Know Your Basics in Communication

(Part of this article was published in Toastmasters Area 52 Magazine issued in March 2009)

As Toastmasters we all strive to improve and maintain our communication and leadership skills at the highest possible level. In this article, I would like to refresh your knowledge about the communication process. Understanding the communication process, its objectives, and barriers to communication will help us to be effective communicators. This is exactly what we all are trying to achieve as Toastmasters.

What are the objectives of communication as a process? Let us review. In fact, there is only one objective in communication and that is to pass a signal or message to an individual or group of individuals that is understood and responded to the way desired by the communicator. Let us analyze the communication process further. The communication process has six stages and they are: i) Purpose, ii) Formation, iii) Transmission, iv) Reception, v) Perception, and vi) Action.

Purpose of communication can be varied. It is important for the communicator to determine the purpose of his or her communication in advance so that the communication can be tailored to suit the purpose. Some of the common purposes of communication are to: i) Inform, ii) Inspire, iii) Explain, iv) Instruct, v) Advise, vi) Persuade, vii) Sell, vii) Discuss, and viii) Question. Also, the communicator must ask and find answers to the following questions prior to proceeding with the formation of his or her message.

Who am I communicating with?
How do I want this person or these people to respond?
What do I want them to do on receiving my communication?
What do I want them to know on receiving my communication?

Knowledge of the answers to these questions will help the communicator in the formation of the communication or message.

Formation of the message involves the study of the following. First of all, the reason or the purpose of communication has to be identified. The communicator then needs to assess the capacity of the receiver(s) to receive his or her communication. This is also referred to as the communicator’s interpretation of the receiver’s “wave length”. It is also important to know at this stage the ways or modes of communications that the receiver can receive and interpret. These could be words, pictures, gestures, numbers, symbols, etc.

Transmission of the message is the next stage in the communication process. The most appropriate way to transmit the message should be selected depending on the circumstances under which the communication process takes place. Sometimes, the ideal choice may not be available due to technological, financial or other reasons. The selection of the method of transmission depends on many reasons. Some of them are: i) time, ii) distance, iii) impact the message needs to make, iv) purpose, v) circumstances, vi) means available, vii) technological, financial and social standing of the transmitter and the receiver.

Reception follows the transmission. Reception includes the actual receiving of the message, recognizing the message and its interpretation by the receiver. The message should reach the mind and senses of the receiver. Then the message should be recognized by the receiver and also the receiver should be capable of interpreting the message.

Action is the final stage of the communication process and is the ultimate objective of the whole effort. The receiver is expected to respond the way desired by the communicator. The response could be a simple and direct one or a complex one consisting of a series of actions. Success or failure of the communication process is reflected by the way the receiver responds.

Let us look at an example which identifies the stages of communication process explained above.

Consider a situation where a gunner is expected to fire a gun on hearing the word “fire” from someone nearby. Let us breakdown this scenario in to the various stages of the communication process. The following could be the different stages:

Purpose: To get the gunner to fire the gun.

Formation: The word ‘fire’

Transmission: The word ‘fire’ is shouted within the hearing of the gunner

Reception: The gunner hears the word ‘fire’

The gunner recognizes the word ‘fire’ and interprets it as the signal for ‘press firing mechanism’

Action: The gunner presses the firing mechanism (desired response)

As communicators, it is also important for us to know the ‘barriers’ to communication. The knowledge of these barriers will help the communicators minimize the deficiencies in their communication processes and make them more effective. Some of the common barriers to communication are: i) Language, ii) Vocabulary, iii) Attitude, iv) Personality and Character, v) Mood, vi) Knowledge of the subject, and vii) Communication needs.

Let me conclude this article with the following quotes from two well known American personalities:

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall” - Oliver Wendell Holmes (highly regarded American poet of the 19th century),

”You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere” - Lee Iacocca (famous American industrialist who revived the Chrysler brand in 1980’s).
Communication is our bread and butter. We better know about it well.



Submitted by:

Dr. Gamini Padmaperuma
Saudi Electricity Company, Dammam
(VP-Public Relations, Energy Toastmasters Club, Dammam)
Email:gapadmaperuma@se.com.sa (Tel. 8586964)