Course Name: Business Communication

Skills
Module 6: Process of Communication

1 .Introduction.
The Communication is a two-way process wherein the message in the form of
ideas, thoughts, feelings, opinions is transmitted between two or more persons with
the intent of creating a shared understanding.

Simply, an act of conveying intended information and understanding from one

person to another is called as communication. The term communication is derived
from the Latin word “Communis” which means to share. Effective
communication is when the message conveyed by the sender is understood by the
receiver in exactly the same way as it was intended.

Communication Process

The communication is a dynamic process that begins with the conceptualizing of

ideas by the sender who then transmits the message through a channel to the
receiver, who in turn gives the feedback in the form of some message or signal
within the given time frame.
 2 .Process of Communication.
There are Seven major elements of communication process:

1. Sender: The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the
conversation and has conceptualized the idea that he intends to convey it to others.
2. Encoding: The sender begins with the encoding process wherein he uses certain
words or non-verbal methods such as symbols, signs, body gestures, etc. to
translate the information into a message. The sender’s knowledge, skills,
perception, background, competencies, etc. has a great impact on the success of the
message.
3. Message: Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the message that he
intends to convey. The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such
as body gestures, silence, sighs, sounds, etc. or any other signal that triggers the
response of a receiver.
4. Communication Channel: The Sender chooses the medium through which he
wants to convey his message to the recipient. It must be selected carefully in order
to make the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. The
choice of medium depends on the interpersonal relationships between the sender
 and the receiver and also on the urgency of the message being sent.
Oral, virtual, written, sound, gesture, etc. are some of the commonly used
communication mediums.
5. Receiver: The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended or targeted.
He tries to comprehend it in the best possible manner such that the communication
objective is attained. The degree to which the receiver decodes the message
depends on his knowledge of the subject matter, experience, trust and relationship
with the sender.
6. Decoding: Here, the receiver interprets the sender’s message and tries to
understand it in the best possible manner. An effective communication occurs only
if the receiver understands the message in exactly the same way as it was intended
by the sender.
7. Feedback: The Feedback is the final step of the process that ensures the receiver
has received the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the
sender. It increases the effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender
to know the efficacy of his message. The response of the receiver can be verbal or
non-verbal.

3 .Feedback is a key for effective communication.

Feedback in communication is defined as the response the receiver has on the

message that has been delivered to it.

Three essential components make up a basic communication process:

 The sender

 The message

 The receiver

The receiver is not just a passive acceptor of the message.

When the message is received by the recipient, they react in one way or another.
The reaction from receiving the message is called feedback.

This feedback can be:

 Subtle, non-verbal (change of heartbeat, change of breathing, facial

expression, gestures)

 Oral (questions, comments)

 Written (email, text, or letter reply)

Why is Feedback Important in Communication

Feedback is an essential part of the communication process. It represents the

missing link in the sender-receiver loop, recruiting a response from the receiver to
the sender.

Therefore, the two-way communication process ends with feedback.

Some of the reasons why feedback is important are:

 Feedback shows if the recipient has received the message and whether the
message has been understood in the same terms as intended by the sender.

 Feedback signals the level of effective communication between the two

parties.

 Feedback is a valuable communication skill that helps improve human

relationships.

 Being the final component of communication, feedback helps break

communication barriers between the sender and the receiver.

 Feedback is an excellent tool for continuous learning.

 Constructive feedback motivates the sender.

Feedback in Business

In business, feedback represents a helpful piece of information or constructive

criticism regarding an action or behavior of a company or an individual involved in
the company.

Regardless of the business, effective feedback is a true asset to manage.

Depending on the type of feedback received, companies can calibrate their actions
to match the feedback of their clients, employees, suppliers, and stakeholders.

Being aware of the importance of communication in business, a brand can leverage

the advantages of feedback to its interest, regardless if it is positive or negative
feedback.

Customer feedback will give a brand insight into their client’s needs, offering
new growth opportunities for the company.
It also helps maintain healthy communication levels while offering a
sense of value to the clients.

By paying attention to employees feedback, a company can learn more about their
inner core than what the analytics will show them.

By listening to employee feedback, they feel valued and listened to. This also helps
with eliminating confusion and ambiguity.

Employee experience can bring to the surface hidden gems or hidden bombs.

On the other hand, companies can increase employee motivation by

regularly giving feedback on employee performance.

Constructive evaluation and frequently provided feedback can dramatically

increase efficiency and work-related accomplishments.

Feedback also aids proper coordination between different departments so that the
top-level management is well informed about what is going on in the organization.

Understanding stakeholders’ feedback can help boost the overall performance of

the company.

Feedback also helps improve the relationship between the employees, CEO,
managers.

A direct effect of communication done efficiently is solving problems in the

company through the constant exchange of feedback.

All-in-all, feedback is essential for the proper functioning of any business.

Why is feedback needed

Feedback is needed because:

 It completes the communication process as two-way communication requires

feedback from the receiver.

 It helps measure the effectiveness of communication. The sender can be sure

that the receiver properly understood the message.

 Feedback helps determine the success or failure of the communication.

 Feedback aids in understanding the receiver’s perspective and opinion about

the sender’s message.

 With efficient feedback, the sender can determine the next course of action.

 Feedback helps in making the correct decisions as it communicates the

thoughts of the receiver to the sender.
4 .Guidelines for effective communication.

Effective communication is a part and parcel of any successful organization.

A communication should be free from barriers so as to be effective.

Communication is a two way process where the message sent by the sender should
be interpreted in the same terms by the recipient.

The characteristics of effective communication are as follows:

1. Clarity of Purpose: The message to be delivered must be clear in the mind of

sender. The person to whom it is targeted and the aim of the message should be
clear in the mind of the sender.
2. Completeness: The message delivered should not be incomplete. It should be
supported by facts and observations. It should be well planned and organized.
No assumptions should be made by the receiver.
3. Conciseness: The message should be concise. It should not include any
unnecessary details. It should be short and complete.
4. Feedback: Whether the message sent by the sender is understood in same
terms by the receiver or not can be judged by the feedback received. The
feedback should be timely and in personal. It should be specific rather than
general.
5. Empathy: Empathy with the listeners is essential for effective verbal
communication. The speaker should step into the shoes of the listener and be
sensitive to their needs and emotions. This way he can understand things from
their perspective and make communication more effective.
6. Modify the message according to the audience: The information requirement
by different people in the organization differs according to their needs. What is
relevant to the middle level management might not be relevant to the top level
of management. Use of jargons should be minimized because it might lead to
misunderstanding and misinterpretations. The message should be modified
according to the needs and requirements of the targeted audience.
7. Multiple Channels of communication: For effective communication multiple
channels should be used as it increases the chances of clarity of message. The
message is reinforced by using different channels and there are less chances of
deformation of message.
8. Make effective use of Grapevine (informal channel of
communication): The employees and managers should not always discourage
 grapevine. They should make effective use of grapevine. The
managers can use grapevine to deliver formal messages and for identification
of issues which are significant for the employees. The managers can get to
know the problems faced by the employees and can work upon it.

5 .Forms of communication.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Verbal communication occurs when we engage in speaking with others. It can be
face-to-face, over the telephone, via Skype or Zoom, etc. Some verbal
engagements are informal, such as chatting with a friend over coffee or in the
office kitchen, while others are more formal, such as a scheduled meeting.
Regardless of the type, it is not just about the words, it is also about the caliber and
complexity of those words, how we string those words together to create an
overarching message, as well as the intonation (pitch, tone, cadence, etc.) used
while speaking. And when occurring face-to-face, while the words are important,
they cannot be separated from non-verbal communication.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
What we do while we speak often says more than the actual words. Non-verbal
communication includes facial expressions, posture, eye contact, hand movements,
and touch. For example, if you’re engaged in a conversation with your boss about
your cost-saving idea, it is important to pay attention to both the their words and
their non-verbal communication. Your boss might be in agreement with your idea
verbally, but their nonverbal cues: avoiding eye contact, sighing, scrunched up
face, etc. indicate something different.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Whether it is an email, a memo, a report, a Facebook post, a Tweet, a contract, etc.
all forms of written communication have the same goal to disseminate information
in a clear and concise manner – though that objective is often not achieved. In fact,
poor writing skills often lead to confusion and embarrassment, and even potential
legal jeopardy. One important thing to remember about written communication,
especially in the digital age, is the message lives on, perhaps in perpetuity. Thus,
there are two things to remember: first, write well – poorly constructed sentences
and careless errors make you look bad; and second, ensure the content of the
message is something you want to promote or be associated with for the long haul.
LISTENING
The act of listening does not often make its way onto the list of types of
communication. Active listening, however, is perhaps one of the most important
types of communication because if we cannot listen to the person sitting across
from us, we cannot effectively engage with them. Think about a negotiation – part
of the process is to assess what the opposition wants and needs. Without listening,
it is impossible to assess that, which makes it difficult to achieve a win/win
outcome.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION
We are a visual society. Think about it, televisions are running 24/7, Facebook is
visual with memes, videos, images, etc., Instagram is an image-only platform, and
advertisers use imagery to sell products and ideas. Think about from a personal
perspective – the images we post on social media are meant to convey meaning –
to communicate a message. In some cases that message might be, look at me, I’m
in Italy or I just won an award. Others are carefully curated to tug on our
heartstrings – injured animals, crying children, etc.

We communicate continually throughout each and every day. We do it without

thinking – we operate on communication autopilot. However, I encourage you to
think about how you communicate. How do you communicate verbally? What
nonverbal cues do you use when you are disinterested? Excited? Nervous? Are you
a good listener? Can you write a concise, clearly articulated message? Are there
barriers to how you communicate effectively?

Understanding how you communicate is the first step to communicating more

effectively. You can easily look online for communication courses. There are a
variety of credit and non-credit course available to help you improve your
communication skills, including our non-credit series.