Principles of Effective Communication

To communicate it is a two-way process of giving and receiving information through a number of different ways.  Whether you are speaking informally to one of your co-worker or addressing a conference or meeting the following basic principles apply:

• You must know your audience.
• Know what the purpose and the topic that you are going to talk about well so you will be confident on what you are saying.
• Follow through with what you say.
• Present any information in different ways eg.PowerPoint.

Reducing Barriers to Communication

Having effective communication is really important in today’s working environment because companies nowadays often employ people for many countries and workforces are becoming more and more multicultural.

When speaking to someone you should always speak clearly.  For example in the volume of your voice so they can actually hear you, also in regards to the terms that you are using.  For example doctors will explain a patients condition to them in medical terms, which most patients are not familiar with so therefore the patient leaves very confused.  You shouldn't use slang or words that the listener is not familiar with.

You should always listen very carefully to what the other person is saying so that you are able to understand what they have just said instead of making it up and then you have misunderstood them.

3 Potential Barriers to Effective Communication

In every business or organization plays a vital part.  There can also be many barriers that can prevent us from communicating effectively.  I am going to present three different barriers to communication that prevent communication between people.

Some of these barriers to communication include:

• Distractions
• Lack of concentration
• Background Noise

Distractions

Distractions can often create a barrier to communication which in turn limits the amount of in-take of information of a person.  In some cases distractions could be unintentional such as spilling something or knocking something over, however they will still break the flow of the work that is going on.  Also if you are in a meeting that you are finding not very interesting and you are bored you may start tapping the table or fidgeting which could cause a distraction for the person that is speaking and they may loose their train of thought.  It also effects your level of intake.  

Distractions like this can be overcome by giving appropriate training in how to give presentations so that it is not so boring.

Lack of concentration

A lack of concentration can result in a loss of in-take in information, and will affect the group’s performance. It can be caused by multiple issues, including: 

• Being sat down for too long – Without regular breaks for small exercises and fresh air your mind will start to lose concentration after roughly 20-30 minutes.
• Interaction between the speaker and his/her audience is non-existent – If the speaker is not interacting with the audience, the audience do not feel involved and start losing interest and concentration as a result.
• Lack of breaks in the presentation – Breaks between slides or paragraphs in speeches are important to increase the concentration. If the presentation just continues onwards in a single monotonous tone without any pauses then the audiences’ concentration will slide quicker than normal.
• Content is not explained enough – If the content of a presentation is not explained in enough detail or it does not include active examples, then you become confused and your concentration begins to lapse.

 

Background Noise

Background noise can be both a good and bad thing. Soft, gentle music playing quietly in the background can often motivate people as it creates a more relaxed atmosphere, which people tend to strive better in.  However, different types of background noise, such as the running of a printer or coffee machines can block out what a speaker is saying, by diverting the group’s attention and affecting the in-take of information from the group.

There are several ways to overcome potential barriers, for example other people in call centres there are many people talking at the same time, and therefore there is a lot of background noise. Noise cancelling headsets so you can only hear the person you are trying to here are optimum for these kinds of environments. These are also useful for drowning out general office background noise such as computer buzzes or printers churning out paper.

There may also be background noise outside the building, such as construction work going on the site next door. The design of the building you are in can really help overcome background noise outside. Double glazed windows and solid insulation can help to reduce noise coming through the building.

In this video it shows a clip from The Two Ronnies showing the barriers of communication.

Attitude 1- Enthusiastic

My first attitude is that you should be Enthusiastic.

It is important for an employee to have a good amount of enthusiasm as this will make the employer feel that they actually want to do the work that he sets them.  Being enthusiastic can be hard to do everyday especially if there is something that you don't particularly like about the job, however it will be all worth it because your employer will defiantly appreciate  it.  

No matter who you are in a company you may have to be able to increase the levels of  enthusiasm. Especially in todays world were the majority of people are working to live, not live to work.  Also if the company that you are working for is not doing very well financially it can be hard to motivate the other workers.

Attitude 2- Efficient

My next attitude is Efficient.

A work day is not always long enough to get everything done. However, being more efficient at work does not always mean getting it all done. An efficient worker usually utilizes each minute of the day effectively and manages to complete the most important tasks. When this is achieved, an efficient worker feels satisfied that he/she had a full and productive work day. Being more efficient can be achieved quite easily if you have an organized methodology that includes some important steps

Attitude 3- Discipline

The third attitude is Discipline.

A very important attitude for an employee to have is discipline.  They may have to be hard on themselves if their boss has gave them a deadline to have work completed for.  For example if your friends want you to go out but you have work to get done then you should be able to have the discipline to say no to them as there will be many other opportunities for you to go out with them.  If they are you good friends they should be able to understand.  

Attitude 4- Honesty

The next attitude is Honesty.

Being a honest employee in the workplace is something that an employer would value very highly.  They want someone that can be trusted and isn't going to tell lies to save themself if they are confronted by the employer.  For example if you have made a mistake in  whatever you were doing in your work then you should just be hinest about what happened intead of lying.  The employer will think more of you if you just be honest from the beginning.

Attitude 5- Dependable

My final attitude is Dependable.

A boss wants someone that is will always be dependable and that they can trust.  It is also important in regards to your other co-workers as they may have asked you to do something important for them and you don't do it they may find it hard to trust you again.  Not only does the boss want you to be a dependable person in the workplace but also your fellow co-workers.  For example if somebody asks you to do something for them and you don't do it then they will not find you a very depedable person and may never want to help you if you ask them.