Articles

Why is Effective Communication more than just speaking fluent English?

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Published
    05 October at 06:00 PM

It is a common belief that language, or especially English, is the only criterion for effective communication. Though English and its fluency play an important role in effective communication (as it has become a global language), it is not the only factor. 

What Does Effective Communication Mean?

Communication, in general, is the process in which a message is conveyed, received and understood between two or more people. Communication is said to be effective only when all the parties involved in it receive each other's message, send a message and the intended meaning of all the messages are understood by everybody. At the workplace, communication is effective when the information shared among the employees is understood as expected and the actions are taken accordingly, ultimately adding to the organization’s success.

Effective communication is not only related to the effective use of language; but, it also involves different skills such as non-verbal communication, the ability to interpret emotions, acknowledgment of one's own thoughts and the objective of communication. An important element of the process is the presence of the person with whom you are communicating. 

Barriers to Effective Communication

Effective communication is a skill one can master with practice and experience. However, effective communication might get disturbed due to some barriers. A few of them are listed below:

  1. Language Restrictions
  2. Disorganized Message
  3. Information Overload
  4. Attitudinal Differences
  5. Lack of Common Perspective
  6. Impatience

However, by following a few (must) communication practices one can overcome these barriers and be a good orator. 

Pre-thinking

One must know through and through what one is going to communicate. There is a famous saying, “Think before you speak”. The saying holds true since giving a thought to what you need to communicate helps you frame your message better thereby resulting in the desired result. It allows you to make amends in the message (if needed) before you communicate. This is extremely helpful in situations in which there crops up an unplanned or unthought-of issue. Pre-thinking provides you enough room to mold your message accordingly.

Specific Objective

An ideal communication process starts with a specific objective. The message is created and delivered with a certain intent. Hence, the communicator must be clear of the objective of the message; or else, the interpretation might not be as per the expectations. The failure to understand the objective may disturb the communication process.

Timeliness of the Message

A message has value only if it is shared at the right time. Timely communication is crucial since the message fails to make an impact if not delivered at the right time. Hence, the communication must begin in time, delivered in time and reached in time. Timely communication boosts timely actions.

Conciseness of the Message

Another crucial feature of any and every effective communication is that the message must be drafted consciously and concisely; i.e. the message has only relevant data and is drafted after considering the objective and the receiver. A concise message is crisp and to the point devoid of any repetition and errors.

Completeness of the Message

Communication is said to be effective only if it is sharing a complete message. If the message is not complete, then the receiver might not understand it as expected and the process would fail. The sender should not underestimate its completeness. Hence, the message has to be concise and complete too!

Correctness

Apart from being complete and concise, the message has to be correct. The entire process is dependent upon the relevance of the three C's. Since the motive of the communication process is to convey a message, there is no point in sending wrong messages. The message has to be correct and in sync with the objective of the process. False and fabricated messages might irritate or distract the receiver.

In addition to the above-mentioned features, communication has to behave the following qualities:

  1. Persuasiveness

The message must be indulging. Persuasive power of the message is important if you want your communication to work its magic. A persuasive message helps create a positive impact on the receiver, thereby helping you achieve the objective of the process.

  1. Feedback

Feedback plays a significant role in effective communication. It is the feedback that signals that the message has reached the right receiver and has been understood in the desired manner. If the communication fails to convey the right message, feedback informs the same, thereby enabling the sender to re-share the message.

  1. Mutual Interest

The communicator has to consider the interest of the receiver too. A communication can be treated as effective communication only if it considers both the sender’s and the receiver's interest. 

  1. Use of Appropriate Media

A suitable type of media has to be used for successful communication. The communicator can either use verbal or non-verbal tools, or an amalgamation of both to convey the message effectively, without compromising on the other crucial factors listed above.

If you are trying to be an excellent communicator, you will have to understand the importance of the factors listed above and instill the use of the correct techniques and tools in the communication process to make it more effective.

Verifying, please be patient.