Tony At 10: NOW LISTEN UP!; BLOG # 2175; FRI FEB 15, 2019

THE MESSAGE:

In our societies, individuals start to participate in personal relationships very early. Communication begins with parents, siblings and relatives.

It soon expands to friends, acquaintances and authority figures. As we continue to grow, those relationships widen to include romantic relationships.

It is not surprising to see how hard it can be to apply our learning from family, school, sports teams, work or other situations to our most important relationships.

Communication can be defined as the act of transferring information from one place to another. There are various categories of communication and more than one may occur at any time.

Spoken or Verbal Communication: face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media.

Non-Verbal Communication: body language, gestures, how we dress or act - even our scent.

Written Communication: letters, e-mails, books, magazines, the Internet or via other media.

Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can communicate messages.

THE BLURB:

For this blog I have chosen concentrate on face to face or interpersonal communication.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of a communication process. To be effective, it must minimize any potential misunderstanding and overcome any barriers to the process at every stage. There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In many communications, what is said may not be received exactly as the sender intended. Because communication must be a two way street, it is important that the sender looks for feedback to ensure the message has been correctly received. The receiver must seek clarification from the sender to ensure that any interpretations by the receiver were indeed the intentions of the sender. All of this must take place before any emotional reactions of anger or frustration occur.

For the receiver, the skills of active listening, clarification and reflection are critical; however, the communicator needs to be aware of the barriers to effective communication and how to avoid them. There are many barriers to communication and these may occur at any point in the process.

Common Boosters to Effective Communication:

Charisma, is an important aid to making a point when it relates to the communicator. e.g. Bobby Kennedy or Marin Luther King.

Expertise, is a very important factor that helps the communicator send messages.e.g. a good teacher or sales person.

Societal status, lends much credibility to a speaker.e.g. a sports hero or movie star.

Authority, is often the reason that a speaker is heard.eg a police constable or principal.

Big stick Power is sometimes effective in situations where the listeners have limited freedom.eg Kim Jong Un or Vladimir Putin. When the big stick or bully is removed people tend to make their own decisions.

Common Barriers to Effective Communication:

The use of over-complicated, unfamiliar or technical terms often leads to confusion.

Some topics may be completely off limits. Difficult topics may include, but are not limited to, politics, religion, disabilities, sexuality and racism. or other differences of opinion, perception or viewpoint.
The lack of attention, interest, distractions or irrelevance by the receiver may be a reality.

Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties may occur.
Not being able to recognize the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.
Phone calls, text messages and other communication methods that rely on technology are often less effective than face-to-face communication.
Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.

Expectations and prejudices may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People often hear what they want to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions. Political or Cultural differences may exist. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed.
Systematic barriers to communication may exist where there are inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where there is a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication.

Behaviours or perceptions can prevent people from communicating effectively. By developing one's emotional intelligence he or she will become more aware of how to communicate with others in the most appropriate and effective ways.

Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, resistance to change or a lack of motivation. To be an effective receiver of messages you should attempt to overcome your own attitudinal barriers.

THE QUESTION: