Archana Shrivastava
The major
objective of this
session is to
understand basic
processes and
concepts of
communication
and ways to
overcome
miscommunication.

Vice – President to Secretary –
“Please call an Urgent meeting of all managers”.

fixed meeting for the next morning


Secretary thought 
“Urgent” meant “Serious”
and
not “Immediate”

Receiver (Secretary) missed
“Purpose of communication”
VP did not clearly & precisely specify the time &
date of the meeting

Vinay Prasad – Assistant Engineer

Employer – NTPC, Delhi

Specialization – High Voltage Power Generation

Reads ad about international power conference
in Chennai

Keen to attend

Writes immediately to Chief Power Engineer -

An international conference on power
generation which would be of great interest to
us is being held in Chennai. The enclosed
brochure shows that the technical information
to be presented in the conference would be of
great help in our upcoming projects. The
registration fee is just Rs.5,000/- & the cost
of travel & stay about Rs.8,000/-. Hence, only
Rs.13,000/- will be required. I am informing
you about the conference now, so that you can
take a decision in time for me to make
necessary arrangements for train / flight
bookings and stay.
Vinay Prasad,
→ Thanks for informing me about the conference
in Chennai. I will certainly attend it. Please
make all the necessary arrangements for me as
suggested in your memo
→ Ashok Jha



Is communication simply the sending of a
message from the source to the receiver?
If not what is communication?
Establishing a common ground of
understanding which involves purpose,
interest, and efforts.


Business communication is specifically
concerned with well defined business
activities.
Main purpose of business communication is
to obtain some results, i.e. to secure an
action by the receiver.
Prof Albert Mehrabian established
the following statistics:



7% through words
38% through
paralinguistic
55% through facial
expressions



To inform
To persuade
To inform & persuade - involves both of the
above






This earliest concept involved following five
basic questions
Who?
Says what?
On which channel?
To whom?
With what effect?

o
o
o
Receiver receives message passively
Acts as directed by sender
Communication intended to control / manipulate
the receiver
Assumed that message passing through medium
chosen by sender receives message without
distortion or change

Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver produced
a general model of communication. It was
also known as basic human model of
communication.
Claude Shannon & Warren weaver’s
general model


C E Shannon & W Weaver – first pointed out
that in practice, messages can be changed or
blocked
Basic problem is –
message received

message sent
Though feed back was introduced, it was
considered another new act of communication







An encoder
A message
A channel
A decoder
A receiver
Feedback
Elements of Communication

o
o
o


Information source – source of message
communication begins.
Sender has raw information.
To be converted to a message to be
communicated
Encoding – message thought – put into words (
symbols …) Encoding
Channel – oral, written, electronic, coded,
signaling system -appropriate medium /
channel chosen


Decoding – receiver gets message by receiving, understanding and interpreting the
message
Acting – communication process ends with
receiver putting the interpreted message into
action – as intended by the sender and gives
feedback to sender



Thus Communication completes full circle.
Both sender and receiver become 2 aspects
of a single purpose
This unifying process & role of communication
has made modern management organisations
and systems consider communication as an
essential skill for successful managers




Process open to “noise”
Prevents / distorts
communication
Noise – distortion or
hindrance, preventing
transmission of message
from (mind of) sender to
(mind of) receiver
For some noise stands only
for external disturbances –
physical environment,
machine – telephone, poor
printout or bad handwriting

Mental in nature Caused by mindset
of sender and
receiver
 Include attitudes,
beliefs,
experiences,
consciousness of
personal status &
ability to think
clearly

Attitudes
Beliefs
Experiences
Personal
Status
 Misunderstanding
& other problems may arise
as sender’s message passes through the filters
of the receiver
 Receiver’s
filters comprise –
 the sender’s filters + low interest /
involvement + distraction / fatigue causing loss
of concentration
“Women without her men is nothing.”
Communication
No. of persons
Meta
Communication
Medium
Intrapersonal
Verbal
Interpersonal
Non Verbal
Group
Mass

talking to one self –
mentally or loudly soliloquies or asides
Monologue
INTERPERSONAL
• with others – 2 or
more people
 conversation,
dialogue, interview,
books, letters
Small
GROUPS
E. g. Class room
 all individuals retain
their individual
identity
Club members, Organization



MASS – large groups –
via newspaper, radio, TV
– faceless individual
Each person a faceless
individual – no
opportunity for personal
response or feedback
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Verbal – face to face
Written
Electronic
Visual
Audio
Group meetings
Notice boards
Text!
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Letters
Memo
Report
Notice board
Faxes
Telephone
E-mail
Face to face
Body language
Video/video conferencing
Internet



Transferring information from one part of
the business to another that leads to some
outcome, changed behaviour or changed
practice
Formal Communication – established and
agreed procedures
Informal Communication – channels not
formally recognised – ‘the grapevine’


the process of sharing official information
with others who need to know it,
according to the prescribed patterns depicted
in an organization chart

downward communication:

upward communication:
◦ instructions, directions, orders
◦ feedback
◦ data required to complete projects
◦ status reports
◦ suggestions for improvement, new ideas

horizontal communication:
◦ coordination of cooperation
Information
Vice
President
Manager
Vice
President
Manager
Manager
Efforts at coordination
© Copyright 2002 by Prentice Hall, Inc.
Manager
Instructions and directives
President

Deviation from the planned communication
structure
◦ Direction of the flow of information
◦ Leaving out people in the communication line
◦ Integrating people into the communication line
E
Y
E
D
C
B
D
C
Chain
F
B
Gossip
G
H
I
J
H
F
I
B
X
D
B
I
J
A
A
K
G
C
J
K
A
Probability
D
C
Cluster
F
A
1.
2.
A secret means of spreading or receiving
information
The informal transmission of (unofficial)
information, gossip or rumor from personto-person




oral  mostly undocumented
open to change
fast (hours instead of days)
crossing organizational boundaries





Less expensive then formal channels
Give some information that you may find
difficult to Less expensive then formal
channels
Give some information that you may find
difficult to collect through formal channels
Used voluntarily
Fastest means




Fast spread can cause damage to the
organization
If unverified may cause damage to the
organization
May lead to misunderstanding
May not be reliable



To be used as supplementary channel
Info. to be verified for facts and the source
Should not be ignored


All the communication that occurs in
conducting work within a business
It includes orders, assembling reports, as well
as oral exchanges among workers


The work related communicating that a
business does with people and groups
outside the business
Includes all business efforts as a direct
selling- brochures, telephone call backs,
follow ups,

Non business related exchanges of
information and feeling among people.

It affects employee attitudes

The middle ground is probably the best
2-Way Communication Process
2-way communication process
 More contemporary in nature
 Receiver also acts as the sender of
feedback to sender
 Both sender and receiver play reciprocal
and reversible roles – E.g. telemarketing,
call-centre communication.
 2 way concept considers communication to
be a reciprocal process and a mutual
exchange of messages
 No distinction between roles of sender and
receiver b’coz same person plays both
roles
2-way communication process





Intended and received meanings may have common
interpretations of -situations, ideas, schemes and
events etc.
2 way communication also known as “transactional
communication”
Communication is purposive in nature
It manipulates the target audience through
information and persuasion to bring about the
intended action.
Example – (next slide)
2-way communication process –
Communication source
Encoder
An organizations news bulletin
containing a policy to be circulated
among all employees
Editor / person who writes the policy
Message
The content (policy details) & the
words/pictures used to convey
the policy to the employees
Channel
The medium – the news bulletin
Decoder / Receiver
Feedback
The audience of the message – for
whom the policy
is intended & who read the bulletin
Impact / effectiveness of the
Communication achieving its objectives
1. Involves creative
effort
• Begins in the mind
2. Delay occurs - length
of delay varies
• Provides record -hence
effective for long
periods
3. Limited number of
cycles
1. Face – to – face /
phone
• More expressive
2. Cycles occur faster in
rapid succession
• No records can be
maintained unless
recorded in writing
3. Involves many cycles
At the Seasons Inn . . .
Bala is waiting in her supervisor’s office. She has come to talk with Manoj
about a problem concerning next week’s staff schedule. Just after Bala
arrives, Manoj receives a phone call. He has an angry exchange with the
caller, slams down the receiver, and storms out of the office, muttering to
Bala, “wait here!”
“What a rotten time to have to bring this up,” Bala sighs. “He’s in a lousy
mood.”
When Manoj returns, it’s clear he’s still angry. He throws his clipboard on
his desk and does not look at Bala, but asks rudely, “What do you want?”
As Manoj shuffles through some papers on his desk, Bala says, “Several
weeks ago, I asked for next Saturday off for my sister’s wedding, SIr. I just
looked at next week’s schedule and I’m working on Saturday.”
Manoj stops his paper search, glares at Bala, and shouts, “you said you
needed the third Saturday off, and I gave it to you. The third Saturday of
the month is the 20th”.
“I meant the third Saturday from when we were talking. I need the 13th off,”
Bala sighs. “This is terrible. Can we do something about it?”
Manoj leans back, covers his eyes with his hands, and replies sarcastically,
“No problem, Bala. I’ll be happy to rearrange the schedule to suit your
family’s needs.”
1. We communicate only when we want to communicate.
(true/false)
2. Words mean the same thing to both speaker and listener.
(true/false)
3. We communicate chiefly with words. (true/false)
4. We believe what a person says, not how he or she says it.
(true/false)
5. Communication is a one – way flow of information from
the speaker to the listener. (true/false)



Non-verbal behavior can have a profound
influence on the success of face-to-face
communication.
Non-verbal behavior is the term used to
embrace all aspects of interpersonal
communication except the words
themselves we use to communicate.
Even if we are not speaking, we are
communicating

Non-verbal communication has a strong cultural
aspect to it.

Certain bodily movements in particular area
unacceptable in various parts of the world.

For example, it is considered a gross insult to give
the thumbs up sign in South America, and in Arab
countries it is unacceptable to point the soles of
your feet in another person's direction.
Break up of Communication

The human face is extremely expressive

Facial expressions are universal.
 The way you move and carry yourself
communicates a wealth of information to the world.
This type of nonverbal communication includes
your posture, bearing, stance, and subtle
movements.



Gestures are woven into the fabric of our
daily lives.
We wave, point, beckon, and use our hands
when we’re arguing or speaking animatedly–
expressing ourselves.
Be careful to avoid misinterpretation.


The way you look at someone can
communicate many things, including interest,
affection, hostility, or attraction.
Eye contact is also important in maintaining
the flow of conversation and for gauging the
other person’s response.

Communicating through touch is another
important nonverbal behavior. There has
been a substantial amount of research on the
importance of touch in infancy and early
childhood


We communicate a great deal through touch.
Think about the messages given by the
following: a firm handshake, a timid tap on
the shoulder, a warm bear hug, a reassuring
pat on the back, a patronizing pat on the
head, or a controlling grip on your arm.
Every culture has rules about the
CORRECT use of space. The
"proxemic" rules are unwritten
and never taught-- but they are
very powerful and known to all
members of the culture.

Only 2% of the "invaded" people in proxemics
experiments ever say anything to those who
invade their personal space. The invasion is
stressful for the invaded, making an early
departure is almost certain.

Intimate: Physical Contact to 18 inches

Personal: 18 inches to 4 feet

Social: 4 to 12 feet

Public: 12 feet to as far as we can see or hear

Pitch Variation

Speed

pause

Volume Variation

Non-fluencies

Word Stress


Geographic clues are only ONE of many messages
contained in our voices.
Our vocal paralanguage consists of all cues other
than the text of the words we use.



Nonverbal messages communicate emotions
Nonverbal messages are seen as more
reliable
Because of nonverbal communication, you
cannot not communicate



Helps you ask the right questions or give the
correct responses.
The use of your own body language can
reinforce the message you want to convey
All good sales people know that customers
buy from individuals they like or identify with.

Nonverbal cues can be ambiguous

Nonverbal cues are continuous

Nonverbal cues are multi channel

Nonverbal cues are culture-bound


Observe and understand the non verbal
signals being sent your way on a moment –to
moment basis
Use eye contact
Stop what you were doing when your
listeners look glassy eyed or bored.



Use the tone of your voice the way the
musician use an instrument
Adopt the most appropriate posture that
suits the occasion



Express gratitude to your
audience when they are
being attentive and
responsive.
Soak in the pats and hugs
that others give you.
When you are confronting
some one who you are in
close relation with reach
out to take his hand in
yours.


Understand the cultural nuances of the
various forms of non verbal communication.
When there is a contradiction between the
verbal and non verbal messages of the
persons you are listening to try to assess the
situation with the help of non verbal cues.




Check context: Don't try to interpret cues isolated from other such
cues, from the verbal communication, or from the physical or
emotional context.
Look for clusters: This is the nonverbal context itself. See if a
resistance accompanies the arms being crossed to eye contact and a
flat tone of voice.
Consider past experience: We can more accurately interpret the
behavior of people we know. For e.g. Your mother may always hugs
when you come home from school, and so you learn that this
represent happiness in that particular situation.
Practice perception checking: Recognize that you are interpreting
observed behavior, not reading a mind, and check out your
observation.
Characteristics
of
Successful
Communication
Candidness
Courtesy
Correctness
7 C’s
of
Communi cation
Concreteness
Clarity
Completeness
Conciseness
 Honest,
sincere & guileless
 Speak & listen without prejudice or bias
 Fairness to self & others involved – guiding
principle e.g. ….honest opinion, frankly
speaking etc
 Candidness implies consideration of listener’s
interests and need to know things objectively
& fairly
 If receiver is to understand, communication
should be characterized by “you” attitude
 Also exhibits speaker’s self-confidence
Most important in all communications – especially
face-to-face
 Not easy to verbalize ideas accurately on the
spot during conversation, presentation or other
form of interaction
 To express clearly, use accurate and familiar
words with proper intonation, stresses & pauses
 Spoken language to consist of simple words &
short sentences
 Clear mind – talk clear & effectively
 In one to one communication, listener can obtain
immediate clarification in case of any doubt due
to lack of clarity

 Clarity




also ensured by completeness of message
Possible to miss out some parts of communication
while conversing or during oral presentation. Hence
necessary to be pre-planned and structured
The principle of completeness requires that whatever
is necessary is communicated, provide answers to all
possible questions add extra information etc.
Careful to answer all questions put to us e.g. in an
interview …else raise doubts regarding the matter
If no information or answer / unwilling to answer or
discuss any particular question – frankly express
inability to answer
In business and professional
communications, brevity with minimum
words is important
 Avoid being repetitive
 While speaking tendency to be more wordy
 Less words doesn’t mean making less sense
 Without sacrificing essential meaning,
achieve intensity and concentration &
brevity
 Use single words for wordy phrases

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
At this point of time
As regards the fact
that..
Because of the fact
that
Are in need of ….
In due course of time
Not very far from
here
2.
Now / at present
Considering..
3.
As / because
1.
4.
5.
6.
Need
Soon / shortly
Nearby / close by
Be specific / definite in describing
 Includes vivid description of event /
state
 Avoid vague words
 In oral communication – not possible
to draw figures, tables graphs etc.

Choose precise words, speak with proper
modulation and force to make sound reflect the
sense
 E.g. in oral communication – avoid passive voice
*
 Active voice verbs reflect force & action
 Sound more natural and direct.

Grammatical errors common in spoken
communication
 Speaker tends to forget the number and
person of the subject of the verb if sentence
is too long. Even sequence of tense is wrong
 Pronoun is incorrect especially in reported
speech

 He
said to me that I will surely go there
 He told me that he would surely go there
 Being
an experienced manager, we are sure you
can resolve the conflict
 As you are an experienced manager, we are
sure you can resolve the conflict
An effective speaker maintains proper decorum
whether at meetings, conversing, GD’s etc
 Courtesy demands not using words which are
insulting or hurtful to listener
 In biz discussions, listen patiently without
interrupting
 Wait for chance to speak when it’s your turn –
then speak with force and clarity

Tone should reflect respect for listener (s)
 Pitch should not sound as it is talking ‘at each
other’ but ‘to each other’
 Tone should not be aggressive
 Tone should be level and measured – make or
break a discussion

Universal elements
Of
Communication
The
Communication
Environment
Universal
Elements
The
mental
filter
Use
of
Symbols

All communicators act within the sensory
surroundings around them from which their
senses keep receiving competing stimuli
impinging upon the content of communication
Barriers to communication



o




Lack of planning
Vagueness about the “purpose” of
communication
Objectives to be achieved
Choice of wrong language, resulting in badly
encoded message
Unshared & unclarified assumptions
Different perception of reality
Wrong choice of the channel






Poor listener
Inattention
Mistrust
Lack of interest
Premature
evaluation
Semantic
Difficulties




Bias / Lack of trust
Different
perception of reality
Attitudinal clash
with sender
Not in a fit physical
state
Absence of a common frame of reference
 Affects smooth interpretation of thoughts,
feelings and attitudes from the sender to the
receiver in a specific social situation
 A well-defined social context in which
communication takes place enables both the
sender & receiver to perceive the content of
communication in a similar way with similar
implications and meaning.




Physical noise & other faults in surroundings
& instruments of transmission of message
relate mainly to the channel
They may not distort the overall meaning of
the total message to be communicated
Most listed barriers are easy to understand,
but some still need explanation ….
All communications are made under some
assumptions, which are never communicated
 They may turn out wrong & cause
communication failure
 E.g. we often assume that others –
 See the situation as we do
 Should feel about the situation as we do
 Think about the matter as we do
 Understand the message as we understand it

Perceptions are mental images of external
work stored in our brain – viewpoint,
experience, knowledge, feelings & emotions
 Perceptions constitute what we are
 How we think
 How we feel OR
 How we respond to something




These stored perceptions colour and modify
whatever our brain receives from any signs or
set of signs, fresh data, thoughts or messages.
These conditioning perceptions are called
“filters”
The mind ‘filters’ the message received from
the signs and gives it meaning according to
individual perception

Communication is to share information with others in an
intelligible, participative form through the medium of
words / body gestures / other symbolic signs

Role of receiver as important as that of sender
5 Receiver steps Receive
Understand
Accept
Use
Feedback

Communication incomplete & unsuccessful if not
observed
Communication is successful when –
 The message is “properly” understood
 The “purpose” of the sender is “fulfilled”
 The sender & receiver of the message remain
“linked” through feedback
