Communication Skills

Introduction
Communication is a key element in any human activity. Communication is a learned skill.
However, while most people are born with the physical ability to talk, not all can
communicate well unless they make special efforts to develop and refine this
communication skill. Very often, we take the ease with which we communicate with each
other for granted, so much so that we sometimes forget how complex the communication
process actually is. Communication takes place when we are supposedly at the same level
of understanding and comprehension as other interlocutors. Common forms of
communication include speaking, writing, gestures, touch, using pictures and
broadcasting. Communication is therefore not what I said whether verbally or non-verbally,
but what is understood.
What is communication?

Communication is a word derived from the Latin word communis or commūnicāre, which
means ̳to make common or to share ‘. Communication is the act of conveying intended
meaning to another person using mutually understood signs and language.
Communication is the art of transmitting information, ideas and attitudes from one person
to another.

Communication is the process of meaningful interaction among human beings. The basic
steps of communication are
the forming of communicative intent,
message composition,

message encoding,
and transmission of signal
reception of signal,
message decoding

and finally interpretation of the message by the recipient.

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another.
When you call or talk verbally to your friend, then you are said to be communicating with
your friend.

Characteristics of Communication
The characteristics of communication include:
1. Communication is a process: Communication is a 2 way process which I
involves; listening to others (Receiving) message Asserting/Expressing
(Sending).

2. Communication is a dynamic: it is ever changing depending on the

variables at play.
3. Communication is a complex a process.
4. Communication involves the sharing of information using a code.

5. Communication occurs between people and sometimes animals

6. Communication is irreversible: once one has communicated something it
cannot be recalled back.
7. Communication is a system

9. Communication must have the elements of communication: Source,

receiver, channel, message, noise, feedback.
10. Communication can be verbal/ nonverbal or visual.
11. Communication can be accidental especially in non-verbal

Functions of communication
Human beings communicate for various reasons. Here are some of the reasons
why we must communicate:
1. To change in behavior

2. To influence others
3. To express our thoughts and emotions through words & actions.
4. It is a tool for controlling and motivating people.
5. It is a social and emotional process.

6. Communication for improving self-confidence

7. Entertain
8. Educate
9. Establish relationships

10. Inform
11. Solve problems
12. Make orders
13. Give directions

Forms of Communicating
Verbal Communication
All forms of communication can be categorized as either verbal or nonverbal. Both verbal
and nonverbal communication can be subdivided into either vocal or non- vocal. Verbal
communication involves using speech to exchange information with others. We usually
communicate verbally in face-to-face conversations such as; meetings, interviews,
conferences, speeches, phone calls e.t.c. Much of the communication that takes place
between people is both verbal and non-verbal; that is, it is based on language and gestures.

Verbal communication of the vocal category includes spoken language,

while non-vocal verbal communication involves written communication as well as
communication that is transmitted through sign language, finger spelling, Braille, or other
similar alternatives to verbal language.

Paraverbal/paralinguistic/ paralanguage features

Paralinguistic or paralanguage features are the aspects of spoken communication that do
not involve words. They add emphasis or shades of meaning to what people say.
Paralinguistic features accompany verbal communication and are the vocal signals beyond
the basic verbal message. Paralinguistic elements in a person's speech, convey meaning
beyond the words and grammar used. Examples of paralinguistic features include pitch,
rate, quality of voice and amplitude. Other forms of paralanguage can also include
laughter or imitative speech. Prosody, which is the rhythm, pattern, stress, rate, volume,
inflection and intonation of a person's speech, is also a form of paralanguage.
People express meaning not just in what they say but in the way they say it. The
paralinguistic features employed by a speaker provide hint to the meaning, communicate
the speakers‘ attitudes and convey their emotion. Paralinguistic features also alert the
listener as to how to interpret the message. Many of these paralinguistic features are
culturally coded and inherent in verbal communication, often at a subconscious level.
Non-Verbal
Non-verbal communication is a type of communication that employs gestures and body
language. The term "body language" is sometimes used to denote non-verbal
communications. "Body Language" is the communication of personal feelings, emotions,
attitudes, and thoughts through body-movements such as gestures, postures, facial
expressions, touch, smell, walking styles and positions among Others. These movements
can be done either consciously or involuntarily; more often they h
̳ appen‘ subconsciously,
and are accompanied, or not accompanied, by words.
There are basically three elements in any face-to-face communication. These three
elements account differently for the meaning of the message:
Words account for 7%
Tone of voice accounts for 38% and
Body language accounts for 55% of the message.

Levels of communication
1. Intrapersonal (Within a person)

2. Interpersonal (Face to face)

3. Group communication
4. Mass communication
5. Inter country/ Development

Communication Barriers
1. Physiological Barriers

Physiological barriers may result from individuals' personal discomfort, caused, for example,
by ill health, poor eye sight, or hearing difficulties. These may also affect one‘s personality
in many different and mostly negative ways. This can best be handled by working on
developing a positive perception as certain physiological features contributing to barriers
may not be curable.

Physiological barriers to communication are basically related with the limitations of the
human body and the human mind (memory, attention, and perception).
2. Physical Barriers
Physical barriers include:

Office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people of different status Large working
areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from Others.

Distance

3.Information Overload
Nurses are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control the flow of the
information, else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked.
As a result, communication may get distorted.
4.Emotions
The emotional state of a person at a particular point of time affects his/her communication
with others as it has an impact on body language (nonverbal communication). If the
receiver feels that the sender is angry (emotional state), he/she can easily infer that the
information being obtained will be very terrible. Emotional state causes some physiological
changes in our body that may affect the pronunciation, pressure of the speech, and tone of
the voice of the sender as well as the perception, thinking process, and information
interpretation of the receiver during verbal communication.
5. Poor Retention
Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cannot always retain all the
facts/information about what is being told to him/her especially if he/she is not interested
or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown.
6.Psychological Barrier
Psychological factors such as misperception, filtering, distrust, unhappy emotions, and
people's state of mind can jeopardize the process of communication. We all tend to feel
happier and more receptive to information when the sun shines. Similarly, if someone has
personal problems such as worries and stress about a chronic illness, it may impinge his/her
communication with others.
7.Social Barriers
Social barriers to communication include the social psychological phenomenon of
conformity, a process in which the norms, values, and behaviors of an individual begin to
follow those of the wider group. Social factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status,
and marital status may act as a barrier to communication in certain situations.
8.Cultural Barriers

Culture shapes the way we think and behave. It can be seen as both shaping and being
shaped by our established patterns of communication. Cultural barrier to communication
often arises when individuals in one social group have developed different norms, values, or
behaviors to individuals associated with another group. Cultural difference leads to
difference in interest, knowledge, value, and tradition. Therefore, people of different
cultures will experience these culture factors as a barrier to communicate with each
other.
9. Linguistic Barriers
Individual linguistic ability may sometimes become a barrier to communication. The use of
difficult or inappropriate words in communication can prevent the people from
understanding the message.
Poorly explained or misunderstood messages can also result in confusion. The linguistic
differences between the people can also lead to communication breakdown. The same
word may mean differently to different individuals. For example, consider a word “face.”
He is facing a problem
What is the face value of this share bond? Your face is oval shape

“Face” means differently in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there

is wrong
perception of the meaning of the message by the receiver.
10. Past Experience

If someone has awful experiences in the past related to some particular situation, then
he/she will try to avoid communication in that situation. For example, a staff nurse who,
while providing detailed information regarding the patient care at the time of routine
clinical round to her boss, is always facing negative body language and discouraging words
from her boss will ultimately limit her communication to the boss at that time.
11. Organizational Barriers
Unclear planning, structure, information overload, timing, technology, and status difference
are the organizational factors that may act as barriers to communication.
12.Technological Failure

Message not delivered due to technical failure (e.g., receiver was not in mobile network
area and the sender has not activated delivery report in message setting).
13. Time Pressures
Often, in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the
failure of which may have adverse consequences for the employee. In a haste to meet
deadlines, usually an employee tries to shorten the formal channels of communication that
can lead to confusion and misunderstanding among the various levels of supervisors, hence
leading distorted communication.
Therefore, sufficient time should be given for effective communication.
14.complexity in Organizational Structure
The greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e., the more the number of managerial
levels), more are the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the
top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have a knowledge
about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas of the organization.

Elements and Process of Communication

Source
This is the originating point of any communication act. It is the source who gets the urge
that necessitates communication for the purpose of satisfying that urge.
The stronger the stimulus or the urge the greater is the need to communicate. The greater the need
to communicate, the more the need is for effectiveness. The source is also referred to as the sender,
or encoder.

Encoding is the process of putting ones thoughts into words.

Encoder is the person who translates his/her thoughts into meaningful words.

Receiver
The receiver means the party to whom the sender transmits the message. A receiver can be
one person or an entire audience of people. A receiver is the eventual recipient of the
message. The receiver is also the decoder of the message. Decoding of a message is as
integral to communication as encoding it. Decoding is the process of giving meaning to the
encoded message. It can also be referred to as extracting the embedded meaning or
interpreting what was encoded by the sender. The ability of the receiver in decoding the
message correctly is decisive in understanding the message in its holistic sense.

Noise/ Barriers
Anything that is competing the source‘s and the receivers‘ attention is called noise. Barriers
to communication are the factors that contribute towards the total or partial loss or failure
of the communication. In simple terms they can be referred to as those features that act as
blocks to the desired outcome of any communication process. They are many and very
multidimensional in nature. Noise can be internal or external.
a) Internal: Noise that is coming from within the interlocutors such as
a headache, anger, stress, e.t.c

b) External noise: Noise from the environment such as; cars passing,
children shouting, siren from an ambulance e.t.c.
Message
The message is the most crucial element of effective communication. A
message can come in many different forms, such as an oral presentation, a

written document, an advertisement or just a comment. The message is not

necessarily what the sender intends it to be. Rather, the message is what the
receiver perceives the message to be. As a result, the sender must not only
compose the message carefully, but also evaluate the ways in which the message can be
interpreted.
Channel

The message travels from one point to another via a channel of communication.
The channel sits between the sender and receiver. There are many channels, or
types, of communication channels for example, from the spoken word to radio, television,
an Internet site or something written, like a book, letter or magazine.

Every channel of communication has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, one
disadvantage of the written word, on a computer screen or in a book, is that the receiver
cannot evaluate the tone of the message. For this reason, effective communicators word
written communications clearly so they don't rely on a specific tone of voice to convey the
message accurately. The advantages of television as a channel for communication include
its expansive reach to a wide audience and the sender's ability to further manipulate the
message using editing and special effects.
Feedback
The last element of effective communication is feedback. This is the response from the
receiver and later the source. Feedback is the receiver's response or reaction to the
sender's message. The receiver can transmit feedback through asking questions, making
comments or just supporting the message that was delivered. Feedback helps the sender to
determine how the receiver interpreted the message and how it can be improved. Without
feedback the communication process breaks down. The feedback given determines the
direction the communication process will take.
A communication process that employs all the elements works as follows:
The source has an urge–a need that requires being satisfied encodes the message in verbal
and/or non-verbal language that is considered to best communicate the message according
to the intent.
In order to make that happen, it has to be in a form and format that conveys the intent in
the best possible manner.
This message is encapsulated in the linguistic conventions such as symbols i.e., words
besides signs that can be referred to as non-verbal language.
The message will go through a channel, a means of communication such as e-mail, face-to-
face or phone conversation, letter, presentation etc.
The receiver will then decode the message using conventions, cultural or contextual
background, and language skills.
The message that is received or interpreted might or might not be the same as the sent one
and may not necessarily meet the intent of the messenger.
 7 Cs of Communication
The 7 Cs of Communication
The 7 Cs provide a checklist for making sure that your meetings, emails,

conference calls, reports, and presentations are well constructed and clear so your
audience gets your message. According to the 7Cs, communication needs to be:

Clear.

Concise.
Concrete.
Correct.
Coherent.
Complete.
Courteous.

1 Clear
When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is

your purpose in communicating with this person? If you‘re not sure, then your
audience won‘t be sure either. To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in
each sentence. Make sure that it‘s easy for your reader to understand your
meaning. People shouldn‘t have to ―read between the lines‖ and make assumptions

on their own to understand what you‘re trying to say.

2. Concise
When you are concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief. Your
audience doesn‘t want to read six sentences when you could communicate your message in
three.
3. Concrete
When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of
what you‘re telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts.

Your message is solid.

Look at these two examples:
For Example:
a) The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.

b) How much time do you spend every day packing your kids‘ lunches? No more! Just take a
complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to give your kids a healthy lunch
AND have more time to play or read with
them!
4.Correct

When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct

communication is also error free communication.
5.Coherent
When your communication is coherent, it‘s logical. All points are connected and

relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.
6.Complete
In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if
applicable, take action. Does your message include a ―call to action‖, so that your audience
clearly knows what you want them to do? Have you included all relevant information –
contact names, dates, times, locations, and so on?
7.Courteous/consideration
Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest and does not illicit

emotions. There are no hidden insults or passive aggressive tones. You keep your reader‘s
viewpoint in mind, and you‘re empathetic to their needs. You must always put yourself in
the shoes of the person you are talking to and ask yourself how you would feel if you were
to be addressed the way you are addressing your receiver.
Consideration in communication creates a healthy work environment.