Communication Skills-II

Last time we were discussing about the different noises and their affect on the communication process.

Perception:

Now here perception plays an important role. In the attitude building post we discussed what perception is. Perception is important because our responses are based upon our perceptions. When we are conversing with another person then the way in which we see the conversation is entirely dependent upon our perceptions.

Perceptions are like filters. The idea of a conversation is first filtered and then processed by our minds. If the data gets corrupted through the filters then the processing done is also corrupted. It is very important that before we communicate with a person the filters processing should be absolutely clear. Our responses are based upon our perceptions.

Now if the filters are not clear then there can be difference between encoding and decoding. This difference between encoding and decoding is called misunderstanding or communication gap.

Now a problem arises here. The problem is that we do not have any control over the perception of others. This can disrupt the process of communication and create a communication gap between the source and the sensor. So what should be done to avoid this communication gap?

Factor of Safety:

The answer to this is factor of safety. Factor of safety is the factor which if high, decreases the chances of creating a communication gap or misunderstanding. This factor can be increased by proper selection of words and symbols and to be careful on how to use them.

Another method is to make use of the proper grammar. Avoid the use of confusing words and styles. Just keep in mind the filters of others may not be as clear as yours or all the listeners may not have the same filters. So use of grammar should be correct.

Below are the 7 basic skills to improve your communication skills.

1.       Clarify your Objectives at the Start:

Before starting communication with others clarify the objectives of the communication. This is important because the listeners should know the objective of hearing and this also lays a foundation for the next skill.

2.       Structure Your Thinking:

This is an important skill. After clarifying your objective, take some time to make the sequence, the flow of your thoughts. This will help you in explaining your objective in a better way. When you are done with the sequence, convert your thoughts in an understandable way.

3.       Manage Your Time:

Select a proper time for your conversation. Don’t talk about serious things when the mood is not serious. This may mess up the objective you want to communicate. Another point about time is that manage your time during the conversation. Long conversations create boredom. Be comprehensive and short, this will keep the listeners attentive as well as save your time and the time of the listeners.

4.       Find Common Ground:

A very good way of presenting your idea to a listener is to first find common grounds. Start the conversation on these common grounds and then mould it into the idea that you need to present. Another point in this regard is that avoid going into other people’s territory unannounced. This irritates a lot of people and may spoil the process of communication.

5.       Move Beyond Arguments:

Stop arguing. This won’t help any of the communicators. Go for the solution. It will surely help both of the communicators.

6.       Summarize Frequently:

This is a very important part of the communication process. Summarizing again and again will help you determine whether the conversation is on track or not. If you are going astray from your objective, this technique will help you in coming back on track. If you are already on track you will be satisfied with the progress.

7.       Kinesics:

Last but not the least is the kinesics i.e. the body language you have. This is extremely important. Making use of body language increases the factor of safety thus decreasing the misinterpretation of the message you had sent.

These are few techniques to make you better in communication skills. Follow them and see a change in your personality. Waiting to hear your comments about the work being done.

Keep in touch for another skill.

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Communication Skills I

Today the skill that we are going to learn is Communication Skills. Let us ask a question first from ourselves, what do we mean by communication skills? The first answer that comes to our minds is the way of expressing your feelings or the way of saying what you want to say. Well this is the half definition.

Definition of Communication Skills:

The first thing that should be clear in our minds is that communication is a two way process. The definition presented above, only highlights the sending. So the complete definition of communication will be sending or receiving of information or message is called communication.

In the same way communication skills can be defined as, the skills with the help of which we can perform the process of communication in a perfect way are called communication skills.

Misconception:

Well there is a big misconception about the communication skills in many parts of the world. Communication skills are thought to be good if your English is good. Well that certainly is not the case. What if you land in Saudi Arabia and then speak good English? All goes waste because they can’t understand English and so communication skills are zero.

Ways to Communicate:

Communication is interaction with people in a better way. This interaction can be of three different types.

·         Writing

·         Oral

·         Kinesics (body language)

Parts of Communication:

Communication can be divided into 4 main parts.

·         Source

·         Sensor

·         Message/Information

·         Response

Attention:

When communicating it is better to make the person intended to receive the information or message attentive. The receiver on the other hand should know when to be attentive and what sensory organ should be made sharp.

We can give examples about attention.

·         If a teacher says in class to be attentive then the students should instantly sharpen their sense of hearing and seeing.

·         When asked about how the food tastes we should instantly sharpen our sense of taste.

·         If a person asks, ‘hey do you smell anything burning?’, then instantly our sense of smell should go up.

·         Similarly when asked about the hotness or coldness of a thing then our sense of touch should be attentive.

These examples clearly state that being attentive and making our senses attentive is one of the most important parts of communicating in a better way. A good communicator is a one who knows which sensory organ to sharpen and at which time.

Losses When Communicating:

Many problems arise when we communicate with other persons. These problems can totally change the shape of a communication e.g. if we are sending a circle then these problems may change the shape to be a square.

These problems are called losses. Losses can be of many types like noises, not being attentive etc. But the main reason for losses is the noises that are produced when communication process is in progress.

So now let’s talk about noises that occur during the communication process.

            External Noise:

These are the noises that can be heard by both the source and the receiver/sensor and which disrupts the communication between them.

Internal Noise:

Internal noise is the noise that is present at the receiver and which disturbs the interpretation of the communication at the receiver.

Well what can be done to avoid the wrong interpretation of the information/messages is very important. This thing will be discussed in the second part of this skill.

Stay connected to read the second part.

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