Communication

The need to communicate is central to being human. From the moment a baby first
focuses her eyes on a human face, the importance of communication is established. Not all
communication is verbal. People communicate with their body language, their eye contact and
their gestures. A person who wishes to improve her communication skills should learn as much
about the subject as she can. The nature of communication is changing as technology pervades
all area of life. People can communicate a message in seconds to almost any corner of the world.
This does not, however change the essential nature of communication; sending a message from
one person to another.In other words, communication is simply the act of transferring
information from one place to another. There are various categories of communication and more
than one may occur at any time. The categories of communication are verbal and non verbal
communication.
Verbal communication skills are very important and must be honed, particularly in a job
in which employees deal with the public. Clear communication requires straightforward
language that is neither too flowery or too simple. It is essential to be able to use the spoken
word to get your point across simply. Higher levels of communication competencies deal with
persuasive speaking and these skills are necessary for management level employees and those in
marketing positions within a company. All employees can benefit from public speaking courses,
which help develop these key communication skills.
Nonverbal communication is much more difficult for many people. It consists of body
language and the cues that are given off while listening to someone else speak. Those in
customer service positions need to have a highly developed competency level in listening.
Nodding of the head, inclining towards the speaker and showing an open body (shoulders back,
arms uncrossed) let a speaker know that you are listening and hearing what they have to say.
Communication skills is the ability to convey information to another effectively and
efficiently. Business managers with good verbal, non verbal and written communication skills
help facilitate the sharing of information between people within a company for
its commercial benefit. Types of communications are intra-personal communication skills and
interpersonal communication skills. Intrapersonal communication skills implies individual
reflection, contemplation and meditation. One example of this is transcendental meditation.
According to the experts this type of communication encompasses communicating with the
divine and with spirits in the form of prayers and rites and rituals. Interpersonal communication
skills is direct, face-to-face communication that occurs between two persons. It is essentially a
dialogue or a conversation between two or more people.
The Communication Process

Communication is a process that you can learn to master and be more effective at
carrying out. Understanding the steps of the communication process is essential to becoming a
better communicator. There are five-step communication process which are the idea, conveying
the message, message reception, interpretation and lastly response and feedback.
The Idea
The very first step in the creation process is the creation of the message or idea that you
want to convey to your audience. Communication can occur on a number of different levels and
in a variety of different formats. Therefore, it is necessary to choose how the idea you are going
to convey will need to be communicated and to whom it will be communicated as well. The idea
or message must be appropriate for the type of audience and the size of the audience.
Conveying the Message
Once the idea has been created and the audience has been selected, then you must take
the next step in the communication process, which is to actually convey the message. The
message can be conveyed in a number of different ways: verbally, in written form or through
more subtle means such as hands-on training. It is essential to choose the proper medium through
which to transmit the message. You wouldn't want to deliver a romantic message to your
significant other through a text message or email. Selecting the right medium can affect how the
message is received.


Message Reception
Once the message has been transmitted to the chosen recipient and via the chosen
medium, the recipient then receives the message. The reception of the message is important in
the communication process because the recipient ultimately determines if part or all of the
message is received. Some people have selective hearing and may only hear part of what is said.
Others may hear or read and remember every word. The extent to which the message is received
plays an important role in the next part of the communication process.
Interpretation
The interpretation of the message follows its reception. Once the message is received, the
recipient then determines what it means to him. If he has only heard part of the message or has a
limited capacity for understanding the message, he may interpret it differently than it was
intended. Even if the message is heard in its entirety, it can be misconstrued.
Response and Feedback
The recipient of the original message interprets the information and then formulates an
appropriate response to the original message. The response depends largely upon the extent to
which the original message was heard or seen and whether or not it was properly interpreted. The
type of response ultimately depends upon how the recipient interprets the original information
and the type of response or information that the original person requests. This is where feedback
is also important. If the message is not heard or interpreted correctly, it is necessary for the
original sender of the message to provide additional feedback to the person receiving the
message. This can only be done once the original message has been interpreted. The original
sender of the message must determine whether the recipient properly interpreted the message and
provide additional feedback to ensure proper interpretation.




How to develop good communication skills ?
The ability to communicate effectively is important in relationships, education and work. Here
are some steps and tips to help you develop good communication skills.
Learn to Listen
Listening is not the same as hearing; learn to listen not only to the words being spoken
but how they are being spoken and the non-verbal messages sent with them. Use the techniques
of clarification and reflection to confirm what the other person has said and avoid any confusion.
Try not to think about what to say next whilst listening; instead clear your mind and focus on the
message being received. Your friends, colleagues and other acquaintances will appreciate good
listening skills.
Be Aware of Others' Emotions
Be sympathetic to other people's misfortunes and congratulate their positive landmarks.
To do this you need to be aware of what is going on in other peoples lives. Make and maintain
eye contact and use first names where appropriate. Do not be afraid to ask others for their
opinions as this will help to make them feel valued. Consider the emotional effect of what you
are saying and communicate within the norms of behaviour acceptable to the other person.
Empathise
Empathy is trying to see things from the point-of-view of others. When communicating
with others, try not to be judgemental or biased by preconceived ideas or beliefs - instead view
situations and responses from the other persons perspective. Stay in tune with your own
emotions to help enable you to understand the emotions of others. If appropriate, offer your
personal viewpoint clearly and honestly to avoid confusion. Bear in mind that some subjects
might be taboo or too emotionally stressful for others to discuss.
Encourage
Offer words and actions of encouragement, as well as praise, to others. Make other
people feel welcome, wanted, valued and appreciated in your communications. If you let others
know that they are valued, they are much more likely to give you their best. Try to ensure that
everyone involved in an interaction or communication is included through effective body
language and the use of open questions.
Stay Focused
Sometimes its tempting to bring up past seemingly related conflicts when dealing with
current ones. Unfortunately, this often clouds the issue and makes finding mutual understanding
and a solution to the current issue less likely, and makes the whole discussion more taxing and
even confusing. Try not to bring up past hurts or other topics. Stay focused on the present, your
feelings, understanding one another and finding a solution.
Listen Carefully
People often think theyre listening, but are really thinking about what theyre going to
say next when the other person stops talking. Truly effective communication goes both ways.
While it might be difficult, try really listening to what your partner is saying. Dont interrupt.
Dont get defensive. Just hear them and reflect back what theyre saying so they know youve
heard. Then youll understand them better and theyll be more willing to listen to you.
Try To See Their Point of View
In a conflict, most of us primarily want to feel heard and understood. We talk a lot about
our point of view to get the other person to see things our way. Ironically, if we all do this all the
time, theres little focus on the other persons point of view, and nobody feels understood. Try to
really see the other side, and then you can better explain yours. (If you don't 'get it', ask more
questions until you do.) Others will more likely be willing to listen if they feel heard.
Respond to Criticism with Empathy
When someone comes at you with criticism, its easy to feel that theyre wrong, and get
defensive. While criticism is hard to hear, and often exaggerated or colored by the other persons
emotions, its important to listen for the other persons pain and respond with empathy for their
feelings. Also, look for whats true in what theyre saying; that can be valuable information for
you.

Look for Compromise
Instead of trying to win the argument, look for solutions that meet everybodys needs.
Either through compromise, or a new solution that gives you both what you want most, this focus
is much more effective than one person getting what they want at the others expense. Healthy
communication involves finding a resolution that both sides can be happy with.
Take a Time-Out
Sometimes tempers get heated and its just too difficult to continue a discussion without
it becoming an argument or a fight. If you feel yourself or your partner starting to get too angry
to be constructive, or showing some destructive communication patterns, its okay to take a
break from the discussion until you both cool off. Sometimes good communication means
knowing when to take a break.
Dont Give Up
While taking a break from the discussion is sometimes a good idea, always come back to
it. If you both approach the situation with a constructive attitude, mutual respect, and a
willingness to see the others point of view or at least find a solution, you can make progress
toward the goal of a resolution to the conflict. Unless its time to give up on the relationship,
dont give up on communication.
Conclusion
Overall, effective communication skills are fundamental to success in many aspects of
life. Many jobs require strong communication skills and socially people with improved
communication skills usually have better interpersonal relationships. Effective communication is
a key interpersonal skill and by learning how we can improve our communication. Thus, it is
necessary for us to learn how to develop a good communication skill so that we can success in
our life.


REFERENCES
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/improving-communication.html#ixzz30LI5UOi5
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/improving-communication.html#ixzz30LGviEix
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/communication-skills.html#ixzz30FBHgLn6
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/what-is-communication.html#ixzz30FAr3Rcl