What is Communication?

The English word ‘communication’ is derived from the Latin communis, which
means common sense. The word communication means sharing the same
ideas. In other words, the transmission and interaction of facts, ideas, opinions,
feelings or attitudes. Communication is the essence of management. The basic
function of management (planning, planning, staffing, supervision and
management) cannot be done effectively without effective communication.

Communication is a two-way process which involves transferring of

information or messages from one person or group to another. This process
goes on and includes a minimum of one sender and receiver to pass on the
messages. These messages can either be any ideas, imagination, emotions, or
thoughts.

Communication is a Latin word which means “to share”. There are different
modes of communication available today. These include emails, chats, WhatsApp,
skype (conference calls), etc. Effective communication makes people’s work
easier and smooth. 

Communication Process
Communication is an ongoing process that mainly involves three components
namely. sender, message, and recipient. The components involved in the
communication process are described below in detail:

1. Sender:
The sender or contact generates the message and transmits it to the
recipient. He is the source and the first contact

2. Message:
It is an idea, knowledge, opinion, truth, feeling, etc. produced by the sender
and intended for reference.

3. Encoding:
The message produced by the sender is encrypted in a symbolic way such
as words, pictures, touches, etc. before transfer.

4. The media:
This is how the coded message is conveyed. The message can be conveyed
orally or in writing. 
 5. Recording:
It is a process of modifying the signals sent by the sender. After recording
the message is received by the recipient.

6. Recipient:
You are the last person in the chain and the message you sent was sent. If
the recipient receives the message and understands it correctly and acts on
the message, only then the purpose of the communication is achieved.

7. Answer:
Once the recipient confirms to the sender that you received the message
and understood it, the communication process is complete.

8. Noise:
Refers to any restrictions caused by the sender, message or recipient
during the communication process. For example, incorrect telephone
connection, incorrect coding, incorrect recording, careless recipient,
incorrect understanding of message due to discrimination or inappropriate
touch, etc.

Types of Communication
Verbal Communication and Non-Communication

 Verbal communication: 
Communication occurs through verbal, verbal or written communication
that conveys or conveys a message to others is called oral communication.
Verbal communication is the use of language to convey information
verbally or in sign language.Verbal communication is important because it
works well. It can be helpful to support verbal Non-verbal communication
Any non-verbal communication, spoken words, conversation and written
language is called.

 Non-verbal communication: 
It occurs with signs, symbols, colors, touches, body or facial features.
Insignificant communication is using body language, body language and
facial expressions to convey information to others. It can be used both
intentionally and deliberately. For example, you may have a smile on your
face when you hear an idea or a piece of interesting or exciting
information. Open communication is helpful when you are trying to
understand the thoughts and feelings of others.
Mode Of Communication
 Formal Communication:
Formal Communication refers to communication that takes place through
legal channels in an organization. That kind of communication takes place
between managers or employees of the same class or between high and
low and vice versa. It may be oral or written but a complete record of that
communication is kept in the organization.

 Informal Communication:
Informal communication is defined as any communication that occurs
outside of the official channels of communication. Informal communication
is often referred to as the ‘vine’ as it spreads throughout the organization
and on all sides regardless of the level of authority.

Few Communication Barriers

One sometimes wants to connect with one thing, but he is actually saying
something else that he did not intend. This type of event in communication
behaviour is known as the “Arc of Distortion”. The distortion may be the result of
some error in any of the communication channels. These barriers to
communication are also known as “barriers”.
Some of the barriers to communication:

  Lack of proper style, feedback.

 Content is not related to customer requirements.
 Failure to maintain dual communication.
 Bad weather.
 Lack of horizontal flow of ideas.
 Availability of technical coordinators.
 Semantic Problems.
 Lack of leadership.
 Lack of enthusiasm.
 Lack of support from heads of institutions.

Importance of Communication
1. Communication Foundation:
The manager explains to the employees the goals of the organization, the
methods of their success and the interpersonal relationships between
 them. This provides communication between the various staff and
departments. Therefore, communication serves as the basis for
collaboration in the organization.

2. Functional:
The manager coordinates the individual and physical aspects of the
organization in order to run it efficiently and effectively. This integration is
not possible without proper communication.

3. The Basis for Making Decisions:

Good communication provides information to the manager that helps
them make decisions. No decisions could have been made without
knowledge. Thus, communication is the basis for making the right
decisions.

4. Improves Management Ability:

The manager transfers targets and issues instructions and assigns tasks to
subordinates. All of these factors are involved.

Importance of Communication
Communication plays a vital part in building up a strong relationship across the
world, either in organisational structure or outside of it. It is an essential pillar for
people in sharing the ideas, delegating responsibilities, management of a team,
building up a healthy relationship, etc. Effective communication is necessary for
managers in the organisation for planning, organising, leading and controlling.
Managers of the organisation are dedicated enough in communicating
throughout the day in various tasks performances. They spent the whole time
communicating face-to-face or over the phone to their colleagues, subordinates
and the clients. Managers also use written communication in the form of Emails,
memos, daily reports and so on. Effective communication is a successful building
block of the organisational structure.

Here The Importance of Communication Can Be Briefed As Follows

 Good communication encourages motivational skills. 
 It is a mode of information in the decision-making process.
 Communication emphasises socialising within or outside the organisational
structure. 
 It helps in controlling the process. Employees have to follow the
organisation rule, code of conduct and other company policies.
Types of Communication
There are four types of communication. It is categorised into verbal, non-verbal,
written and visual.

Verbal
Verbal communication is one of the modes where people communicate or
transfer information through words. It is one of the common and usual types and
frequently used during one on one presentations, video calls or conferences,
meetings, phone calls etc. 

There Are Certain Measures Which Enhance This More Effectively

 Firm and Confident Voice: 
Firm and confident communication reflects the personality of the person. It
gives more certainty of completing any task. So always be confident so that
your ideas are more precise and specific.

 Active listening: 
A good listener always tends to listen to everyone’s perspective or
viewpoints. Active listening helps in identifying each one’s problem or
thoughts in a more clear way.

 Ignore Filler Words: 

While giving a presentation, avoid using filler words such as yeah, like, so,
etc. It might be distracting to your audiences. Try not to use them in official
conferences or meetings. 

Non-Verbal
Non-verbal communication is the use of body language. It includes body
gestures, facial expression, and shaking hands, etc.. For example: How you sit
during an interview automatically reflects your body language. If they are
indicating closed body language like closed arms, bent shoulders, shaking legs,
etc., they might be nervous, low in confidence, surrounded with anxiety, etc. Non-
verbal communication is the most powerful communication to understand
others’ thoughts and emotions. 
Here are Certain Categories Where Non-Verbal Communication are Briefed
Up
 Positive Body Language: Always carry a positive body language where you
can carry your confidence for performing any task. This type of
communication gives support to your verbal talks and makes you more
open to any kind of jobs. 

 Imitate non-verbal communication you find useful: Some facial expression

or body language can be found helpful in an interview. If an interviewer has
positively nodded his head, it gives a clear positive sign in a closed way, i.e.
non-verbal communication.

Written
It is the form of communication that involves writing, typing and printing
symbols, letters, etc. It is used in Emails, chats, etc. which are the common
techniques of using it in the workplace. Whereas it also furnishes a record of all
docs in one place and keeps a systematic account of it.

Here Are Certain Categories Where Written Communication is Briefed Up

 Aim for Simplicity: 
Any type of written communications should be in a simple format and
clear. It helps audiences to understand and provides more transparency on
information which you're providing. 

 Reviewing: 
Whenever you're writing, always review your emails, letters or memos
before sending it. Reviewing helps to find the mistakes or opportunities to
present something distinct. 

 Be Careful of Written Tone: 

Since this is not a mode of verbal or non-verbal communication, always be
cautious and have a polite tone while writing.  

 Keep the Written Files if You Find it Useful: 

If you received the memo or email which you’re finding helpful or
interesting, you could save that template for further references to use it in
future writing for improving your written communication.
Visual
Visualizing is a form of communication where one can use photographs, drawing
charts and graphs to convey information through it. It helps in furnishing the
right information through graphics and visuals during office presentation (along
with verbal and written). 

Here are Certain Steps Which Help in Visual Communication Skills

 Taking Advice Before Going with Visuals: 
Visual communication includes presentation or emails. Always ask for
other’s advice if any mistake can be rectified. 

 Targeting Audience: 
Always put those visuals in presentation or emails that can be understood
by everyone quickly. If you are giving a presentation on any data or chart
which is not familiar to the audience, you need to explain it clearly. There
shouldn’t be any usage of offensive visuals.

Barriers in Communication
There are certain barriers which create hindrance in building up communication
over the time period.

 Personal Barriers:
Communication takes place between receiver and sender. It’s a two-way
process which should be clear. In case message formation went wrong, it
gives a wrong and unclear message to the recipient. The receiver might get
the wrong perspective while receiving a message. Therefore the message
should be written effortlessly.  

 Systematic Barrier:
 If any machine or electronic errors occur by any means or in any
unforeseen situation, it may affect the importance of communication.

Flow of Communication
An organisation follows the five flow of communications: 

 Downward Flow: 
 In this, communication flows from the higher level to lower level, i.e.
communication carried out by the head of the organisation to the
subordinates like providing feedback, giving job instructions etc. 

 Upward Flow: 
Communication which flows to the higher level of the organisation is
upward communication. Subordinates use upward flow to transfer their
grievances and performances to their seniors. 

 Lateral/Horizontal Communication: 
It takes place where communication happens between the same level of
the hierarchy that is communication between colleagues, managers or
between any horizontally equivalent members of the organisation. It
benefits employees to perform coordination among the tasks, time-saving,
solving problems of employees of other departments or conflicts within the
department. 

 Diagonal Communication: 
Communication which takes place between the manager and employee of
other work departments is known as diagonal communication. 

 External Communication: 
Communication which takes place between the manager and external
group likes vendors, suppliers, banks, financial institutions and many more.
For example, the Managing Director would be meeting with the bank
manager to get the bank loan or some other financial work.

Difference Between Hearing and Listening

Last updated on October 28, 2017 by Surbhi S
 Someone rightly
said, “Hearing is through ears, but listening is through the mind.” The two
activities hearing and listening involve the use of ears, but they are different. The
hearing is nothing but a sense that helps you receive sound waves and noise by ears. It
is the power of perceiving sounds.

On the contrary, listening is when you receive the sound waves and understand it by
paying full attention to the words and sentences of the speaker. It is one’s ability to
correctly receive and interpret the message transferred by the other party in the process
of communication.

For many people, these two activities are one, but the truth is, the difference between
hearing and listening is vital. so have a glance at this article to understand the terms
completely.

Content: Hearing Vs Listening

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart
BASIS FOR
HEARING LISTENING
COMPARISON

Meaning Hearing refers to one's ability to Listening is something done consciously,

perceive sounds, by receiving that involve the analysis and understanding
vibrations through ears. of the sounds you hear.

What is it? An ability A skill

 BASIS FOR
HEARING LISTENING
COMPARISON

Nature Primary and continuous Secondary and temporary

Act Physiological Psychological

Involves Receipt of message through ears. Interpretation of the message received by

ears.

Process Passive bodily process Active mental process

Occurs at Subconscious level Conscious level

Use of senses Only one More than one

Reason We are neither aware nor we have We listen to acquire knowledge and receive
any control over the sounds we information.
hear.

Concentration Not required Required

Definition of Hearing

The natural ability or an inborn trait that allows us to recognize sound through ears by
catching vibrations is called the hearing. In simple terms, it is one of the five senses;
that makes us aware of the sound. It is an involuntary process, whereby a person
receives sound vibrations, continuously.

A normal human being’s hearing capability ranges from 20 to 20000 Hertz, called as
audio or sonic. Any frequency above and below the given range is known as ultrasonic
and infrasonic respectively.

Definition of Listening

Listening is defined as the learned skill, in which we can receive sounds through ears,
and transform them into meaningful messages. To put simply, it is the process of
diligently hearing and interpreting the meaning of words and sentences spoken by the
speaker, during the conversation.
Listening is a bit difficult, because it requires concentration and attention, and the
human mind is easily distracted. People use it as a technique to comprehend, what is
being said, through different verbal and non-verbal signs, i.e. how it is being said?
What type of words is used? Tone and pitch of voice, body language and so on.

Active listening is the key element; that makes the communication process effective.
Further, it encompasses making sounds that show listener’s attentiveness and providing
feedback. It had a greater influence in our lives and used to gain information, learn and
understand things and so on.

Key Differences Between Hearing and Listening

The following points are vital so far as the difference between hearing and listening is
concerned

1. An individual’s ability to perceive sounds, by receiving vibrations through ears,

is called the hearing. Listening is something done consciously, that involve the
analysis and understanding of the sounds you hear.
2. The hearing is the primary and continuous in nature, i.e. the first and foremost
stage is hearing, followed by listening and it occurs continuously. On the other
hand, listening is temporary, as we cannot continuously pay attention to
something for long hours.
3. The hearing is physiological, which is through one of our senses in the living
organisms. On the contrary, listening is a psychological (conscious) act.
4. While hearing is a passive bodily process that does not the involve use of the
brain. As opposed to listening, it is an active mental process, which involves the
use of brain to draw meaning from words and sentences.
5. Hearing involves receipt of the message through ears. Conversely, listening
encompasses interpretation of the message received by ears.
6. The hearing is an inborn ability but listening is a learned skill.
7. In the hearing, we are not aware of the sounds that we receive, however in the
case of listening, we are completely aware of what the speaker is saying.
8. Hearing involves the use of only one sense i.e. ears. In contrast, listening,
involves the use of more than one senses i.e. eyes, ears, touch etc. to understand
the message completely and accurately.
9. In the hearing, we are neither aware nor we have any control over the sounds we
hear. On the other hand, in listening, we are aware of what the other person is
saying and so we listen to acquire knowledge and receive information.
10.Hearing does not require focus whereas listening does.

Conclusion

So, with the discussion, it is quite clear that listening is one step ahead of the hearing.
The hearing is simply the ability to hear, i.e. natural or God-given however, listening is
an acquired skill, which only a few people possess. While the hearing is involuntary
and performed effortlessly, listening is done intentionally, wherein we are selective and
pay attention to only those messages, we think important for us.

Why is listening so important in life and at work? 

Listening is a key component of effective communication skills .

Regardless of the type, listening is key to understanding what other people are really
trying to say. Without listening, it's easy to get something wrong and make assumptions.

On the other hand, when you actively listen, you can fully communicate with someone
else. 

Listening is the most important part of communication. That’s because it allows you to
come up with a substantial and meaningful response. You can pick up on subtleties you
wouldn’t have otherwise, especially with body language .

If something isn’t clear, you can ask clarifying questions. This is something you might
not have done without active listening.

At work, communication is an important soft skill. According to LinkedIn's 2019 Global

Talent Trends report, 80% of companies say that soft skills are increasingly important to
their success.

Listening is also important for productive collaboration . 

According to the same LinkedIn report, collaboration is the third most important soft skill
companies need. 

Imagine trying to collaborate if you can’t actively listen to your colleagues. Information
gets lost, and misunderstandings occur.

The same can happen if everyone on the team uses different levels of listening. Some
people will be more engaged than others. Not everyone will get the same understanding
of the same conversation. 

You can avoid this if everyone actively listens to each other.

Plus, when you actively listen, your colleagues and your superiors will notice that you
come up with meaningful responses. 

Listening is also crucial if you want to learn effectively.

Without attentive listening, it can be easy to miss small details that make a difference in
your learning.
Active listening games

You can improve team communication with active listening games.

In one such game, you and your colleagues can split up into groups of two. The first
person in each group is given a picture, while the other person is given a pen and
paper. 

The second participant needs to ask questions in order to accurately draw the image the
first participant is holding.

In another game, participants need to mime non-verbal cues to express their feelings
about a topic. The other participants need to write down what they believe the other
person feels.

Finally, you can practice active listening by having all participants listen to one person
speak for three to five minutes. During this time, no other participants may speak.
Afterwards, the other participants need to paraphrase what they think the other person
said.
7 types of listening skills
1. Informational listening
2. Discriminative listening
3. Biased listening
4. Sympathetic listening
5. Comprehensive listening
6. Empathetic or therapeutic listening
7. Critical listening

There are several types of listening you can develop both at home and at work.

Let’s explore seven of these types of listening, why they matter, and what they can look
like:
1. Informational listening

When you want to learn something, you’ll use informational listening to understand and
retain information. 

It usually takes a high level of concentration to perform this type of listening. That’s
because you need to be highly engaged  to understand a new concept.

You also need to apply critical thinking to what you are learning. This is so you can
understand what you’re learning within the context of relevant information.

Some examples of informational listening include:

 Work training
 Self-paced learning at home or at work
 Listening to an educational ebook
 Coaching

When you know how to use informational listening, you empower yourself to become a
better learner. By actively learning and improving yourself, you can become a more
valuable asset in your place of work.

You can also feel more fulfilled when you pursue your passions and learn something
new at home.

2. Discriminative listening

Discriminative listening is the first listening type that you’re born with.

Everyone innately has discriminative listening skills.

You use this type of listening before you even know how to understand words. Instead of
relying on words, discriminative listening uses tone of voice, verbal cues, and other
changes in sound.

Discriminative listening is how babies understand the intention of a phrase before they
can understand words. If someone speaks to them in a happy and amused tone of voice,
they’ll smile and laugh back.

They can also tell who is talking because they recognize different voices.

But discriminative listening isn’t just for babies.

If you’re listening to a conversation happening in a foreign language, you’ll likely

automatically use your discriminative listening skills.

These will allow you to analyze tone and inflection to get an idea of what is going on.

You can also use nonverbal cues to listen and analyze. For instance, someone’s facial
expressions, body language, and other mannerisms can tell you a lot about the meaning
of someone’s message.
You shouldn't discount discriminative listening, even if you understand someone’s
language.

This listening style is key to understanding the subtle cues in a conversation. Using this
listening skill can help you read between the lines and hear what remains unspoken.

Here’s an example: 

Let’s say you ask one of your colleagues if they agree with a course of action.

They say yes, but you can tell from their body language, such as shifting uncomfortably,
that something is wrong. 

Using your discriminative listening skills, you can pick up on this and ask them if they’re
certain. You can also ask if something is going on that they’d like to discuss.

3. Biased listening 

Biased listening is also known as selective listening.

Someone who uses biased listening will only listen for information that they specifically
want to hear.

This listening process can lead to a distortion of facts. That’s because the person
listening isn’t fully in tune with what the speaker wishes to communicate.

Here’s an example: 
Let’s say your superior is briefing you on a new project. You’re waiting to hear about the
details of this assignment because you’ve been excited for a long time about it.

Because you’re so focused on the details of the assignment, you don’t fully hear
everything your superior says. As a result, you hear  your superior explain how you’ll be
judged on this project, but you don’t fully process it.

Because you don’t have this information, you may not perform as well as you could if
you had understood all the details.

4. Sympathetic listening

Sympathetic listening is driven by emotion.

Instead of focusing on the message spoken through words, the listener focuses on the
feelings and emotions of the speaker.

This is done to process these feelings and emotions.

By using sympathetic listening, you can provide the support the speaker needs. You can
understand how they’re really feeling , not what they say they are feeling.

The speaker will feel heard and validated when you take the time to pay attention in this
way.

Sympathetic listening is crucial if you want to build a deeper relationship with someone
in your life.

For example, let’s say you run into a work colleague at the grocery store. They seem
upset, so you decide to listen to what they have to say.

You also use sympathetic listening to feel how they are feeling. In doing this, you notice
how frustrated they are about the lack of recognition they are getting at work.

As a result, you can offer your support and sympathize with their situation.
5. Comprehensive listening

Unlike discriminative listening, comprehensive listening requires language skills.

This type of listening is usually developed in early childhood.

People use comprehensive listening to understand what someone is saying using words.

Several other types of listening build on comprehensive listening. For example, you need
to use comprehensive listening to use informational listening and learn something new.

At work and in your life, you’ll likely use a combination of comprehensive and
discriminative listening to understand the messages people are giving you.

For example, let’s say your colleague briefs you on a project. You’ll need to use
comprehensive listening to analyze the words and understand the message.

You’ll also use comprehensive listening when you receive feedback .

6. Empathetic or therapeutic listening

Empathetic listening is useful to help you see from other people’s perspectives.

Using this type of listening, you can try to understand someone else’s point of view as
they’re speaking. You can also try to imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Instead of just focusing on their message, you can use empathetic listening to relate to
someone else’s experiences as if they were your own.

This is different from sympathetic listening.

With sympathetic listening, you try to understand someone’s feelings to provide support.
But you don’t necessarily try to imagine what it’d feel like to be in their position.

Here’s an example: 

Let’s say your superior just announced that this week’s company outing is canceled due
to budget cuts.

By using empathetic listening, you can tell how much pressure your superior is feeling.
You can imagine yourself having to break the bad news. 

You know there’s pressure from higher-ups to respect the budget. You also know that
there’s pressure from employees.

Instead of getting upset, you understand why your superior made this decision. That’s
because you can imagine what it’s like to be in their shoes at this moment.

7. Critical listening 

If you need to analyze complex information, you’ll need to use critical listening.

Using critical thinking while listening goes deeper than comprehensive listening. Instead
of taking the information at face value, you can use critical listening to evaluate what’s
being said.

Critical listening is crucial when problem-solving at work. 

For example, you’d use this type of listening when trying to choose how to handle an
unusual and complex client request.

You need to use this skill to analyze solutions offered by other people and decide if you
agree or not. 

To do this, you don’t just need to hear their words. You also need to look at the bigger
picture and compare everything you know.