4. COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP SHARED OBJECTIVES AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Communication is the transfer of all kinds of feelings and thoughts to the other party, whether by speaking, in writing, by using body language or by trying other ways. Communication is not only done by talking. Parts of communication: Sender: Is the main source of the communication process. Is the person who forms the ideas, feelings and intentions that wants to transfer by starting the communication process? Encoding: It concerns the translation of the information into a message. It can be done by using verbal or non-verbal methods. The success of encoding depends on sender’s knowledge, competencies, skills, ideas, thoughts or background. Message: Communication considered incomplete without the message, as it is the main body of the process. It is the information to be conveyed. The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal. For example, if you are writing a message, you‘ll translate your idea into words. Channel of communication: Is the manner that the message will be sent. It is necessary to be selected the most appropriate channel in order to be the communication efficient. A communication channel could be text messages, emails, telephone calls, face-to-face conversations, letters, reports and many other. Receiver Decoding Feedback Categories of communication: Verbal communication Non-verbal communication Written Communication Which includes books, magazines, newspapers, e-mails, social media, the Internet and other media. Before the Internet receive this response, only writers and publishers had the opportunity to be expressed in the written word. Now is easy for everyone to publish their opinions and the written communication has lost its value. The main elements of an effective communication: Effective communication considered the act in which sender and receiver have the same meaning of the message. In this way the message is successfully delivered, received and understood. It also includes non-verbal communication and the ability to understand the recipient feelings as well as and your emotions, engaged listening and ability to speak assertively. Please watch the following video, in order to explore more the meaning of an effective communication. Listening Non-verbal communication Be clear and be concise Be confident Empath Always Have an Open Mind Give and Receive Feedback Verbal and non-verbal communication: Verbal communication concerns the conveyance of a message using words. Includes both written and oral communication. It can be formal and informal and is always impactful because it is documented. Examples of writing communication are letters, e-mails, texting. Examples of oral communication are face-to-face conversations, radio, speeches. Non-verbal communication refers to communication that occurs without using words but using body language to convey a message. Non-verbal communication is informal. Even the verbal communication includes non-verbal communication and it can be just as powerful and meaningful as verbal communication. It is also true that non-verbal communication can break your message. Examples of non-verbal communication are head nod, finger tapping, arms crossed over chest. Tips for effective non-verbal communication: Pay attention to the person you are communicating with. You should focus on the non-verbal cues. Keep eye-contact and relaxed posture. Stay focused on the voice tone as it can reveal the others’ emotions. For example it may show you if a person is angry or you may understand how intend is in his opinions. Don’t hesitate to ask if you don’t understand the cues. It will make clear your confusion. You have to consider who is the receiver of the message in order to decide if non-verbal communication could be an effective way to convey your message. In addition you should think if non-verbal cues will transmit your message correctly. Differentiation between oral and written communication: Both written and oral communication are major forms of communication. Oral communication done by word of mouth and written communication done by drawing/writing symbols. On both types of communication there are advantages and disadvantages which make each of them appropriate and not, depending on the message that should be conveyed. The major elements that differentiate these two types of communication are: Written communication has always permanent record in comparison with oral communication which record at the end of it, have been lost. Feedback of written communication takes time to be given but oral’s communication is given immediately. Oral communication is very flexible in contrast with written communication which is rigid. Written communication takes more time to be prepared the transmitted message. Opposite in oral communication in which the preparation isn’t appropriate. Oral communication is not as reliable as written is. Written communication: Clarity Conciseness Tone Active voice Grammar and punctuation Oral communication: Asking listening Asking for clarification Recognizing and responding to non-verbal cues Speaking clearly and concisely Cross-cultural communication: Cross-cultural communication is the process of communication among individuals with different cultural background, styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation etc. It is how people belonging to different cultures communicate with each other or who rely on different means to reach a common goal. Nowadays via internet it is easier to be connected with different parts of the world. People interact with different cultural settings all the time so they should respect them. In addition, more and more works tend to have multicultural team members. Meeting people with different social background, culture and way of life can help you to build a rapport to foreigners and subsequently to respect them. Sources of Miscommunication in Cross Cultural Exchanges Assumption of similarities Language differences Preconceptions and Stereotypes High anxiety Nonverbal Misinterpretation Tendency to evaluate