The prime objectives of setting up a communication is to exchange facts and information in a manner which is acceptable to concerned people and which will lead to a cooperative action by all concerned. Effective communication is an essential for achieving the overall goals of an organization. For making communication effective, a manager should consider the following principles of communication. These principles are not exclusive, but illustrative, as more can be added to them.
1. Consistency
The communication should be consistent with the plans, policies, programs and objective of the enterprise. Above all, the communication should also be consistent. Inconsistency in communication may reduce the effectiveness of communication and sometimes it does not remain reliable due to inconsistency.
2. Clarity
The communicated message should be clear; it should be communicated in simple, easy and commonly understood language. Clarity of thought is the soul of the communication. It is the speaker who makes them meaningful and it is the receiver who interprets them, so whatever is conveyed should be conveyed in an unambiguous manner. Selection of words to be used in the communication should be made properly so that the words do not have dual meaning. Difficult and high sounding words obscure the meaning.
3. Complete
The message should be complete with respect to thought as well as content. Incomplete messages will create confusion in the mind of the receiver and he will be forced to seek clarification from the sender. This will lead to slowing down of the communication process. To ensure completeness, answer all the questions, give all the relevant facts. One should always check for the basic questions i.e., what, why, where, when, who. For example, while announcing a meeting, specify what is to be discussed in the meeting, why it is being held, where the meeting is to be held, when it is being held and who is to attend the meeting.
4. Effective Listening
A communicator must be a good listener too. Proper listening assures the speaker that the listener is sincere and can be trusted. He/she has emphasized to stop talking because without stopping talking, one cannot listen too. To quote Brain Tracy, "Listening builds trust." We trust people who listen to us and we are more open to their influence, guidance and persuasion. The sender of the message should emphasize on the receiver for the attentive listening at the time of delivering the message.
5. Concise
The message should be concise and in concrete form. Ruskin said, "Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words." It should not contain irrelevant content and words. In nutshell, to retain the attention as well as to save time of the reader, it is essential that the message should be concise. Conciseness means conveying the message in fewest possible words without sacrificing its completeness.
6. Adequacy
Communication should be adequate and complete, not broken or incomplete. Inadequate communication delays action. It spoils understanding as well as good relations. Efficiency of both the communicator and recipient is affected.
7. Correct
We should not transmit any message unless we are absolutely convinced of its accuracy and authenticity. The message to be communicated should be correct in spelling, grammar, format, contents, statistics, information etc. It is very essential to use correct facts and correct style. Also the message should be transmitted or sent at correct time. Delayed and outdated messages cause loss of time and money. It is often said that information delayed is information denied. Transmission of incorrect information to outsiders may spoil relations and reputation.
8. Use of Informal Channels of Communication
The principle states that management must make use of informal communication as much as possible. This will serve twin purpose of bringing management closer to the workers and also avoid a delay in the communication. Moreover very often, management extracts such information from the informal channels which would never have been obtained through the formal channels e.g., information concerned with the problems and complaints of the workers are normally suppressed and distorted by the formal channels in the organization. Therefore, best way of knowing such problems, grievances etc. is to establish personal or informal contacts with workers.
9. Selecting the Proper Media
Proper media of communication should be followed, for instance in case of formal relations, written communication should be followed, illiterate workers should be instructed through oral and visual communication. All the aspects of oral and written communication should be examined before transmitting the communication.
10. Charts and diagrams
These may help to communicate the ideas more effectively. If your communication is oral, as in case of a presentation, or if it's in writing charts and diagrams will definitely help.
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