Effective Communication

Communication is the mutual exchange of facts, thoughts, opinions or emotions and it requires the presentation of the above entities from one party to another with the end result of establishing common understanding among the parties involved (Denton, 1993). Communication is a very important element in business and in organizations since it forms the basis of direction and leadership (Stennes, 2005). It is the process utilized in delivering instructions and feedback concerning everyday activities.

It also helps reduce the risk of misunderstandings that could cause misunderstandings which could lead to strikes and go-slows. In this essay, I discuss the components of effective communication and describe one experience I had related to ineffective communication. Active listening is the first component of effective communication (Temple, 2002). Since communication is a two-way event, the talking is just one half of the process. Listening is an equal if not a more important aspect. It is only through active listening that one can best comprehend what information the other party is trying to convey.

Active listening, which is equitable to attentive reading for written communication, enables the party recipient of a communication message to search and derive for the real meaning intended in the message (Temple, 2002).

It also helps the recipient of a message to withhold judgment until all the information has been received and correctly interpreted. An active listener will often rephrase a message while seeking feedback so that he or she may establish for sure that the message was clearly understood (Weiner, 2008).

Another component of effective communication is feedback, and especially the quality of feedback (Weiner, 2008). Feedback is very essential as it is a supportive process and contributes to the reinforcement of ongoing behavior. In case there is a need to correct behavior or conduct, feedback is what gives the indications and nature of the measures that have to be taken. The level and quality of feedback enables one to assess himself or herself in relation to those he or she interacts with in the organizational setup (Weiner, 2008).

The last component of effective communication discussed here is the level of self-disclosure (Temple, 2002). This refers to the amount of information that an individual discloses about himself or herself. If the exchange and application of information is going to be successful, the capacity within a group working together to communicate effectively must exist in sufficient levels. Self disclosure is a very powerful communication tool is used properly, but overly disclosure and closed disclosure should be avoided (Stennes, 2005). I was once employed at a firm, which was owned by a single individual.

He made decisions all by himself, and even the team he had contracted to manage the firm on his behalf did not have much say in determining the direction we were to take. Because of the lack of effective communication, one day a group of workers conspired to lay down their tools so as to have their grievances and opinions heard. The rest of us followed suit, and operations stood still for four days. Man hours and business opportunities were lost; and this could have been avoided by establishing an effective communication channel.

Regarding effective communication in team-based scenarios as is common in project management, a communication model should be established to aid in efficient movement of information between the hierarchies of the team (Denton, 1993). The upward-downward flow model is recommended so that instructions and recommendations can flow from the management while feedback flows from the bottom of the hierarchy (Denton, 1993). This keeps all levels updated about the status of the project and the next step of execution. References Denton, D. (1993). Open Communication-Importance of Effective Communication Systems in Corporations; General Electric Co.

and Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Case Studies. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n5_v36/ai_14723295/ Stennes, B. (2005). The Importance of Effective Communication. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://ezinearticles. com/? The- Importance- of- Effective- Communication&id=113804 Temple, K. (2002). Setting Clear Goals: The Key Ingredient to Effective Communications Planning. Public Relations Quarterly, 47, 17-56. Weiner, R. (2008). The Seven Rules of Effective Communication. Public Relations Quarterly, 52, 8-17.