthesun!Nowadays,manycoursesareavailablethatprovidetrainingondevelopingbusinesscommunicationskillsandcorrespondenceandalotofeducationalinstitutesconductclassesonwaystoimprovecommunicationskills.Effectivecommunicationskillsinbusinessgoalongwayinsealingyourfinancialsuccess.
ImportanceofCommunicationintheWorkplace
Themostdifficultpartofrunninganorganizationismanagingthehumanresources.Thisisoneresourcewhichdoesn'tworkonanyprincipleofmanagement,economics,psychologyoranyothersocialscience!Thisisthemostrandomandvolatileresourcewhichmustbemanagedwithgreatdexteritytoreachdesiredorganizationalgoals.Communicationisthatlubricantwhichkeepsthisresourcemovingthroughouttheorganizationalmachinery.Thesalienceofcommunicationintheworkplaceismanifold,asitinvolvescommunicationalongvertical,horizontalandparallelorganizationallevelsandsuchcommunicationshouldalwaysfollowthehierarchyprescribedbytheorganization.AbreachofthehierarchicalchannelofcommunicationisknownasaGangPlankandshouldbeavoidedasmuchaspossible.Communicationintheworkplaceinvolvesinterpersonalcommunicationbetweencolleagues,superiorandsubordinateandviceversaandworkplacecommunicationskillscomehandyinsuchsituations.Aclearunderstandingofthepurposeofsuchcommunication,especiallyifitisofaverticalnature,alongwiththeexpectationsofthesenderandreceiverareextremelyimportantforthesmoothrunningofanorganization.
ImportanceofCommunicationinLeadership
Whatistheroleofaleader?Aleaderisexpectedtorepresenthis/herfollowersandmotivatethemtoreachheightsofsuccessthroughindividualandcollectiveeffort.Communicationisthebestequipmentaleadercanemploytoachievethisgoal.Evenidealsrestinguponstrongprinciplescanfallflatandfailtomotivateduetolackofeffectivecommunicationskills.Historyisgalorewithexamplesofmanynationalleaderswhohavemovedthemassesbytheirlife-changingspeechesandpowerfulwritings!AbrahamLincolnandMartinLutherKingJr.areprominentexamplesofoutstandingleadershipthrougheffectivecommunication.
SignificanceofCommunicationinRelationships
Idon'tthinkIneedtoelaboratemuchonthis,asweallhave,sometimeortheother,experiencedcertainroadblocksandvoidsinourrelationshipsowingtoalackofcommunication.Lackofcommunicationinrelationshipsresultinfrustrations,misunderstandings,unrealisticexpectations,guiltandcancreatepersonaldifferences.Itisdifficultforpeoplewhosharetheirliveswitheachothertocoexistforlongwithouthavingregularandsmoothcommunicationforoilingthemachineryoftherelationship.Relationshipcommunicationproblemscanonlybesolvedthroughactiveandeffectivecommunication.
Aslivingbeings,weneedtoexpressandunderstandtheexpressionsofothers.Likeitornot,thehumansocietythrivesoncommunication.Civilizationshaverisenandfallenbaseduponhowgoodtheywereatmaintainingsoundrelationswiththerestoftheworld.Communicationis,indeed,theverylubricantthatmakesthemachineryofhumanrelationsfunctionsmoothly.Therefore,thesignificanceofcommunicationcannotandshouldnotbeunderestimated.Sometimes,difficultsituationsinlifecanberesolvedbyjustsittingdownandtalkingitout!Similarly,mostpersonal,professionalandsocialdisasterscanbeavertedbymaintainingclear,appropriateandunambiguouscommunication.Allweneedissomeeffortonourparttoidentifyandavoidbarrierstoeffectivecommunicationtomakeourlivesandthelivesofthosearoundusbetter.
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