Key Elements of Communication Essay

By Barbara Bulleit, international Knowledge Instructor Communication We communicate all the time, every(prenominal) day. nightimes were even advised of it We communicate through gesture, body language, seventh cranial nerve expressions, and tone of voice as rise as through the rowing we speak. These variables fuel be joined in a variety of ship canal in our intercourse. Add to this mix language cultural and social differences educational background physical proximity and individual fears, insecurities, strengths, and weaknesses.No wonder conference is complex There is a huge amount of information on colloquy and different methodologies for improvement. The following offers one perspective on parley. send-off of all, being palmy in business requires effective communication. This paper foc white plagues on effective business communication, although the information can be applied generally. To untangle the mix described above and to improve communication, we can focus on several key elementsPurpose Style ListeningPurpose In business, when we communicate we usually arrest a objective. abouttimes we expect non conceptualizeed that single-valued function sufficiently before beginning the dialogue, which can lead to admiration and mixed messages. So, first we must clarify our purpose. What do I expect as a result of this communication? What would be a roaring outcome? As an example, lets consider dialogue with an employee regarding a new subsidization. Initially, we whitethorn look at the duty assignment and consider that its successful completion is the purpose. But lets break this process encourage d possess pat(p) into smaller steps, with handing off the assignment being the first step. Our craved outcome FOR THE MEETING to hand off the assignment efficacy beEmployee adepty understands the assignment opposes to questions to ensure understanding Is able to extract assignment requirements Is aw are of consequences of completing or no t completing assignmentEmployee has an theme of how to proceed Articulates next steps Identifies problems, etc Or we and employee discuss together Employee knows resources usable Employee knows where to go for help We and employee agree on a follow-up locating check meetingIf we have been successful in this first communication regarding the assignment, we have already established a paradigm for communication during the assignment work, including follow-ups to check status, stumble corrections, and to compliment upon completion. Clarity in the initial communication makes a huge difference. And to back up one step, clarifying our purpose before starting the communication can separate effective communication from that which is unclear, does not have sufficient detail, leaves no room for questions or advice, or does not ensure the employee can gain access to sufficient resources. A clearly identified purpose can mean the difference between success or failure, and while thinking throu gh a purpose may run through time initially, we will eventually form a consistent habit of clarifying desired outcome which usually leads to give a representation results.Style Style has to do with who we are and how who we are affects our communication. We may have in dialogue with little knowledge of the impact of individual differences. both(prenominal) of us may have a higher awareness of sprint differences and still not use this awareness when communicating. Others of us become aware of sty reheelic differences only when having a problem communicating. Lets full point for a moment and further define port. Style is influenced by m either another(prenominal) factors, some of which were defined at the beginning of this article. A longer list might accept culture, upbringing, religion, gender, age, education, language, race, politics and this is not a total list. any(prenominal) of the influences of our early years are mitigated or enhanced during our egression and expe rience. In all, we become who we are, and who we are influences our communication. Lets stay at this level of detail and agree that generally at work we do not sit down and tick off this list every time we communicate with someone Then how do we overcome some of our differences in order to communicate effectively? We consider look tap and theirs. Some of us tend to be more(prenominal) direct and/or assertive, or even obstreperous. Some of us tend toward being verificatory and/or dormant. Here are some characteristics of to each one type.Direct and emphatic/Aggressive Take charge attitude may have aggressive tendencies May interrupt or tend to dominate the dialogue static and Indirect More primed(p) back tendency May hesitate, live to speak up, or have to be drawn out overlook of response does not necessarily Does not always let outk dialogue instead indicate agreement or approval has to tells a circle be probed Does not always see the other individuals Sometimes prefer s for others to make side may be perceived as closedecisions minded May assume that passivity indicates agreement Passive style may not indicate square(a) feelings and attitudesNon-verbal clues follow passive Non-verbal clues easier to remark since characteristics and require more careful they are more openly expressed attention Tends to decide or answer quickly May penury time rather than having to respond immediatelyThis simple table provides a general understanding of two basic styles. Its easy to see how communication may break down between these two types. approximately of us do not easily fall into these simple categories except may have characteristics of each, which may change or vary on different days. All of this carrys to the complexity of communications. Having some knowledge of a persons style can help us. To try to break down the complexity we can use the elements in the table to formulate implemental questions, such as the following.Generally, what is his att itude take charge or laid back? Does she comfortably engage in dialogue with others? Does he add comments and look at questions? Is it necessary to draw her out, to solicit her opinions? Does she learn to others or have a tendency to interrupt?We can see how to use this style information to gain a better understanding of the person with whom we need to communicate. For example, if sallying forths style is to be assertive or aggressive, she might have to work hard to hold back some of that take charge mentality and her tendency to speak up, dominate, and not read non-verbal clues. If Sallys style is passive and indirect she might have to make more hunting expedition to take upicipate in a discussion, to voice her opinions or misgivings, and to ask questions.Its easy to see how we can use this kindred information to gain more insight about our own style. afterward all, it takes at least two people to communicate and we are part of that formula. So we have to apply these questi ons to ourselves as well.Am I more aggressive or laid back? Do I ask questions of others? Is my tendency to accept in the moment then voice my opinions after? Do I consider other peoples opinions, do I ignore their input, or do I just read?Once weve determined our style and the style of the other person, we have to consider the dynamic of the two. Two aggressive people may have to each work harder at furnishing the other to talk and voice opinions. Two passive people may tend to come to conclusions too quickly, or may not uncover issues or differences. One of each will have to be very aware of the others differences and make the effort required to accommodate those differences. Taking the time to think about our own style, then to consider the style of the other person, generates huge returns in communication. These returns include change magnitude ability of the passive/indirect person to express Increased ability of the aggressive/direct person to listen Ability to allow and wor k out differences Realization that we each offer strengths as well as weaknesses Achieving more together than possible as individualsRecognizing style or personal characteristics is key to successful business communications. Listening Active audience takes energy its work. To restlessly listen to someone means the followingFocus eyes and mind on the person speaking portend perceive through eye clear up, note taking, and body language Respond capturely with comments, questions, or paraphrasingThe first step is the most difficult think solely on the person speaking versus thinking of what we want to articulate next, beginning to analyze, or even coming up with a ascendant We can minimize these tendencies by making good eye amour with the person speaking so that our focus is only on that person. inhibit the desire to analyze, problem solve, etc. means we have to WORK hard. It takes a strong effort to halt or slow down these urges. If we slangt stop them, then our focus is n ot on the person but is on our own words and thoughts, and we are not getting all of the information they are telling us. Short circuiting active listening means we short circuit them and ourselves.When this does happen and were aware of it, we can stop the person and ask him or her to repeat what they said. We might say, Would you delight repeat that so I will have a full understanding, to cover our embarrassment for not listening Making eye contact with a person may depend upon style or culture. Some cultures prefer not to have direct eye contact. Our style perspicacity will help us to determine whether or not that is true for the person with whom we are dealing. Our assessment will also help us to establish which other mechanisms to use to indicate we are truly focus on what the person is saying. Responding appropriately is a real indication of active listening. When we talk with teenagers we might ask them to repeat what we just said. If they repeat verbatim we know they he ard us and can parrot. If they paraphrase or condone what we said in their own words, we know they really listened and understood.The ability to paraphrase is a powerful tool to use with our fellow employees. If we have any doubt of their understanding, having them paraphrase is a good way to check it out. other appropriate response is to ask questions. If we are listening to the person, asking appropriate questions helps that person to know we are really listening. It works the other way as well. If an employee or colleague does not ask us questions or does not respond appropriately, we know we need to review again, repeat development different words, draw a diagram, or whatever else we need to do to help that person understand. Active listening is not something we need to do all the time in fact, we could not.Whats important is to determine when to use active listening. A good measurement is to say that we should actively listen anytime not listening could result in damaging or noisome consequences. Summary Behind our communication is a purpose. That purpose may be assigning a new task, asking an employee to solve a problem, or providing feedback on performance. Our next step is to understand style that of the employee and our own, which helps us to diversify our own style and better understand how to work with the employees style. As we talk with the employee we can use active listening to ensure that we are getting complete information and to ensure the employee is listening to us.