Part A: Foundations of communication
Introduction to communication
Key takeaways
- Communication is the sharing of information, ideas or feelings between a sender and a receiver so that the meaning intended is the meaning understood.
- The sender conceives an idea, encodes it and transmits it through a channel; the receiver decodes it and responds with feedback, and noise can distort the message at any stage.
- An effective message meets the seven Cs: clarity, completeness, conciseness, correctness, courtesy, consideration and concreteness.
- Barriers are physical, semantic, psychological, organisational or cultural, and sorting them by where they arise (sender, channel, receiver or organisation) points to the remedy.
A company secretary's whole professional life runs through communication, board minutes, shareholder correspondence, statutory notices, so this paper opens with the discipline itself before turning to its written, oral and organisational forms.
Communication defined
Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas or feelings between a sender and a receiver such that the meaning intended is the meaning understood. It is purposeful: every act of communication aims to inform, persuade, instruct or build a relationship.
The role of communication
- Coordinates the activities of different individuals and departments
- Supports decision making by moving information to where it is needed
- Motivates staff by clarifying expectations and recognising performance
- Builds and maintains working relationships, internally and with outside parties
- Shapes the organisation's image and reputation with the public
Elements of communication
The communication process
- The sender conceives an idea
- The sender encodes the idea into a message
- The sender selects a channel and transmits the message
- The receiver decodes the message
- The receiver responds with feedback
- Noise may distort the message at any point in this sequence
Principles of effective communication
- Clarity: the message is easily understood
- Completeness: it carries all the information the receiver needs
- Conciseness: it says what is needed without unnecessary length
- Correctness: it is accurate in fact, grammar and tone
- Courtesy: it is respectful of the receiver
- Consideration: it is framed from the receiver's point of view
- Concreteness: it is specific rather than vague
An effective communication system
- A clear objective for every message sent
- The right channel for the message and the audience
- Timeliness, information reaching its recipient while it is still useful
- A working feedback loop, so the sender knows the message landed
- Minimal noise between sender and receiver
Barriers to effective communication
Barriers are most useful when sorted by where they arise, because the remedy follows the source. Barriers in the sender include unclear thinking and poor choice of words. Barriers in the channel include noise and an unsuitable medium. Barriers in the receiver include inattention, prejudice and emotional state. Barriers in the organisation include long chains of command and a culture in which bad news is not welcome.
Exam tip
The seven Cs (clarity, completeness, conciseness, correctness, courtesy, consideration, concreteness) are a favourite list-all question, be able to name and briefly define each one, not just recognise the acronym.
Self-check
(a) A manager sends a memo using technical jargon the receiving department does not use, and gets no response confirming it was understood. Identify the two elements of the communication process that failed, and name the corresponding barrier. (4 marks)
(b) State the seven Cs of effective communication. (4 marks)
(c) Distinguish encoding from decoding. (2 marks)
Show worked answer
(a) The barrier is a semantic (language) barrier, jargon the receiver does not share; the two failed elements are encoding (the sender chose words the receiver could not correctly decode) and feedback (no response confirmed whether the message landed as intended) (4 marks).
(b) Clarity, completeness, conciseness, correctness, courtesy, consideration, concreteness (4 marks).
(c) Encoding is the sender converting the intended message into words, symbols or gestures the receiver can interpret; decoding is the receiver interpreting that encoded message back into meaning, the reverse operation at the other end of the communication process (2 marks).