Communication in law - Essay Example

Communication in law Communication is the process of sharing emotions, ideas and thoughts and making them clear for others to understand. The process of communication entails a chain of events in which a recipient receives a message from a sender. The message can be in non verbal form or verbal form as long as it can be understood clearly by the receiver. The communication process has several stages: encoding, medium of transmission, decoding and feedback. The sender of the message selects a design, encodes it into the selected design, and then initiates a medium of transmission.

When the recipient gets the message, it is decoded and the feedback occurs. For communication to occur, the necessary contents include the recipient, the message and the sender of the message (Guffey, 2010). The message in a communication process can take several forms such as speech, gestures, pictures, drawings and writings. In order for proper communication to take place, it is important that the message is clearly understood. The recipient is the person who gets the message, interprets it and gives feedback if it is necessary.

The first step in the process of communication is encoding. This entails a situation whereby a particular message is transformed from an individual’s thought into another person’s mind for it to be understood. It is important for the sender to use symbols that are familiar to the receiver. After the message has been prepared for transmission, it will be sent. This is the part of communication process called the medium of transmission. The sender selects the best method for sending the message and transmits it to the recipient.

For example in an organization or a company, a written message may be in the form of an email that is typed and printed out for the recipients. Other common channels that can be used for transmission are reports, letters and telephones. Once the message has been transmitted, the next step in the communication process needs decoding. This occurs once the sender delivers the message to the recipient. The recipient will then examine and try to understand the message. The recipient begins to interpret the message and translating it in order to have a clear picture.

Successful communication takes place when the receiver correctly interprets the message. Ultimately, feedback is the last stage of the communication process where the recipient responds to the message, thereby indicating understanding. The decoder will respond in form of a written message, an uttered comment or even a smile. This stage is important because it allows the sender to assess the effectiveness of the message. At the feedback stage, when two people communicate, the receiver responds by giving it a reply.

This stage is important because the sender should know the reactions of the receiver. Feedback stage is very important in most organizations because a senior worker has to know subordinates responds to ways of achieving proposals and set objectives in the company (Jensen, 2007). In my organization, the communication is very effective. Several meetings and discussions are held at the organization to plan the future of the company. The manager ensures that all workers are progressing and how they feel about the general work situation.

The vital factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common understanding. Understanding exists when all parties involved in the communication have a mutual agreement regarding the context of the information. Effective communication is usually affected by some common errors because one of the participants failed to pay attention. For example, if a manager instructs an employee to have report completed by noon, but the employee hears two. This communication was ineffective. Some of the weaknesses of communication in my organization are the use of inappropriate medium.

For example when a manager plans for a meeting with the other colleagues who work in other branches, other workers fail to turn up claiming that they did not get the emails. This is sometimes caused by technical or internet problems. Another weakness experienced in the organization is incorrect grammar. Some messages sent within the organization are not clear. Moreover, noise is also a common weakness that affects communication in the organization. Our organization is situated near the road side.

Therefore, in most situations when meetings are held within the organization, noise from hooting cars distorts messages that are usually passed by other employees (Wenburg, 2003). Sometimes the distraction prevents the receivers from paying attention. Managers should first evaluate their intended audience to gauge the education level, the moods of the employees, the current situation in order to pass across a message. Managers in my organizations fail to evaluate their listeners and fellow employees.

For example, during meetings mangers tend to use very difficult words and terms to express their views. Sometimes a manager would appear very sloppy, use incorrect grammar or lack enthusiasm for the topic being discussed. Communication is very important in making an organization very successful. Managers should encourage communication strengths in the workplaces. References Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2010). Business communication: Process and product. Mason, OH: South-Western/Engage Learning.

Jensen, J. V. (2007). Ethical issues in the communication process. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Wenburg, J. R., & Wilmot, R. (2003). Personal communication process. Malabar, Fla: Krieger.