Communication Process- It shows that the senders a person,
department, or unit of an organization or system who originates the
message.
-A sender uses words and symbols to put forth infor-mation into a message
for the receiver, the individual(s) receiving themessage.
Feedback- is any information that individuals receive about their behavior.
- can be information related to the productivity of groups in an organization,
or the performance of a particular individual.
Feedback can take several forms, each with a different intent. provides us
with three different forms of feedback: descriptive, evaluative, and
prescriptive.
Descriptive feedback-Feedback that identifies or describes how a person
communicates.
For instance, Manager A asks Manager B to comment on her behavior at a
staff meeting. B indicates that A was specific, clear, and instructive on
introducing the staff to the computer database for managing patient
accounts. B provides a descriptive feedback of A’s behavior at the staff
meeting.
Descriptive- Clear /Vivid
Evaluative feedback-Feedback that provides an assessment of the person
who communicates. In the above case, if Manager B evaluates Manager
A’s behavior and concludes that she is instructive and helpful, and that
causes the staff to feel comfortable when going to A for help or asking
questions, then B has provided positive evaluative feedback of A’s
interaction with the staff.
Something that is evaluative is based on an assessment of the values,
qualities, and significance of a particular person or thing.
Prescriptive feedback-Feedback that provides advice about how one
should behave or communicate. For example, Manager A asks Manager B
how she could have made changes to better communicate her message to
her staff. B suggests for A to be friendlier and more cooperative by giving
the staff specific times that A is avail-able for help with the new computer
database. This type of advice is prescriptive feedback.
In addition to forms and intent, there are also four levels of feedback.
Feedback can focus on a group or an individual working with specific tasks
or procedures. It can also provide information about relationships within the
group or individual behavior within a group.
Task or procedural feedback-Feedback at this level involves issues of
effectiveness and appropriateness. Specific issues that relate to task
feedback include the quantity or quality of a group’s output. For instance,
are patients satisfied with the new outpatient clinic? Did the group complete
the project on time? Procedural refers to whether a correct procedure was
used appropriately at the time by the group.
Relational feedback-Feedback that provides information about
interpersonal dynamics within a group. This level of feedback emphasizes
how a group gets along while working together. It is effective when it is
combined with the descriptive and prescriptive forms of feedback.
Individual feedback- Feedback that focuses on a particular individual in a
group. For example, is an individual in the group knowledgeable? Does he
or she have the skills helpful to this group? What attitudes does he or she
have toward the group as they work together to accomplish their tasks? Is
the individual able to plan and organize within a schedule that contributes
to the group’s goal attainment?
Group feedback- Feedback that focuses on how well the group is per-
forming. Like the questions raised at the individual feedback level similar
questions are asked for the group. Do team members within the group
have adequate knowledge to complete a task? Have they developed a
communication network to facilitate their objectives?
Feedback should be used to help a group communicate more effectively by
making group members identify with the group and increase its efficacy.
Feedback should not be viewed as a negative process. Instead, it should
be used as a strategy to enhance goals, awareness, and learning. As a
managerial tool, feedback enables managers to anticipate and respond to
changes. Structured feedback enhances managerial planning and
controlling functions. Because of the value of feedback managers should
encourage feedback and evaluate it systematically.
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Another important component of the communication process is selecting
the appropriate communication channel. It is the means by which
messages are transmitted.
There are two types of channels: verbal and non-verbal.
Verbal communication-relies on spoken or written words to share in-
formation with others.
Computer-Aided Communication- Electronic mail has revolutionized the
way we communicate. E-mail al-lows messages to be rapidly created,
changed, saved, and sent to many people at the same time.
Nonverbal communication- is sharing information without using words to
encode messages.
4 types of Nin Verbal Communication
Proxemics is the study of an individual’s perception and use of space.
Kinesics-refers to body language, which is used to convey meanings and
messages.
-Pacing or drumming fingers are signs of nervousness. Wringing of the
hands and rubbing temples signal stress.
Facial and eye behavior-is another example of nonverbal communication.
For example, when a healthcare manager interviews a candidate for a
position as a clinical care coordinator, the manager attaches meanings to
frowns and eye contact.
Paralanguage -consists of voice quality, volume, speech rate, and pitch.
Rapid and loud speech may be taken as signs of anger or nervousness.
The communication process is impeded by negative nonverbal cues. For
example, arriving late for an interview with the vice president of finance,
talking very fast, avoiding eye contact, get-ting very close during a
conversation or in a seating arrangement for a committee meeting serve as
negative factors in the communication process.
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Environmental Barriers- Examples of environmental barriers include
competition for attention and time between senders and receivers. Multiple
and simultaneous demands cause messages to be incorrectly decoded.
The receiver hears the message, but does not understand it. Due to
inadequate attention paid to the message, the receiver is not really
“listening.”
Listening- is a process that integrates physical, emotional, and intellectual
inputs into the quest for meaning and understanding. Listening is effective
only when the receiver understands the sender’s messages as intended.
Personal barriers -arise due to an individual’s frame of reference or beliefs
and values. They are based on one’s socioeconomic background and prior
experiences and shape how messages are encoded and decoded. One
may also consciously or unconsciously engage in selective perception or
be influenced by fear or jealously.
