Managing Communication Communication Fundamentals Communication is the process of exchanging messages or information between two or more parties.

It is a way of reaching others by transmitting ideas, facts, thoughts, feelings and values. Its goal is to have the receiver understand the message as it was intended. Communication is the glue that enables people to work together to accomplish results. It is also subject to inevitable breakdowns, and these breakdowns can create chaos, hamper timelines, and generate ill will between people. Effective business communication is crucial for the success of individuals as well as organizations. Communication always involves at least two people- a sender and a receiver. One person alone cannot communicate. Communication is what the receiver understands, not what the sender says. Importance of communication Organization cannot exist without communication Employees cannot know what their co-workers are doing, management cannot receive information inputs, and supervisors and team leaders cannot give instructions. Coordination of work is impossible, and the organization and the organization will collapse if communication lacks Cooperation becomes impossible because people cannot communicate their needs and feelings to others. Every act of communication influences the organization in some way. Helps accomplish all the basic management functions planning, organizing, leading and controlling for the accomplishment of organizations goals and challenges. Encourage better performance and job satisfaction

Open-book management builds on the overall theme of open and transparent communications. It provide employees with the companys financial and other operating numbers, which enables them to independently track and understand the organizations performance. Two-way Communication Process the method by which a sender reaches a receiver with a message. 8 steps of communication process: Develop an idea develop an idea that the sender wishes to transmit. This is the key step, because unless there is a worthwhile message, all the other steps are somewhat useless. Encode encode the idea into suitable words, charts, or other symbols for transmission. At this point sender determines the method of transmission so that the words and symbols may be organized in suitable fashion for the type of transmission. Framing uses rich, colorful, carefully selected language to shape the perceptions of recipients. Transmit transmit the developed message by the method chosen, such as by memo, phone call, or personal visit. the sender also chooses a certain channel, such as bypassing or not bypassing the superintendent, and communicates with careful timing. Receive transmission allows another person to receive a message. In this step initiative transfers to the receiver, who tunes in to receive the message. If it is oral, the receiver needs to be a good listener, a skill that is discussed shortly.

Decode- decode the message so that it can be understood. The sender wants the receiver to understand the message exactly as it was sent. Accept once the message has been obtained and decoded, the person has the opportunity to accept or reject it. Use step 7 is to use the information, the receiver may discard it, perform the task as directed, store the information for the future, or do something else. Provide feedback when the receiver acknowledges the message and responds to the sender, feedback has occurred. Feedback completes the communication loop, because there is a message flow from the sender to the receiver and back to the sender.

Communication barriers 1. Personal barriers are communications interferences that arise from human emotions, values, and poor listening habits. They may also stem from differences in education, sex, race, socioeconomic status and other factors. Psychological distance a feeling of being emotionally separated 2. Physical barriers are communication interferences that occur in the environment in which the communication takes place. A typical physical barrier is a sudden distracting noise that temporarily drowns out a voice message. Semantic barriers arise from limitations in the symbols with which we communicate Semantic is the science of meaning, as contrasted with phonetics, the science of sounds. Impact of Barriers on the Communication Process Downward communication is the flow of information from higher to lower levels of authority. These approaches, while attention-getting, often fail to achieve employee understanding- one of the goals of effective communication. Four cornerstones that act as prerequisites for an effective approach: Develop positive communication attitude Continually work to get informed Consciously plan for communication Develop trust

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Communication overload- in which employees receive more communication inputs than they can process or more than they need. Upward communication flow of information from lower to higher levels of authority. It this fails, management loses touch with employee needs and lacks sufficient information to make sound decisions. Difficulties: Delay which is unnecessarily slow movement of information up to the highest levels.

Filtering this occurs because of the natural tendency for an employee to tell a superior only what the employee thinks the superior wants hear. Silence (organizational silence) this is the conscious or unconscious withholding of information about potential problems or issues on the part of employees. Need for response since employees initiate upward communication, they are now the senders, and they have strong expectations that feedback will occur. Distortion this is the willful modification of a message intended to achieve ones personal objectives.

Open- door policy- is a statement that encourages employees to come to their supervisor or higher management with any matter that concerns them.

Of Though most communication barriers require situation specific handling, a few basic methods for dealing with them are available. These methods such as know your subject, focus on the purpose, know your audience, and be organized.