communication Essay Examples

Role of Communication Skills in Society Essay Example

One can define communication as a process of conveying a message from one person or group of people to another in a verbal or non-verbal form. Verbal communication includes spoken and written transmitting of messages using a mutually understood system of symbols and rules, while non-verbal communication occurs through voluntary and involuntary occurrences or phenomena such as eye contact, body's position, sweating, the distance kept by the interlocutors, the tone of voice used, etc. Communication is a crucial element of our everyday interactions, it is equally important in one's personal life, as it is at work, at school or in any other type of social encounters. Two types of messages may be involved in our interpersonal communication. The first one is the content message, which conveys the actual information on the subject of conversation. The second one is the relational message, which portrays the essence of the relationship between the persons involved in the communication process concerning the attitude they have towards each other, emotional responses to the subject of conversation as well as to the person for whom the message is intended. Communication has multiple roles in human life. It represents means of achieving personal goals. When people want to be successful in their jobs, to have fulfilling romantic and family lives, to pursue a career or get an education, to make friends with other people, etc., they need to be proficient in communicating their wishes, desires, and opinions to others. Lack of adequate communication skills leads to a person being sidelined in life, failing to get promotions on their jobs, not being able to stand up for themselves in an assertive way and consequently not reaching their full potential as human beings. Sharing knowledge and information between people is made possible by effective communication. At school, knowledge is passed on through verbal communication between teachers and students as well as by written materials in the form of books, printed or electronic. In the work context, effective communication between employees and customers is vital to the business' success of a company. Transmitting the intended message in a comprehensive and socially acceptable manner is of paramount importance. Person accomplishes the articulation of one's ideas through channels of communication. You can have brilliant ideas or hold answers to vital problems, but if you are unable to communicate them in a logical and comprehensible way, they would probably go to waste. Adjusting the information communicated to others, to their level of understanding, is crucial. Any use of jargon, ambiguous terms or overly technical language can impede successful communication. Excellent communication skills represent a crucial factor in successful relationships. Depending on the person one is communicating with, they need to adjust their communication style to suit the specific requirements of that particular individual. One would use different tactics when speaking with a friend than when addressing a supervisor at work. Talking to children demands an entirely different set of communication skills than communicating with adults. Skilled conversationalists are persuasive, and manage to gain respect from their interlocutors easily. Succeeding in letting people know exactly what a person thinks or feels is a way to introduce others to his or her inner world. By improving their communication skills, people also allow themselves to develop their personality to a higher degree. Being a successful communicator also means having more confidence and being more assertive in expressing one's needs and aspirations. By appearing convincing in conversation a person conveys a message of seriousness, maturity, and self-esteem. The use of appropriate body language to accompany one`s verbalizations helps to make a stronger point, especially, when the topic of conversation is emotionally charged or highly controversial.

Barriers to effective communicatio

The existence of challenging barriers in communication leads to failure in conveying to the recipient the exact message as it originated from its author. The information can become distorted or twisted in the process, and its intended purpose wholly altered. It may create tension in the conversation and steer it towards conflict of some kind. It can prove harmful to friendships and even worse in the work environment. The barriers to successful communication include:

• filtering of information and relaying only those deemed relevant or in one's favor;
• overloading a conversation with an excess of information;
• being excessively emotional while communicating an important message;
• using technical language, jargon or words that are not easily understood by most people;
• making long pauses when speaking, which can create an unpleasant silence;
• communicating contradicting verbal and non-verbal messages;
• failing to take into consideration gender differences or political correctness.

Any social structure, such as an institution, a company or even a nation should put in place policies concerning appropriate ways of communication to prevent any misunderstandings from hindering the progress, or indeed the very existence of the structure in question. Furthermore, the issue of trust between various members of a social group is also an important one to consider. If a person trying to convey a message does not enjoy the trust of the intended recipients, it would be perceived differently than if it was to come from a trusted source. It may even undergo distortions which would reflect the recipients` attitude towards the message author. If there is sufficient trust between group members, then the communication is more open, and a flow of information is uninterrupted. To summarize, communication skills are essential in all domains of everyday life. Communicating without misunderstandings is a prerequisite of any successful group, regardless of its structure, its participants or its intended purpose. The lack of successful communication in the society can lead to conflicts of various magnitudes, including serious social unrest and even war in extreme cases.