Communication Skills

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Sahiwal
Communication skills
Definition of Communcation:
The word “communication” is derived from Latin “communico” or ‘’communicare”
which means to shaare, to participate,to impart. This term also seems to come from Latin word
“communis” which means “common”. In its general sense, communication means to share or impart
information in a mood of common understanding.
“ Communication is a process of sharing, transmitting, receiving information with feedback and
response”.
What is Communication Skills?
Communication means exchange of messages and skill means practiced ability or expretness. So
communication skills means abilities of exchanging information in the best possible way. There are four
basic communication skills. They are listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Purpose of Communication:
1- To Inform: To inform or to impart information is the basic purpose of communication. Imparting

information or ideas, feelings, or attitudes is nature of human beings. We are always in need of
information. So our purpose of communication or to get information.
2- To Persuade: Another purpose of communication is to persuade the receiver. Sometimes we
communicate to persuade others to change their viewpoint or action in our favour. Such
persuasion is necessary in so amny cases of our personal and bussiness life.
3- To Establish or Maintain Relations: Man being a social animal, likes to live in a society. He
requires assisstance and cooperation of other people of society. For this purpose, he has to
establish new relations and maintain old ones with the other people. Communication fulfils this
purpose.
4- To Solve Problems: Men and problems live side by side in this life. Communication, in many
cases, aims at solving problems in meetings and group discussions after getting expert opinion
from others.
5- To Coordinate Efforts: Communication is an effective tool for coordinating activities of different
people. Coordination without communication is a remorte reality.
English Comprehension and Composition Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain

Communication Process: Communication is sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal
messages in such a way as the receiver may understand it. The way in which a message passes step
by step from the sender to the receiver is called the process or cycle of communication.
Communication process is a series of events that consists of six steps or phases.
Step1. Conception: (The sender conceives the idea)
In the first step, the sender conceives or selects an idea that he wants to communicate. After
selecting the idea, the sender keeps in his mind the purpose and receiver of the communication.
Step2. Encoding: (The sender encodes the idea)
In the second step, the sender converts his idea into message codes or symbols. These words or
gestures have certain meanings both to the sender and the receiver. The act of designing or
producing message in spoken, written or gesture form is called encoding.
Step3. Transmission: (The send transmits the message)
In the third step, the sender chooses the channel or medium(verbal or nonverbal, spoken or written)
and sends the messageto the receiver.
Step4. Reception: (The receiver receives the message)
For communication to occur, the receiver receives the message before understanding it. The
reception of the message takes place when a receiver listens to the speaker, reads the written words
or finds a gesture of communication.
Step5. Decoding: (The receiver decode the message)
After receiving the message, the receiver decodes or understands the message. He must give codes,
the same meaning as the sender inyends. Thus, understanding the message or changing the
symbols of message into meanings is called decoding.
Step6. Feedback: (The receiver reacts and sends)
After understanding the message, the receiver reacts or responds to the sender. This receiver-to-
sender response is called feedback. Feedback may be a smile, a spoken comment, a written
message, a long pause or an action of some sort.

Communication Barriers or Problems:
The factors or components that create problems in the understanding the meaning of the message, or
that bar proper communication are called communication problems or barriers. When a message passes
from sender to receiver on the pathways, it faces barriers. Usually the communication components such
as sender, message, channel, receive or feedback etc create problems. Communication problems distort
the meaning of message and lead to miscommunication.
Main factors that cause problems in effective communication are given below:
1. Semantic Barriers:
Semantic means relating to meaning of words or symbols that a sender or receiver uses in
communication. They include:
a. Bypassing: It is an important barrier that refers to the words that carry different meaning to
different people. The problem of bypassing often occurs when the sender and the receiver of
the message give different meanings to the same words or use different words with the same
meaning.
b. Denotation: Denotation dictionary or literal meaning of the wod, without indicating its positive
or negative qualities. If the sender and the reciever do not have the same denitative
understanding of the words, miscommunication may occur.
c. Connotation: It is implications of the word or a suggestions different from the usual dictionary
meaning.if the sender and reciever do not know the connotative meanings of the words,
miscommunication may occur. For example home is denotative but ‘shack’, ‘mansion’, “villa’,
‘bunglow’ etc are connotative in meanings and must be used carefully.
2. Physical Barriers:
Physical barriers include apparent enviornmental factors such as noise, distance, distraction, and
interfernces that disturbs smooth flow of communication. For example noise of other people or
traffic, distance between sender and reciever, affect accuracy even arrival of message.
3. Organizational Barriers:
Organizational barriers include colouring of information, diversion of information, status
consciousness and filtering of information ( sender’s purposely changing of information in order to
be received favourably by the receiver)
4. Technical or Mechanical barriers:
They occur in the mechanism of communication process. A crackle on the telephone, illegible
hand writing, and poor printing or defective microphone etc. are examples of technical barriers
that may hinder even arrival of the message. These problems can be overcomes by following
communication principles called as C-qualities.
5. Wrong Perception of Reality:
Every person’s sensory perceptions..seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching..are limited.
Moreover, each person’s mental filter is also unique. As a result, people draw different
conclusions from the same reality.
6. Stereotyping:

Some people have frozen evaluation that is also called stereotyping. It means static and faulty
impression about facts that ignores significant differences or changes. They cause
miscommunication.
7. Slanting:
Slanting means to include slanted or biased staements in presenting facts. Some sneders
present biased or prejudiced statement in personal, regional or international reporting. It may
cause miscommunication.
8. Closed Minds:
Some recievers have rigid view on certain subjects regardless of the circumstances. Such closed-
mindedness and rigidity is great hindrance in effective communication.
9. Lack of Sender’s Credibility:
Lack of sender’s credibility and trust also hinders effective communication. People do not react
favourably to those who are incredible.
10. Life’s Stresses:
Life’s stresses; worry, anger,fear, hopelessness and hatred affect to send effective messages.
11. Nonverbal Cues:
Body movemnets and facial impressions are sometimes misunderstood by the reciever and
create communication problems.
12. Complexity of Message:
If the nature of message contents is complex, it creates a great hurdle in effectiveness of
communication.
Seven C’s of Communication: ( principles and qualities)
To compose effective written or spoken message, we follow certain communication principles. As

each of these principles starts with letter ‘C’, and thery are seven in numbers, so they are called seven
c’s, C-principles or C-qualities. They are:
1- Clarity: Clarity is the quality of being simple, easy and understandable. It suggests clarity of both
expression and meaning. To achieve clarity:
a. Think clearly before writing clearly.
b. Choose short, familiar and conversational words.
c. Construct effective sentences and paragraphs.
d. Use visual aids such as charts, graphs, pictures, models.
2- Conciseness: Concisness means ‘brevity or shortness’. Conciseness is conveying messages in
the fewest possible words without sacrificing other qualities. A message is concise if it is brief as
well as complete. To achieve conciseness:
a. Include only relevant material and practice economy of words.
b. Avoid unnescessary repetition.
c. Never write what the reciever already knows.
d. Use single words instead of unnecessary phrases and shorts sentences.

3- Completeness: A bussiness message is complete if it gives full information about all the facts
that the reader or listener of the message needs for immediate and proper aaction. To achieve
completeness:
a. Provide all necessary information.
b. Answer all questions
c. Give something extra when desirable.
d. Check for five W’s ( what, when, who,whom,where) and any other essential.
4- Correctness: correctness includes accuracyof form, language and expression. To achieve
correctness:
a. Include only accurate facts, figures and words,
b. Maintain correct acceptable writing mechanics,
c. Apply all pertinent c-qualities,
d. Avoid mistakes.
5- Courtesy: courtesy is the expression of sincere attitude towards others. It does not mean the
expression of ‘please’,’thank you’ etc. On the contrary, it is politeness and civility that grows out of
respect for others. To achieve courtesy,
a. Be sincere tactful,thoughtful, and appreciative.
b. Omit expressions that irritates, hurtor belittle.
c. Be careful using discriminatory language i.e. being aware of gender, race, age, colour, creed,
prejudice.
6- Consideration: It is keeping the reciever in mind. It is putting ourselvesin our reciever’s place or
communicating from the listener’ or reader’s point of view. To show consideration:
a. Focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ and ‘we’.
b. Show reciever’s benefits and interests.
c. Emphasize the positive and pleasant facts.
d. Apply integrity and ethics.
7- Concreteness: It means presenting clear and firm facts and figures instead of unclear and
general ideas. For example “ Please send your cheque in full as soon as possible”. Is a vague
statement. It may be made concrete as, “Please send your cheque for Rs.15000 before August
10.”
To conclude, a message should reflect all the relevant communication rules. It does not mean
that the communicator has to include all these principles one by one.

Communication Skills

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Communication Skills

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Communication Skills

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Sahiwal

What is Communication Skills?

1- To Inform: To inform or to impart information is the basic purpose of communication. Imparting

English Comprehension and Composition Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain

Step1. Conception: (The sender conceives the idea)

Step2. Encoding: (The sender encodes the idea)

Step3. Transmission: (The send transmits the message)

Step4. Reception: (The receiver receives the message)

Step5. Decoding: (The receiver decode the message)

Step6. Feedback: (The receiver reacts and sends)

English Comprehension and Composition Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain

English Comprehension and Composition Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain

Seven C’s of Communication: ( principles and qualities)

To compose effective written or spoken message, we follow certain communication principles. As

English Comprehension and Composition Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain

English Comprehension and Composition Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.