Communication is the act of transferring information from sender to recipient.
There are three categories of communication:
- Written communication e.g. reports, proposals, emails, texts, social media, website, books, magazines, brochures, the Internet, etc.
- Verbal communication e.g. face-to-face, via phone, voice conference applications, TV, audio and video recording, etc.
- Non-verbal communication e.g. body language, eye contact, gestures, tone of voice or speech, facial expressions, personal space, body movement, how we dress or stand, etc.
What makes communication fail?
There are many possible causes for failure in communication, including:
- Differences between the sender and the recipient of the message in:
- Languages,
- Cultural norms,
- Expectations,
- Perceptions and viewpoints,
- Interests.
- The audience's lack of attention, distractions, or feeling irrelevant or uncomfortable towards the message or topic
- Over-using jargon, complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms
- Difficulties in express emotions
- Lack of ability to understand and use non-verbal cues appropriately e.g. body language, eye contact, gestures, tone of voice or speech, facial expressions, body movement, etc.
- Challenges in using communication technology such as phone calls, text messages and other applications e.g. Zoom, Skype, Viber.
How can I become an effective communicator?
If you are the "sender" of the message, you should:
- Choose the appropriate communication type and channels, taking into consideration the intended message content, contexts, situations, locations, and the ability of your audience to use technology
- Know the intended recipient of your message so that you can appropriately overcome any differences (as above) to communicate effectively
- Think before you communicate about how your words are going to affect the person(s) you are communicating with and try to connect with their feelings to show that you genuinely care about the communication that is going on
- Use appropriate vocabulary and terminology to express your content
- Use positive non-verbal cues including body language, eye contact, gestures, tone of voice or speech, facial expressions, personal space, body movement, how we dress or stand, etc.
- Always try to stay on the topic to maintain the relevancy of the communication process
- Be confident and take ownership of what you are communicating
- Don't be defensive when receiving constructive feedback
If you are the "recipient" of the message, you should:
- Demonstrate that you are listening by using appropriate body language and facial expressions
- Let people complete the point they are making without interruption
- Make some reference (even if it is brief) to what they have said before you change the subject
- Look for the underlying message: What does the person really mean? What do they really want you to hear or to know?
- Check for meaning, ask questions to check you have understood correctly
- Clarify details, ask questions to clarify points and to show your interest.
- Leave silences to enable others to enter the dialogue or to work out their own position.
Remember that "practice makes perfect"; therefore, to improve your communication skills, you need to:
- improve your knowledge and vocabulary,
- learn about different cultural norms and expectations, and
- practise your non-verbal cues in front of the mirror.
