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Communication

Among personal qualities posessed by college graduates the ability to communicate effectively was
ranked first by employers.
Efficient communication is ESSENTIAL to being successful in life.

The biggest source of interpersonal problems is poor communications.

The key to the communication process is to be UNDERSTOOD.


The aim of communication is the transference and understanding of information between
two or more people.

Communication must always be between two or more people, one the sender and the
other receiver. You participate in both roles and your role will change alternatively and
frequently in conversation.

A definition of communication
Communication is a process of transfer,exchange,sharing of ideas,thoughts,feelings etc in
such a way that the mental picture envisioned by the sender is the same as that perceived
by the receiver.

Communications Did you know?


People remember:

10 percent of what they read

20 percent of what they hear

30 percent of what they see

50 percent of what they see and hear

80 percent of what they say

90 percent of what they say and do

Communication Feedback
We may say that communication has occurred only when the message has been understood.

Understanding occurs in the mind of the receiver.

Feedback is critical to ensure that accurate understanding of the message has occurred.

Barriers to Communication

Psychological barriers
Physical barriers
Linguistic and semantic barriers
Organizational barriers
Psychological barriers

Differences in perceptions
Halo effect
Complexes
Emotional excesses
Allness and closemindedness
Abstracting
Slanting
Inattention
Premature evaluation/pre-conceived notions/inferences
Status
Resistance to change

Physical barriers

Age
Distance-visible and invisible
Time
Gender
Noise-technical/visual

Linguistic and semantic barriers

Lack of a common language


Semantics-related to words and their use
Poor vocabulary
Roundabout verbiage
Punctuation and grammar

Organizational barriers

Hierarchical barriers
Specialisation of the workforce
Wrong choice of the medium
Communication load

The Ten Commandments of Good Communication


Seek to clarify your ideas before communicating

Examine the true purpose of each communication

Consider the total physical and human setting

Consult with others in planning communications

Be mindful of the overtones as well as the basic content of your message

Take the opportunity to convey something of help or value to the receiver

Follow-up your communication

Communicate for tomorrow as well as today

Be sure your actions support your communications

The

Johari Window is a communication model that can be used to improve


understanding between individuals.
Developed

by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham (the word Johari comes from
Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham).
Two key ideas behind the tool:
Individuals

can build trust between themselves by disclosing information about

themselves.
They

can learn about themselves and come to terms with personal issues with the help of
feedback from others.

The four quadrants are:


Quadrant
What

1: Open Area

is known by the person about him/herself

and is also known by others.

Quadrant

2: Blind Area, or "Blind Spot"

What

is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others know. This can be simple
information, or can involve deep issues (for example, feelings of inadequacy, incompetence,
unworthiness, rejection) which are difficult for individuals to face directly, and yet can be seen by
others.
Quadrant
What

the person knows about him/herself that others do not.

Quadrant
What

others.

3: Hidden or Avoided Area

4: Unknown Area

is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown by

Key Points:
In

most cases, the aim in groups should be to develop the Open Area for every
person.
Working

in this area with others usually allows for enhanced individual and team
effectiveness and productivity. The Open Area is the space where good
communications and cooperation occur, free from confusion, conflict and
misunderstanding.
Self-disclosure

is the process by which people expand the Open Area vertically.


Feedback is the process by which people expand this area horizontally.
By

encouraging healthy self-disclosure and sensitive feedback, you can build a


stronger and more effective team.

Self-assessment tool
What are my message sending habits?
When sending messages to other people, I:
1.Use technical language or lingo for efficiency
2.make sure my messages are congruent with with my actions.
3Dont waste time providing background information and details.
4.Use personal pronouns such as I and my when expressing feelings.
5.Own up to my motives at the beginning of the conversation.
6.Avoid being warm and friendly so that people take me seriously.
7.Dont use multiple channels of communication to avoid confusion.
8.Ask the receivers to restate their understanding of the message.
9.Am honest despite how complicated or personal the situation.
10.Avoid looking dumb by pretending to know what I am talking about even if I dont.

Scoring

For statements 2,4,5,8 and 9 give yourselves 3 points for Usually, 2 points for
Sometimes and 1 point for rarely.
For statements 1,3,6,7 and 10, reverse the scale.
Sum up the total
26 or more very good
21-25-you can improve your message sending skills
20 or less-very significant need for improvement.

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