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Background reading by
Professor Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr.
NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is transfer of
information from the communicator to the recipient. It may be conscious or
unconscious. It may be verbal (oral or written) or non-verbal (body language
& appearance). Its basic elements are: the sender, the message, the medium,
the receiver, and feedback. Its functions are: informing, controlling,
expressing emotions, and motivating. Communication channels may be personal
static such as a letter, impersonal static such as flyers, direct interaction
such as face-to-face discussions, and indirect interaction such as a telephone
conversation. Any communication is not received as it is transmitted. It is
perceived instead. Perception is organizing and interpreting incoming
information. Perception is selective being influenced by environment,
background knowledge, and background attitudes. Thus the same information may
elicit different perceptions in different people.
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
A communication
process starts with conceptualization of the ideas to be communicated. The
ideas or messages are then encoded (put in a transmissible form). The message
is then transmitted and is received. The receiver decodes or interprets the
message before understanding it and taking action on it. The process is
completed by feedback from the recipient to the sender. Communication is a
circular process involving a feed-back loop. Every communicator must monitor
the feed-back to make sure that the communication process is effective.
LINGUISTIC
ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION
The terminology used restricts and determines the
limits of the thought process. The language used varies by intimacy,
professional circles, age group, and gender. It is a great mistake to
communicate with everybody in the same way forgetting their special background
and peculiarities. Communication must be precise to be useful. Precision
indicates that the mind is active and is dynamic and the communicator has clear
objectives.
MODES OF COMMUNICATION
Believable communication is emotionally honest, is
evidence-based, it concentrates on facts, and it avoids speculative talk. It is
focused and has an objective. Pleasant communication has more impact and used
good words, good disposition, friendly greetings, and a warm voice. A sense of
humor helps communication. You must however know where to draw the line. Too
much or inappropriate humor indicates lack of seriousness and is negative.
FACTORS OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION
Your communication style reflects your basic
personality. Be genuine and be yourself. A good word is charity. Use polite
words even with people who have done wrong to you. Always have a personal
touch. Monitoring feed-back is important because communication is a 2-way
process. Understanding the target of communication improves the communication
process. Background knowledge, attitudes, and environment affect the way the
recipient perceives and interprets information.
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS:
The following are common barriers
to effective communication: prejudgment before communication, differences
between communicators (self-image, status, roles, personality, cognitive
ability, physical situation, social status, culture, vocabulary, language),
distractions, emotional resistance to being on the receiving end, time
constraints, poor listening, poor speech, bad timing, and unsuitable
circumstances. Other causes of communication failure are: multiple meanings of
words, information overlord, verbosity, value judgment, and filtering.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Describe the subjective interpretation of symbols in communication
- What is the difference between conscious and unconscious communication
- Describe the importance of communication in medical practice
- Explain the purpose of selective communication
- How do questions help in communication
- Explain the irreversibility of communication and its implications
- What is information overload
- How does personality affect the effectiveness of communication
- Explain the degradation of information during transmission from person to person