TOPIC ONE: APPLY COMMUNICATION CHANNELS.

Introduction to communication.

Welcome to the first topic of the unit.

Topic Learning Outcomes

By the end of the topic, the trainee should be able to define/ describe/ discuss/ explain and
apply the following:

1. Communication process
2. Principles of effective communication
3. Channels/medium/modes of communication
4. Factors to consider when selecting a channel of communication
5. Barriers to effective communication
6. Flow/patterns of communication
7. Sources of information
8. Organizational policies

1. Communication process
The communication process facilitates the sharing of meaning between the sender and receiver
of the message. It is through the communication process that an effective communication and
understanding of meaning takes place. Effective communication occurs when communicators
keep their messages concise, clear and accurate through all stages of the communication
process. Thus, it is ultimately necessary for anyone aspiring to become a good communicator
to learn the key elements of each stage of the communication process.

Elements of communication
• Sender/Transmitter
This is the person formulating and sending the message. He originally
conceives or comes up with an original idea and he gives / assigns these ideas
understandable codes e.g., words, symbols, signs etc., with his receiver(s) in
mind.
• Message
Is the content being communicated i.e., the actual information which the
communicator is aspiring to share with his audience.
• Channel/Medium
It is the means through which the message is transmitted from the sender to the
intended audience.
• Receiver/Audience/Recipient
These are intended people who receive and interpret the message.
• Feedback
After receiving and interpreting the message the receiver sends back the response
which the sender would use to judge whether the message was
 transmitted/received, if the message was understood as intended and if there is
more/extra information needed to reinforce/aid/assist understanding.

A complete communication process undergoes eight key stages as detailed below:

Stages of Communication

The communication process/procedure starts when the sender/communicator has an idea to

communicate to some other person known as the receiver/audience

The stages are as discussed under;

• Conception of the Message (Sender)

The communication process begins with the source if the message, who is the sender
in the communication process. A sender creates/comes up with a message which
consists of information and ideas that he or she wishes to disseminate. Upon coming
up with an idea the sender then translates the idea into understandable codes through a
process called encoding.
Sender's functions make up half the process of communication.

The functions of the sender are:

1. Being clear about the goal/purpose of the communication
2. Finding out about the understanding and needs of the target audience
3. Encoding the required information and ideas with symbols to create the
message to suit the receiver/ audience
4. Selecting the medium to send the message
 5. Making efforts to get feedback that is, finding out the response of the target
audience

• Encoding of the Message (Sender)

Through encoding the sender translates the idea into suitable words,
signs/symbols, gestures or some other forms which he feels will make the receiver
understand his message easily. (The goal of encoding should be to make the
message understanding easy). The message should be encoded clearly and in a
simple way for it to be understood clearly. For example, the sender should use a
language that the receiver can understand.

• Selection of the Medium/Channel Selection (Sender)

The sender then selects the most appropriate and effective vehicle that will
deliver the message to the receiver considering factors which shall be discussed
later on. The channels of communication may be written, verbal, or use of
gestures. Verbal channels include face-to-face, telephone and videoconferencing.
On the other hand, written channels of communication include emails, reports,
letters, and social media posts. The choice of medium or channel determines the
effectiveness of the message transmission. The channel chosen should be
appropriate so that the message reaches the right receiver(s) in the right form.

• Transmission/Sending (Sender)
The message is then transferred to the receiver through the selected channel

• Reception/Receiving (Receiver)
This is the physical act of receiving the message through any of the five human
senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling and touching.
Receiver's functions complete one cycle of the process of communication. The
functions of the receiver are:
1. Attending to the received message, that is, listening, reading or observing
2. Decoding the received message
3. Interpreting and understanding the meaning of the message
4. Responding to the message
5. Giving feedback to the sender of the message

• Decoding (Receiver)
Decoding of the message involves the receiver trying to assign meaning to the
language used as he relates the language to his past knowledge or experience,
terms of vocabulary, cultural beliefs and the communication environment. It is not
always the case that the receiver understands the meaning the way it was intended
by the sender. This could be due to the wrong choice of communication channel
or inappropriate encoding and decoding. It is also possible that the receiver may
lack sufficient background knowledge to understand the message, or he might not
understand the specific jargon or technical language that you are using

• Comprehension (Receiver)
This takes place when the receiver tries to spend moments to absorb the meaning
and understand the technical jargon used by the sender. In any communication, the
 sender intends to make the receiver take a specific action or respond to the
message in a certain way. However, the receiver may interpret the message
subjectively. The receiver often brings in their ideas and beliefs which may affect
how they understand the message and respond to it. Misunderstanding between
sender and receiver occurs when the receiver interprets the message in a different
way as intended by the sender. Therefore, the sender should put the ideas and
feelings of the receiver into consideration before sending the message.

• Feedback (Receiver)
After giving/assigning the message meaning, the receiver takes the necessary
action and sends his response to the sender of the message in form of feedback.
The importance of this stage of the communication process is that it shows
whether the message was encoded and decoded accurately, and that the receiver
has understood its meaning. Without feedback, the communication process is not
complete. The message has to be received and acted on for it to be considered a
complete process.

Following are the major advantages of feedback

• It acts as a guideline for the next message to be sent to the receiver. For example,
once a teacher tells his student about how to write or speak. For the next occasion,
it may act as a guideline.
• Feedback enables the sender of the message to have self-assessment. He may see
how well he is accomplishing the objectives.
• Feedback enables employees to develop awareness of their strengths and
weaknesses and help them to improve their performance in future.
• Feedback inspires and motivates people to continue with the good work. It also
de- motivates them from those activities, which others do not appreciate.
• Feedback makes the recipient convinced that the sender really cares about what he
or she has to do or say.
• Interpersonal relationship is strengthened through continuous feedback.
• Openness, trust, and cooperation increases among employees. In personal
relationship too, feedback can be used for development purpose.
• Feedback also makes an individual active, alert, independent and autonomous in
their respective jobs and environment.
• Properly used, feedback in the organizational context can create a vibrant and
creative organization.
• When feedback becomes the organization’s culture and philosophy, it will attract
high achievers to organizations

• Noise

Noise is any interference in encoding or decoding process that reduces the clarity
of a message. This can occur at any stage in the process of communication.
Noise can be in the form of:
1. Physical noise, which can be in form of distracting sounds or sights. Such noise is
usually easier to prevent in a speaking or listening situation. For example, closing
doors to a noisy room, wearing ear plugs etc.
2. Psychological noise, mental and emotional interferences that distract
communication, such as day dreaming, pain, hunger and the like.
3. Semantic noise, which is the use of expressions that are unknown to the receiver
or are too complex in grammatical structure. They include language differences,
inattention and misunderstanding caused by different interpretations of a word or
an expression. Cultural diversity can also lead to semantic noise because people
from different cultures may have different meanings to same words
4. Physiological noise manifests from the inside of either the receiver or sender of
the message and is caused by a physiological process. Physiological processes are
the physical and chemical functions of your body. Examples of physiological
processes include hunger, fatigue, headaches, pain, and physiological effects from
medicine that affects the way you think or feel. The diagram below shows how
noise affects the communication process