INTRODUCTION
Communication plays a crucial role in all aspects of our live
It is the most vital means by which people connect together in the society.
Working with patients or clients in a health care setting is impossible without
communication.
People have to communicate with each other, exchange information, make decisions
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
1. Building Relationships
2. Expressing Ideas and Thoughts
3. Resolving Conflicts
4. Collaboration and Teamwork
5. Personal Development
6. Career Advancement
7. Social Integration
8. Decision Making
9. Emotional Well-being
10. Influence and Persuasion
WHY DO WE COMMUNICATE
1. Sharing information
2. Building relationships.
3. Expressing emotions.
4. Solving problems
5. Influencing and persuading
6. Collaborating and coordinating
7. Seeking information
8. Expressing creativity
9. Establishing identity
DEFINITION
Communication is a two way process of exchanging information, Ideas, thoughts,
feelings and emotions through speech, signals, writing, or behavior.
Between individuals or groups
The key elements of communication are
✓ Sender
✓ Medium/channel
✓ Receiver
COMMUNICATION CYCLE
THE SENDER OR ENCODER
All communication begins with the sender (initiater)
The sender is the individual who initiates a message and is also called
the communicator, source of communication or the encoder.
The sender might be a speaker, a writer, or someone who merely gestures
The sender's experiences, attitudes, knowledge, skill, perceptions, and culture
influence the message and how it will be received.
SENDER CONT’D
The written words, spoken words, and nonverbal language selected
are important in ensuring the receiver interprets the message as
intended by the sender
The first step the sender is faced with is translating information or
ideas into a message in the form of symbols that represent those
ideas or concepts(encoding)
Message is the information being transmitted by the sender ( verbal
or non-verbal)
ENCODING
This is the process of translating information into a message in the form of symbols
that represent ideas or concepts or the process in which the sender determines
what and how they will communicate the message.
The process of converting thoughts, ideas, or messages into a form that can be
understood by others. It involves selecting appropriate words, symbols, or
gestures to convey the intended meaning effectively.
This process translates the ideas or concepts into the coded message that will be
communicated.
The symbols can take on numerous forms such as, languages, words, or gestures and
they are used to encode ideas into messages that others can understand.
The encoding process is the responsibility of the sender with the primary objective to
compose and deliver a clear message to the recipient.
ENCODING CONT’D
The following are determinants of encoding
➢ Who is/are the intended receiver(s)?
➢ What is the best channel to use to communicate the message?
➢ Will the communication be verbal, non-verbal, written or a combination thereof?
➢ What are the appropriate words, images, signs, etc., needed to convey the
message and reduce chances of misunderstanding or misinterpretation?
➢ Consider using multiple types of media to reinforce the message.
➢ What is the context and tone of the message? Does it match the message
content?
TARGET AUDIENCE
Whom is your message is intended for
The target audience determines how the message should be encoded
Context-setup, health sector, profession etc
Physical disabilities
Age
Demography
CHANNELS
These are mediums selected for transmitting or delivering the message.
Meetings, presentations, letters, memos, emails, telephone calls, social media sites,
videos, etc.
The sender usually selects the channel during the encoding process.
It’s important to select an appropriate channel for the message.
The channel choice can greatly influence the overall communication
CHANNELS
FACE TO FACE
TELEPHONE
SMS/TEXT/MESSAGE/WHATSUP
LETTERS
MEETINGS AND PRESENTATIONS
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION
Speed
Cost
Distance
Evidence
Reliability
Accuracy
Desired impression
Availability
Confidentiality
SPEED
Speed is an important factor when the message is urgent and time sensitive
Urgent communication requires a response and/or action beyond the standard unit
communication processes or protocols.
Urgent communication has high impact, and/or time sensitive.
May require coordination across units, or external groups.
Mail vs email vs telephone
COST
The cost incurred in using a means of communication vary from one means to
another
Airing an advert on the television vs advertising in the newspaper
Text message vs phone call
EVIDENCE
If the record of the communication is important it should be written, otherwise oral
communication is sufficient.
When is evidence important?
RELIABILITY
This is the assurance (certainty) that the message will reach the intended person at
the right time in the right form.
Face-to-face communication is more reliable than other forms of communication
because one can ask for clearly and get answers immediately.
Wife (sms): Please bring milk
Husband brings “lacto
ACCURACY
This refers to the exactness of the message communicated as intended by the
sender.
Written messages are generally more accurate than other means of communication.
Allows the message to be interpreted correctly
The possibility of misunderstandings, misinterpretations and even poor decisions, is
radically reduced
DISTANCE
May be geographical gap between the sender and recipient
Channel to be chosen depends on whether the message is to be sent to a nearby
place or somewhere at a long distance.
•Email vs letters
DESIRED IMPRESSION
The impression created upon the recipient of a message is very important
e.g. a telegram or speed post mail will carry some sense of urgency, registered mail
will create an impression of confidentiality while use of colorful and attractive
letterheads would convey a good image of the business.
AVAILABILITY
One may want to telephone, for example, but the services are not there so the person
would be forced to use alternative means e.g. letters or radio call.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Some messages are quite confidential and are intended for certain person only.
Where confidential messages are involved, appropriate means should be used e.g.
registered mail or internal memo enclosed in an envelope
e.gmedical results
RECEIVER
Target audience / the person or group who receives the message and interprets it
Responsible for decoding the message
Decoding is the process by which the receiver determines their interpretation of the
message.
The meaning of the message can be impacted by the receiver’s noise when it is
decoded.
To help prevent misinterpretations, receivers should try to remove any noise and
consider the context and intention of the sender
FEEDBACK
Final link and essential in the chain of the communication process.
indicates how well the sender’s message is being understood or has been understood
by the recipient.
Receiver responds in some way and signals that response to the sender.
FEEDBACK CONT’D
spoken comment, a long sigh, a written message, a smile, or some other action or no
action
Feedback ultimately provides an opportunity for the sender to take corrective action
to clarify a misunderstood message.
Feedback plays an important role by indicating significant communication barriers:
differences in background, different interpretations of words, and differing
emotional reactions
NOISE
Noise is the term used to describe all the other risk factors that can interfere with the
message.
Both the sender and the receiver can be affected by noise.
The effect noise can have on both message encoding and decoding can be huge and
often underestimated
TYPES OF NOISE
1. Physical Noise: This type of noise is caused by external factors in the
environment, such as loud sounds, poor lighting, or physical obstructions. For
example, if two people are trying to have a conversation in a noisy restaurant, the
background noise can make it difficult for them to hear each other clearly.
2. Physiological Noise: Physiological noise is related to the limitations or
characteristics of the human body that affect communication. It includes factors
like hearing impairments, speech disorders, or language barriers. For instance, if
someone has a hearing impairment, they may struggle to understand spoken
words accurately.
3. Psychological Noise: Psychological noise refers to mental distractions or biases
that can affect communication. It includes factors like stress, anxiety,
preconceived notions, or personal biases. For example, if someone is feeling
stressed or anxious during a conversation, they may have difficulty focusing on
what the other person is saying.
TYPES OF NOISE
4. Semantic Noise: Semantic noise occurs when there is a mismatch in
understanding due to differences in language usage or interpretation of words
and symbols. It can happen when people have different meanings attached to
certain words or phrases based on their cultural background or personal
experiences.
5. Channel Noise: Channel noise refers to any interference that occurs during the
transmission of a message through a specific channel (e.g., phone call, email). It
can include issues like poor signal quality in phone calls leading to distorted
audio or slow internet connection causing delays in video calls.
NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
Intrapersonal communication
Interpersonal communication
Intergroup communication
Mass communication
INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Communication
whereby a person
interacts with
himself/herself.
Intrinsic or
reflective
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Communication where
there is one-to-one
interaction or
interaction among a
small group.
Most commonly
used/practiced from
of communication
INTERGROUP COMMUNICATION
Type of
communication
where interaction
between different
groups takes
place
MASS COMMUNICATION
Type of
communication
where a large
body (millions of
people) of people
is addressed
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1. ENCODING BARRIERS
Lack of sensitivity to receiver
Lack of basic communication skills
Insufficient knowledge of the subject
Lacking confidence
Individual Perceptions/Attitudes/Personalities
Use of language
Culture
Language/jargon
TRANSMITTING BARRIERS
Physical Distractions
Channel barriers
Long communication chain
Choice of communication channel
DECODING BARRIERS
Lack of interest
Lack of knowledge
Lack of communication skills
Emotional distractions
Information overload
Conflicting messages
Physical Disabilities
Culture
RESPONDING BARRIERS
No provision for feedback
Inadequate feedback
FEEDBACK AND RESPONDING BARRIERS
1. Emotional barriers.
2. Lack of active listening
3. Cultural differences
4. Language barriers
5. Defensiveness.
6. Lack of trust
7. Distractions
8. Power dynamics
9. Lack of clarity
10. Time constraints
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Describe how you would overcome the barriers to communication
