Communication - The Most Important Soft Skill of a Human Being

 

Communication is the transfer of information from one place to another. In relationships, communication allows you to explain to someone else what you are experiencing and what your needs are. 

The act of communicating not only helps to meet your needs, but it also helps you to connect with the other person. In business, communication skills are highly valued in leaders. 

In the case of many relationship breakdowns, lack of good communication is often cited as the reason. Communication stops the inevitable issues which arise in any relationship from simmering under the surface for too long and becoming toxic. 

It doesn't matter if it's your spouse, parent, child, or best friend; communication is vital in every relationship. But in relationships where one party has suffered hearing loss, communications can pose a particular challenge. What role do digital technologies play and will they ever replace personal, face-to-face interactions?

Words are important but good non-verbal communication should not be underestimated. We are constantly delivering non-verbal cues such as gestures, movements, and expressions in our social and business life to deliver a specific message to other people. Handshakes, eye contact, and touching all help to impart how we are feeling. 

There is even evidence to suggest that non-verbal communication is even more effective than verbal communication in certain situations. The continued popularity of sign language among deaf people or those hard of hearing demonstrates the importance of visual cues in the practice of communication. 

Not neglecting sign language, of course, where deaf and/or hard of hearing people are communicating in a non-verbal way. 

Communications in hearing loss relationships

While good communication is tough to achieve in any relationship, research suggests it is even more challenging when one person has hearing difficulties. 

The US National Hearing Health Poll in 2011 reported that, of around 1500 people who reported having hearing difficulties, 44% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “Hearing difficulties can negatively impact my relationships with family and friends”. 

In Scarinci et al’s 2008 study on the effect of hearing impairment in older people on the spouse, subjects reported frustration in communication and communication strategies including increased time and effort, less spontaneous conversation, and frustration at having to repeat. 

In Preminger et al’s 2015 study into the effect on adult children, if one parent had hearing loss, they described detrimental negative effects and disagreeable coping strategies (for example yelling and having to make an extra effort). 

While frustrations were not as great as those reported by spouses, many adult children experienced a feeling of loss at the reduced communication and relationship with their parents. 

“Communication is the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs”-American College Dictionary.

The word communication has many ramifications. It is basically a process of interaction with the people and their environment. Through such interac­tions, two or more individuals influence the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes of each other. 

Such interactions take place through the exchange of information through words, gestures, signs, symbols, and expressions. In organizations, communication is a continuous process of giving and receiving information and building social relationships.

The word ‘communication’ is derived from the Latin word communism, which means common, because commonness of understanding is an essential component of all kinds of communications, more particularly in organizational communication. 

Without common un­derstanding, communication in organizations creates more misunderstand­ings and people may become directionless. Today, we talk about a shared vision in organizations. To develop a shared vision, we need effective com­munication mechanisms.

Even for day-to-day operational issues, communi­cation plays a great role in clarifying doubts and in making the efforts of the people result-oriented. 

What is important for us is to understand that in our ancient texts, we have enough reference of non-verbal communication be­tween man, nature, and animals. Communication with nature and animals was considered the best way to reinforce learning in the Indian gurukul sys­tem of learning. 

Therefore, communication is as old as our civilization. Even in pre-civilization days, non-verbal communication was in existence between man, nature, and animals. 

In organizations, however, language-based or verbal communication is more important. With language, communication within and outside the orga­nizations became much more effective and global. 

Market Globalisation

With market globalization, the English language has been accepted as a medium of communication even by the countries such as China, Japan, Russia, France, and Germany, whose considered policy was to communicate—while trading with the various coun­tries of the world—in their own languages, but that did not work well. There­fore, with language, communication in organizations becomes much more simple and meaningful. 

We can identify the following elements of communication

•  Communication is a two-way process. It involves a sender and a receiver. The sender or receiver can be an individual or a group. 

•  All communication carries a message. Message can be in the form of information, a directive, an inquiry, a feeling, an opinion, an idea, or in any other form.

• Communication can occur only when there is the commonness of under­standing between the sender and the receiver. The commonness in­cludes factors like common culture, common language, and common environment. Words, phrases, idioms, proverbs, gestures, and expres­sions are deeply cultured and possess a high communicative potential for people from similar backgrounds. 
• Communication must be able to evoke a response from the receiver, which would be evident in the form of some behavioral changes. 

• The method of communication can be verbal, that is, through words, or non-verbal, that is, through signs, gestures, expressions, etc. 

All these five elements can also be called the process of communication, that is, sender, message, method, receiver, and the response of the receiver.

Nature of Communication

Communication can be divided broadly into two categories.

These are:

•  Verbal Communication 

• Non-Verbal Communication 

Verbal communication is the use of words and languages for interaction between two or more individuals. It can be either oral or written. Hence, speaking, listening, reading, or writing are all classified under verbal communication. Since this type of communication elicits immediate feedback, in organizations, we make extensive use of verbal communication.

Non-verbal communication can occur without the use of words. This type of communication sensitizes our senses, and thereby evokes responses, depend­ing on the way we interpret a particular cue. It is often referred to as body language, that is, any non-flexible or re-flexile body movements of the commu­nicator that carry some meaning. 

Gestures, facial expressions, glancing, star­ing, smiling, and raising of a finger are some examples of body language that carry some meaning. In organizations, non-verbal communication is very important for interpersonal relations. 

Based on organizational practices, communication can further be divided into internal and external, formal and informal, downward and upward, horizontal and diagonal, and grapevine. The flow of information within the organization is known as internal communication, which may be either formal or informal in nature.

External communication takes place between two organizations, that is, between the organizations and others outside the organizations. Formal communication is official communication, while informal communication takes place between members within the formal organization.

Communication that flows from superiors to subordinates is downward communication, whereas communication that flows from subordinates to superiors is upward communication. Horizontal communica­tion takes place between two equals, that is, between persons working at the same level in organizations.

Conclusion

Communication is of the greatest importance. It is important to sharing out one's thoughts and feelings to live a fuller and happier life. The more we communicate the less we suffer and the better we feel about everything around us.

Communication is not just worded it is a mixture of tone and body language. You can effectively utilize your voice tone and body language to convey your message. It is often advised to establish eye to eye contact wherever possible rather than other forms of indirect communication. 

Not only for this sometimes you send the wrong message just only one word also will make you lose money or harm people in business. So that, in the business ways communication is very important sometimes not only business ways when u talk with people also will spoil your morality. 

You should be careful in accepting a “yes” response because when people ask do you understand if you really misunderstood he or she say what but you say yes to him or her then you also don’t know what he or she says just now but you accept people already. 

So that, communication is very important no matter what living creature also have communication even though a pig or dog also got communication. They use their own communication you don’t know only. 

Written By - Akshita Sharma

Edited By - Akash Verma