COMMUNICATION

Meaning

Communication is two-way traffic. It does not only mean the authority of communicating decisions or instructions to the subordinates

. The subordinates also have to communicate facts and information to the authority in the organisation.

Communication thus means inter-change of thoughts, partaking of ideas and a sense of participation and sharing.

In the words of Louis A. Allen, ‘communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another.

Types of Communication

i. Communication may be Internal, External and Interpersonal.

Internal communication deals with the relationship between the organisation and its employees

. External communication is concerned with the relations of the agency with the public and is called public relations.

Interpersonal communication means the relationships among the agency’s employees.

ii. Communication may be Upward, Downward and Across

Upward communication is attained by systematic, written and verbal reports of performance and progress, statistics and accounting reports concerning work, written and verbal request for guidance, suggestions and discussions.

iii. Formal and Informal Through formal communication,

decisions and instructions can be transmitted to those for when they are meant. Such formal communication is done through codes of conduct or manual of the organisation

. However formal channels of communication are not adequate enough to meet the need of human understanding of the problem involved.

Hence the need of informal communication arises. It supplements the formal system of communication. The interpersonal contacts and relationship constitute the media of informal communication.

Essentials of Communication (i) Inform yourself fully (ii) Establish a mutual trust in each other (iii) Find a common ground of experience (iv) Use mutually known words

(v) Have regard for context (vi) Secure and hold the receivers

attention (vii) Employ examples and visual aids.

(viii) Practice delaying reactions.

Barriers in Its Way

Complexity of Language :Communication suffers a setback due to

tyranny of words which at best constitute poor means for the expression of ideas. The Oxford Dictionary records an average of twenty-eight separate meanings for each of the 500 most used word in the English language.

Ideological Barriers Lack of common experience and common

background further adds to the problem and make the meetings of minds difficult, if not impossible.

(iii) Lack of Will Some administrators do not accept

administration as a co-operative endeavour or a group effort. They are not prepared to share their ideas with their subordinates.

(iv) Lack of Recognised Means: Lack of definite and recognised means of

communication constitute a great barrier. Formal channels are not adequate.

Size and Distance: The bigger an organisation and the larger

the number of its employees, the greater the difficulty of communication.

Too many hierarchical levels also pose a problem.

In the words of Pfiffner, “Information must percolate through levels, each of which may include empire builders who consciously modify or subvert higher authority.

ten commandants of good communication.

(i) Clarifying idea before communication,

(ii) Understanding physical and human environment of communication,

(iii) Purpose of communication.

(iv) Consulting others in planning communication,

(v) Value of communication to the receiver,

(vi) Follow-up action,

(vii) Importance of communication

(viii) Action congruent with communication, and

(ix) Good listening