Solutions to Flawless Communication - Scholarship Essay Example

Solutions to Flawless Communication (Article Critique) al Affiliation) INTRODUCTION Perfect communication is the centre of human interaction. The English language has more than a million words, but human beings still find it difficult to put their points across in a clear and concise manner (Rarig 2010). Effective communication would mitigate misunderstandings, arguments, and strained relationships. Factors that restrict individuals from speaking the content as perceived by the brain include; insecurities, emotions, and mental filters. These restrictions are self-imposed and result in a loss of words or a wrong choice of words altogether. People encounter communication problems as they find it difficult confessing their innermost feelings with no bounds (Mortensen 2008). Dr. Carmen Harra, through years of research, argued that; people love to speak opinions, and intentions, but they convey their statements and the general quality of their statements in a disorganized manner. Different people require different forms of communication; that is, it all depends on a particular context. This article describes an individual who masters the different communication settings as a, ‘verbal chameleon.’ This attribute results in truly effective speech. There are seven universal solutions to flawless communication that apply to all communication settings. For effective communication, individuals should; listen before speaking, watch their body language (it should be relaxed for effective deliverance of the intended message), write down their thoughts before putting their points across, get a clear perception of the audience, offer solutions, speak with conviction, and speak with a loving tone (it has proved to be a cure for almost everything) (Mortensen 2008). This article adds on to prior knowledge on how to communicate effectively by basing its ideas from journals such as; communication research, journal of communication, communication monographs, communication theory, and human communication research. All these are scholarly articles, and provide the fundamental knowledge on good communication practices. DISCUSSION Research conducted indicated that; there exists a loophole responsible for hindering effective communication. From Wilbur Schramn’s theory of communication, communication is something that people do in their everyday lives. A message has no meaning until people put one into it. The theory states that; to understand human communication process, one must understand how people relate to each other. The main hypothesis in this research is; what are the main categories of relationships that affect communication, considering the golden rules for effective communication? This research was general, and aimed sensitizing the importance of knowing the relationships that exist between two communicating parties. There are six categories that require different communication styles in the everyday interactions for individuals to enjoy impeccable communication (Mortensen 2008). Communicating with a person of higher ranking at the workplace- the key to effective communication in this category is confidence; particularly in the way that words are put across. Individuals should portray a great opinion, and display high self-esteem of themselves so as to convince such a person that they are right for the job. Perception is improved when one communicates correctly with a superior. By having the right mind frame and understanding what is required, individuals can mold themselves to just that. Communicating with a relative- this is the most essential category of communication, but people abuse it by thinking of it as too casual. Every family has its own dynamics, and individuals should use to their advantage the unique connection of their family. The determinant to effective communication in a family setting is tolerance and gentle aid. Communicating with a friend- communication is quite mysterious in friendships due to the high level of ego on both sides. In resolving a conflict, friends should make evident their true intentions and lessen their egos, so as to reach a resolution. Friends should be supportive and willing to discuss in a selfless and dependable manner. Communicating with one’s self- individuals begin to search for themselves from birth. In the endless quest of “knowing themselves,” they discover endless angles to the continual process of evolution. This calls for a gradual revision of perceived self-notions. Individual abilities are awakened when humans step into the light of their authentic selves. The voice of communication in this category is continued self-discovery and acknowledgement of individual potentials. Communicating with a partner- this category is where verbal challenge is experienced the most. Partners are a reflection of everything that individuals need to work on, to improve personality. Here, communication is profound and driven by emotions. Handling a partner requires patience, and vulnerability is tested by the presence or absence of these virtues. Individuals are required to be very sensitive, and master the basic words, which are, ‘unconditional love,’ when conversing with a partner. The voice of communication in this setting is empathy and compromise. Communicating with the universe- According to human beliefs, there exist universal forces that govern the world and guide us through life. Individuals should establish a two-way communication with the universe through prayer, affirmations, and meditation. Accepting divine intervention is the foundation of wisdom (Rarig 2010). The voice of communication in this category is continued faith and clear intentions. The article sets the seven rules of communication, in which skipping one of the rules can have adverse effects on information delivery. According to the communication theory, facilitators blame the audience for not accepting the message. The problem might be more than just the audience. The mode of communication may fail to apply the general communication formulae as set out in the article. If the audience fails to give feedback to the facilitator of a message, it is evident that the audience did not understand the message. For effective communication, the facilitator ought to design and deliver the message in a way that would grab the attention of the intended audience. This journal explains that the most important aspect of communication is relating to common experiences between the source and destination. The facilitator should offer ways to meet personality needs appropriate to the needs of the audience present. This scholarly piece continues to encourage on the importance of understanding different communication categories by indicating that human communication is only made possible when individuals understand how they relate to each other; at the work place, personal relations, and relations with the society. Communication research is an article published to explore the process, antecedents and consequences of communication. It recognizes that the communication process is universal, continual and is practiced by all individuals for effective communication. This research recognizes the value of appreciating the six categories of communication highlighting on how to handle communication at different levels according to the relationship between communicating parties. The relationship may either be by age, race, social status; et al. Communication research concludes that wisdom is a basic determinant and a virtue for effective communication. With wisdom comes patience, and with patience all communication barriers are eliminated. The research, which was aimed at backing popular advice on flawless communication, outlines good practices that can be employed in; maximizing the exposure of messages, establishing target audiences, defining key messages, building good relationships, evaluating results, and selecting the appropriate modes of communication (Mortensen 2008). The popular advice on communication practices had to be carried out to establish what communication means, and how much it matters in developing relationships. The popular advice on the golden rules of flawless communication can be matched with the research so to enhance wise application of judgment when passing information to different audiences. The popular advice can be improved by integrating verbal and non-verbal communication. Research indicates that communication does not have to be verbal. For example, an organization can renovate its buildings to create conducive working environment (Sheehan 2011). This is non-verbal communication to the employees of the organization, from the management, to enhance productivity (Kelnar 2007). This popular advice does not incorporate steps for effective non-verbal communication. It only focuses on verbal communication and neglects the other. It can be termed as discriminatory and future research should focus on integrating the two aspects of communication into one. CONCLUSION The world would not be a better place without communication. All animals communicate on different levels, but the human being communication is more complex. The popular advice and research conducted try to solve the mystery that exists in efforts to have flawless communication. Communication is an existence tool that is often taken for granted. It is not merely the words that are uttered by every human being that constitute communication. It has to make sense so as to pass a message across. In order to pass a message across, wisdom assist individuals to understand the category that describes them and the audience. After the category has been established, the steps for effective communication are then applied. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the general rules for effective communication are applied so as to eliminate the problem of information asymmetry. References Mortensen, C. D. (2008). Communication theory (2nd ed.). New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. Kelnar, J. (2007). Treatment of Inter-Personal Relations in Groups. Journal of Social Issues, 3(2), 29-34. Rarig, F. M. (2010). Our speech and our inter‐personal relations. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 34(4), 439-444. Sheehan, R. (2011). Actor-network theory as a reflexive tool: Iinter-personal relations and relationships in the research process. 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