What is Communication and Why Does it Sometimes Fail?

Communication is a method of exchanging information. A sender first sends a message using a process known as transmission. Second, using a process known as reception, a receiver reads the message. The message is then acted upon by a messenger, or listener, who communicates it on to someone else.

There are also four basic communication goals:

• to obtain information from another
• to express oneself to another
• to persuade someone to change their viewpoint
• to make another person happy

What are the three different styles of communication?

Speech, writing, and body language are the three styles of communication that can be used in any interaction with another person.

Speech: This is the simplest and most direct method of communication. People who use speech get their information through their mouth. They can use it to communicate with others as well. When communicating with someone you know well, though, you can usually grasp what they’re attempting to communicate. If you’re using it with someone you don’t know well, you might need to ask questions or spend some time getting to know them better before you comprehend them.

Writing: Not only may this be used to communicate with others, but it can also be used to keep track of information and memories. People who use writing get their information through their hand and fingers. This is a useful method for writing down ideas and sharing them with others. If you don’t have any speech problems or don’t want to interrupt your chat to talk, it’s also a good approach to share information with others.

Body language: This is when people communicate with each other by using gestures, movement, and other body-related skills and objects. The eyes, head, shoulders, arms, and hands are all used by those who use body language to communicate. If you want to persuade someone to change their mind, this is a great way to do it. You can influence someone’s mind in an instant if you know how to use it effectively. If you do this without first getting to know the individual, you may need to spend some time getting to know them before you can persuade them to change their minds.

Why does communication go wrong at times?

We must concentrate on two important areas to develop communication skills:

• First figure out where we’re having trouble reaching a common understanding of what we’re trying to express.

• Second, once we have a common understanding, we must practise saying it out loud.

Let’s start with a step back and establishing what we’re trying to say:

What is our communication goal? Is it a brief statement with a single goal? Or do we want to send a message with many goals and discuss a variety of topics?

Let’s have a look at the methods of communication we employ:

E-mail: This is a simple and straightforward method of communication. We compose an e-mail and send it to a specific recipient. We are not required to share our vision or to converse with one another when writing a message in a specified format. Furthermore, we do not have to face each other when communicating via e-mail.

Phone call: This is similar to e-mail, except that instead of sending an e-mail, we phone each other and talk to each other face to face. We can communicate and converse freely even if we are across the country. This mode of communication, on the other hand, is best suited for small and rapid communications. If we just want to convey a quick message, we can talk for a few minutes.

Text message: With this method, we use a small text or a message that contains many words. We may communicate whatever we want this way, but it can be tough to organise and interpret text messages. If we write more than one or two lines, it can be highly difficult for both parties to utilise. This might lead to misconceptions and a sense of bewilderment.

Zoom/Teams: This is a quick and easy way to communicate. We can stream live video and make a free phone call. We may also share a document, which is quite useful. We only need a fast internet connection, but it can be useful and entertaining when communicating with a colleague in another country.

WhatsApp: We can communicate and organise our meetings in a more practical and flexible manner by sharing photographs and videos. We can schedule meetings and deliver messages at the appropriate times. We may also send each other messages and share images, as well as enquire about who is coming, who needs a ride, and anything else we want to know.

Social Media: One of the most prevalent and fastest means of communication is through social media. It is something that we all use to communicate what we need with our friends. We can exchange photos, videos, and even stories in a matter of seconds. Others can provide us with ideas. This can be a highly practical and convenient method of exchanging thoughts, and we can share everything we please.

Communication sometimes fails because:

• Both the sender and the recipient must understand the message in the same way for the communication process to work.

• There is a disconnect between the sender, the message, or the recipient. This breakdown is more likely to occur if the sender sends a message that is ambiguous or confusing.

• The message isn’t being presented in the most effective way possible.

• The message is not delivered to the intended recipient.

• The receiver is preoccupied.

• The recipient misunderstands the information and fails to provide feedback to the sender.

The key takeaways

Communication is a method of exchanging information.

There are three different styles of communication – speech, writing and body language.

People who use speech get their information through their mouth, and can also use it to communicate with others.

Writing may this be used to communicate with others, but it can also be used to keep track of information and memories.

Body language is when people communicate with each other by using gestures, movement and objects.

In order to communicate effectively, we must first work out what we’re trying to say and then practise saying it out loud.

There are different communication methods to use – e-mail, phone calls, text messages and video chats.

Communication sometimes fails because:

Both the sender and the recipient must understand the message in the same way for the process to work.

There is a disconnect between the sender, the message, or the recipient.

This breakdown is more likely to occur if the message isn’t being presented in the most effective way possible.