Communication Is the Most Important Skill in the Modern World
Man lives in a society and needs other people to survive. Beings who live together need to express and understand the expressions of each other. The cavemen did not have the rudiments of communication, so they used sign language and expressed their ideas by making carvings along the walls of caves. Civilizations have begun and fallen based upon how good they were at maintaining sound relations with the rest of the world.
Facts About Communication
Communication is transferring information from one place to another. It is like the lubricant that allows the machinery of society to run smoothly. Pages of history concur about how wars were prevented by talking things over. Individuals resolved their personal strife by just sitting down and talking it out. Appropriate and clear communication has averted many personal, professional, and social disasters.
Between misunderstanding and a smooth relationship are some efforts on the part of every individual to identify and avoid barriers to effective communication.
Cycle of Communication Process
The communication process involves – (1) a sender or communication source; (2) the subject matter of communication; (3) encoding or the expressions used for communicating; (4) the medium of communication; (5) receiver(s) of the communication; (6) decoding or the interpretation thereof; and (7) feedback.
Types of Communication
Oral/verbal communication involves the use of language, the spoken word – either face-to-face or through a phone – voice chat, video conferencing, or any other medium. Oral communication is either informal coming from the rumor mill and grapevine or formal communications as in lectures, conferences, and other formal talks. Language was said to originate from sounds and gestures. Today there are roughly over 6,500 languages spoken all over the world. The basis of language formation is dependent on age group, class, gender, geographical group, profession, and other social elements.
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is the physical way of communicating that involves body movement, smell, tone of voice, and touch. Under aesthetic and creative nonverbal communication are dancing, music, sculpturing, and singing. Body language via body posture and physical contact convey a lot of information. Physical contact (shaking hands, pushing, etc.), facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact are all different ways of communication.
Written communication involves the written words that are a vital tool for business purposes. Just consider the value of articles, e-mails, memos, and reports in the business world.
Visual communication is the display of information directed to the eyes and other senses – designs, photography, signs, symbols, and topography. Television and video clips are the electronic form of visual communication.
Communication Is Important in These Areas
Relationships
Lack or absence of communication in relationships results in frustrations, guilt, misunderstandings, unrealistic expectations, and the seed of personal conflicts. No harmonious coexistence is possible in the absence of regular and smooth communication to lubricate the machinery of the union. By discussing and talking about things, problems can be ironed out in the most effective ways.
Business
Communication is the core of success in business. It is important to say the right things at the right times and at the right places in the business world. There must be camaraderie between customers, partners, stakeholders, media, and sometimes even competitors. Miscommunication of any sort can increase hard work and destroy the opportunity to survive in the competitive business environment of today. Business is successful when its foundation and networking are based on sound professional relationships, as it is with individual tact and business acumen. Today there is training available on developing business communication skills and correspondence. Effective communication skills in business go a long way in sealing your financial success.
Workplace
Being at the helm of volatile human resources in business can be most challenging and must be administered with great expertise to reach desired objectives of the organization. Communication is like the lamp that lightens the darkness throughout the organizational machinery. Workplace communication consists in interpersonal communication between co-workers, employees and employers, superiors and subordinates, and vice versa. Understanding the purpose of such communication, especially if it is of a vertical nature, along with the expectations of the sender and receiver are extremely important for the smooth running of an organization.
Leadership
A good leader represents his/her followers and motivates them to reach their goals through individual and collective effort. Communication is the best option a leader can employ to achieve his/her objective. Even strong ideals founded in lofty principles can fail due to lack of effective communication skills. Look at all the great leaders of history like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and Mahatma Gandhi. They have moved the masses by their life-changing speeches and powerful writings!
Conclusion
Mastering your communication skills will be a 360° turnaround when it comes to your personal relationships, your work, and life.
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