Giving the definition on communication - Essay Example

At the base of this entire debate lies one phenomenon common to all humans, and that is Communication. Communication may be defined in many ways; however, in simple words, communication is the exchange of information between two or more people. (The American Heritage College Dictionary, 2010). This information may be verbal (using words), non-verbal (using gestures, postures, expressions, etc.) or a combination of both, and may consist of facts, ideas, thoughts, feelings or any other information.

(Wood, 2009). For a communication to be effective, it is very necessary for it to follow all the steps of the communication process properly. Failing on any step may cause the communication to be misunderstood and hence the entire purpose would be lost. The process of communication consists of the following steps: Message: First and foremost step is to be clear of what message (thought, idea, or information) is to be communicated. (Adair, 2009). Receiver: The receiver of the message should be identified since the message would be encoded according to his intellectual capability.

Encoding: The message should be carefully put formulated using words, symbols, visuals, gestures, etc., which can be easily decoded by the receiver. (Beebe, et al, 2010). Medium: The medium of communication is extremely important and should be reliable enough to carry the message properly without distorting its actual meaning. Various media include face-to-face communication, written script, pictures and visuals, email, telephone, etc. (Roethlisberger, 1962). Decoding: when the receiver receives a message, he decodes it to interpret the meaning behind them.

The more nicely the message is encoded the easier it will be for the receiver to decode it and hence its effectiveness would be high. (Tannen, 1986). Feedback: This step does not exist in one-way communication; however, it is a very crucial step in making sure if the message is communicated correctly. The receiver sends his/her response or feedback regarding the particular message through which the sender can detect any misunderstandings and can gauge how effective was the communication. (Roethlisberger, 1962).

Communication can be classified in many ways. One way to categorize communication is on the basis of the way it is done. Hence, communication may be Oral (or Verbal), Non-Verbal, Visual or Written. (Beebe, et al, 2010). Oral communication mainly utilizes spoken language otherwise known as verbal cues but addition of non-verbal cues, visuals and written statements may assist in conveying the message more effectively. (Adair, 2009). Nonverbal communication is the most complicated type of communication.

It may be used alone or in combination with other types as well. It is highly influential and when used in combination with oral communication may enhance its meaning if used in the same context. (Burgoon, et al, 2009). However, if the non-verbal cues go against the literal meaning of the verbal cues, the power of non-verbal communication can easily sublime the impact of spoken words. For example, if a person says “I am going to kill you” with gritted teeth, stiff posture, raised eyebrows and a serious expression, he is most likely determined to kill the receiver of the message.

On the other hand, if a person utters the same