Formal vs Informal Communication - How They Differ
by Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d./th.
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
A lot of people are looking for information on formal vs informal communication. They are particularly looking for the difference between the two.
Both informal communication and formal communication take place in any organization whether it be business or personal. But how does informal and formal communication differ? First, let's take a look at informal communication.
Informal communication:
Informal communication is casual and spontaneous. Informal communication comes from communication activities outside of those formally learned through discipline or at school through education, or in business through related experiences and formal training.
It comes from the social communication of home family culture, casual conversations and grapevines, rumors, inter-relational activities outside of the formal or public arenas.
We do not behave the same way at work as we do at home or at play. I always say that people are at their best at work. We really don't know someone until we've stayed with them outside of work for a few days -- or even a few hours with some people.
Informal communication may not be as reliant as formal communication. Informal communication may be vulnerable to being deceptive and imprecise in its casualness - -consciously or unconsciously.
In an informal setting, the quality of communication may be affected by the more relaxed or careless attitude or behaviour. Informal communication is what takes place without the formal addition of conventions and ceremonies.
In order to understand the difference between formal and informal communication, we need to look at both and compare some of the variances between the two. So let's now take a look at formal communication.
Formal communication:
Formal communication is more thought-out and prepared from learned experiences or organized training that present rules and conventions authoritated by business and formal etiquette.
With formal communication, more accountability is expected. In an organizational setting, such as business, corporations or associations and the like, communication is connected with official status-quo or protocols of the formal channels of structure and company culture which the line of manager/subordinate reporting system is expectedly accepted.
In business, the different forms of formal communication including departmental functionality, activities taking place within meeting and conference settings, verbal and written communication through telephone, memos, letters and bulletins, etc., all add up to the formality.
In a formal setting, people take the time to recognize the consequences of transmitting any wrong or incomplete information.
However, both formal and informal communication is found in an organization, depending on the level of business experience and training one possesses in his or her personal life. An organization can make efficient use of informal communication by confirming and affirming that which is being communicated by the less trained individual.
Both informal communication and formal communication can be expressed verbally or non-verbally by words, tone of voice, signs such as glances and gestures and even silence. For the purpose of effective communication, one needs to identify and affirm anything that may be communicated formally or informally, if and when unsure of the true meaning behind the communicator./dmh
Diane M. Hoffmann is the founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and the web site http://communicationverbalnonverbal.blogspot.com which is the home of her e-books "Improve Communication: Verbal and Nonverbal" and "Improve Communication: Organization and Training" as well as her 296-page printed book "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". You may reprint this article making sure to include this bio with no changes.
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Saturday, April 2, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Miracle of Language and Linguistics
The Miracle of Language and Linguistics
by Diane M. Hoffmann
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
Language and linguistics are the names that refer, respectively, to the spoken forms of communication among the members of the various human cultures, and the science of such languages.
Linguistics include the study of human language and its phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics within the descriptive, historical, comparative and geographical structure and development and the relationship to other languages.
Language is the human speech or expression of communication of thoughts and feelings by means of vocal sounds.
A good cross-section of the meaning and descriptions of language and linguistics can be found in the Internet's Wikipedia.
But in this article, I'd like to give you a different perspective on the subject which you will not read anywhere else.
A few years ago, a prominent newspaper reported that until recently, science knew little of how humans developed language; through experiments with specially devised tools at the University of Indiana, researchers were able to send sounds of the human voice to children who are totally deaf.
The miracle, as described by those witnessing the scene, was not that children who were born deaf and never learned to speak were hearing and using spoken language for the first time… but ccording to Dr. Mary Joe Osberger, director of research in the department of otolaryngology, that until now, their ability to speak was zero, no matter how intensely they were trained.
This was a quantum step indeed into the sciences of the brain and language. It went on to say that because language is so important to humans, the brain “will not let it go”. For example, it says that children who suffer major damage on the left side of the brain from accidents or disease, can acquire language using the right side of the brains.”
The expert team said that after the age of seven, the flexibility to bounce language around in the brain diminishes… then relearning a language as a result of brain damage becomes more difficult.
It is beyond full explanation how important language is. Some evolutionists place language as the line between humans and animals.
But those who believe in God’s creation realize the magnitude of this fearfully and wonderfully made human body, in all its intricacies, which is made “a little lower than the angels” and which has been crowned “with glory and honor” (Psalms 8:4-6).
With language, we communicate in family and society, we learn, we teach our children, we run our communities and nations.
With language we can bless or curse our fellow human being… we exert power to move ahead in careers and in life. How wonderful God’s gift of tongue is.
The awesome complexity of language is further explained, in part, in the article reporting that, before birth human brain cells are created and assigned general jobs. After birth, a second wave of structural changes occurs as the number of connections, called synapses, are increased between brain cells.
The report explained that between birth and about age 1, the number of connections multiplies from about 50 trillion to 1,000 trillion. Then a third res-tructuring takes place between the ages of 4 and 10 where the brain seems “to glow like a nuclear reactor, pulsating at levels 225 percent higher than adult brains.”
It is said that during this time, learning a foreign language, math, a musical instrument or anything else is easy. Then beyond the age of 10, when the brain’s maps have been made, learning a language involves the building of new connections and the tearing apart of old ones. Wow!
This is where the real miracle comes in…
In Genesis, chapter 11, we read the story of Babel where God broke up the one world language of that time into many languages:
“Therefore is the name of it called, Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth”. (verse 9). That is a mighty miracle of God. These people had gone through all the biological and psychological transformations of language learning, and contained a whole nation of people including the old who had long passed the scientific reasoning “when the brain’s maps have been made and learning a language involves the building of new connections and the tearing apart of old ones.”
But “instantly” God changed their language and “confounded” them all into speaking many tongues right there and then so as to scatter them from their rebellious plan!
In light of what we discover today through science and technology, miracles we read about in the Bible are becoming more and more awesome./dmh
Article copyright(c)2009-2011, Diane M. Hoffmann. You may reprint this article without any changes, making sure to include this bio.
Diane M. Hoffmann is founder/director of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and the web site http://communicationverbalnonverbal.blogspot.com which offers free articles and tips on verbal and nonverbal communication. Diane is the author of the 296-page "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training and the 2-part ebook version of the same.
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Diane M. Hoffmann is founder/director of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and the web site http://communicationverbalnonverbal.blogspot.com which offers free articles and tips on verbal and nonverbal communication. Diane is the author of the 296-page "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training and the 2-part ebook version of the same.
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Three Communication Tools to Use to Better Communicate
by Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d/th
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
Three Communication Tools to Use to Better Communicate
Communication tools come in all types and forms. We have tools within verbal and nonverbal communication, such as the basic words and body language and the means of translating, interpreting, feedback, understanding and awareness.
Then we have the written word skills and media used to carry out this writing including the technology available such as computer hardware and software, visual equipment, sound equipment in public arena, etc.
But when we encounter problems during communication, we need tools to deal with them effectively.
The following are three communication tools within the tools of communication that I use and that can be applied to any situation.
Tool # 1 -- The 1-11 Measuring Scale(c):
If 0% is bad communication, and 100% is good communicate -- on a horizontal scale of 1 to 11, we have:
1 being 0% communication (bad, negative, destructive),
6 being 50% (poor, negative/positive) and
11 being 100% (good, positive, constructive)
Draw a horizontal line on a sheet of paper and write the numbers 1 to 11 from left to right, leaving about 1" space between the numbers.
Underneath the 1 write (vertically this time, one word under each):
0%, Bad, Negative, Destructive
Under the number 6, in the same vertical manner, write:
50%, Poor, Negative/Positive
And again, under the number 11, write:
100%, Good, Positive, Constructive
Use this scale to measure present daily communication habits -- ask yourself "On a scale of 1 to 11, where do I stand as the speaker (sender) or as the listener (receiver) in a particular issue.
Use it to check specific situations you might be unsure of. When faced with a problem, ask yourself, "On a scale of 1 to 11, where does the problem of communication fall?"
This will identify the level of the problem from 0% to 100%, and the equivalent level of corrective action required. In other words, if the problem is really serious (low on the scale), then a corrective action will be required. But if it is not low and does not alert any danger, you might forfeit any action and just tolerate it -- or "get used to it".
If the problem falls halfway between 0% and 100%, ask yourself, "What would the two extremes be if it extended one way or another?" In other word how bad could it get if I don’t do something about it, or how good could it get if I got rid of this problem. Depending on the answer, is the change necessary? Is it worth the effort?
Along this line, here's another tool to use:
Tool # 2 -- The 2Xtremes analysis(c):
Often, the indecisions we face are caused because problems fall within the gray areas between black and white (negative - positive) and not at an obvious extreme.
So if you need further focus on a problem, push the situation to the black or white extreme by asking pertinent questions from these two points of view. This will identify which side holds the solution or need attention and work.
For example: "I won't get that report done on time, so what's the worst scenario that could happen?" If it's not that important, you'll be able to make a decision and move on accordingly. If it is important, then you move on to "what's the solution?"
Here is an example of looking at a problem from the 2Xtremes analysis.
Have you ever come out of a store or coffee shop and someone else attempts to enter at the same time? Who has the right of way? Looking at it from the extreme, if the store was full and could not accommodate another person, those entering would have to let people out first and then they could get in.
So, based on that, it is a pretty good rule to say that those entering a building should give way to those exiting.
Another way to look at extremes is to look at important people and ask, "What would Einstein do in this situation?" or the Prime minister... "What would Ann Landers say?" Or my father, or mother, or boss, or husband, wife, an admired peer at work, or an expert in the subject at hand -- or you may ask "What would God say?". Then, you can use that extreme to come up with a decision or solution.
Tool #3 -- The 7-Points Problem Solving(c):
Every company should have a common strategy that all employees use to solve problems. That would be part of what is called the "house rules" or the corporate communication of a company. It should be part of the first-hand orientation of a new employee.
When people are faced with a problem, everyone in the company then knows how to handle it in the same manner so that all will be able to communicate with one another in the same language and picture -- in other words "be on the same page".
The way to look at a problem is to spend 20% on the problem and 80% on the solution -- not the other way around.
With that in mind, one needs to ask and answer the following questions:
1) What is the problem? Break it down into groups of not more than 3, that you can call by one name or sentence.
2) What’s the cause of this problem? Analyze facts only. Under each Group, break them down into 3 possible causes.
3) What’s the solution? Under each possible Cause, break this down into 3 possible solutions, 1 appropriate solution for each possible cause. Choosing the most promising, decide the best one to pursue (one at a time).
4) What’s the corrective action? Again, break down into 3 actions to be taken for that expected solution.
5) Monitor the result. Break down the Action into workable deadlines, and monitor on the time frames until corrected.
6) Follow up with every affected function or department. Continue to monitor and follow-up until every concern is satisfied.
7) Change the approach if needed. Go back to step 3 again and change it. If the first solution does not give the desired result, take the 2nd most possible solution. Work through steps 4, 5 & 6 until a solution is found. If all three fail, start from step 1 again.
These are three of the most popular tools within the tools from my book “Contextual Communication, Organization and Training” that I’m happy to share with you to help you improve communication./dmh
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
Three Communication Tools to Use to Better Communicate
Communication tools come in all types and forms. We have tools within verbal and nonverbal communication, such as the basic words and body language and the means of translating, interpreting, feedback, understanding and awareness.
Then we have the written word skills and media used to carry out this writing including the technology available such as computer hardware and software, visual equipment, sound equipment in public arena, etc.
But when we encounter problems during communication, we need tools to deal with them effectively.
The following are three communication tools within the tools of communication that I use and that can be applied to any situation.
Tool # 1 -- The 1-11 Measuring Scale(c):
If 0% is bad communication, and 100% is good communicate -- on a horizontal scale of 1 to 11, we have:
1 being 0% communication (bad, negative, destructive),
6 being 50% (poor, negative/positive) and
11 being 100% (good, positive, constructive)
Draw a horizontal line on a sheet of paper and write the numbers 1 to 11 from left to right, leaving about 1" space between the numbers.
Underneath the 1 write (vertically this time, one word under each):
0%, Bad, Negative, Destructive
Under the number 6, in the same vertical manner, write:
50%, Poor, Negative/Positive
And again, under the number 11, write:
100%, Good, Positive, Constructive
Use this scale to measure present daily communication habits -- ask yourself "On a scale of 1 to 11, where do I stand as the speaker (sender) or as the listener (receiver) in a particular issue.
Use it to check specific situations you might be unsure of. When faced with a problem, ask yourself, "On a scale of 1 to 11, where does the problem of communication fall?"
This will identify the level of the problem from 0% to 100%, and the equivalent level of corrective action required. In other words, if the problem is really serious (low on the scale), then a corrective action will be required. But if it is not low and does not alert any danger, you might forfeit any action and just tolerate it -- or "get used to it".
If the problem falls halfway between 0% and 100%, ask yourself, "What would the two extremes be if it extended one way or another?" In other word how bad could it get if I don’t do something about it, or how good could it get if I got rid of this problem. Depending on the answer, is the change necessary? Is it worth the effort?
Along this line, here's another tool to use:
Tool # 2 -- The 2Xtremes analysis(c):
Often, the indecisions we face are caused because problems fall within the gray areas between black and white (negative - positive) and not at an obvious extreme.
So if you need further focus on a problem, push the situation to the black or white extreme by asking pertinent questions from these two points of view. This will identify which side holds the solution or need attention and work.
For example: "I won't get that report done on time, so what's the worst scenario that could happen?" If it's not that important, you'll be able to make a decision and move on accordingly. If it is important, then you move on to "what's the solution?"
Here is an example of looking at a problem from the 2Xtremes analysis.
Have you ever come out of a store or coffee shop and someone else attempts to enter at the same time? Who has the right of way? Looking at it from the extreme, if the store was full and could not accommodate another person, those entering would have to let people out first and then they could get in.
So, based on that, it is a pretty good rule to say that those entering a building should give way to those exiting.
Another way to look at extremes is to look at important people and ask, "What would Einstein do in this situation?" or the Prime minister... "What would Ann Landers say?" Or my father, or mother, or boss, or husband, wife, an admired peer at work, or an expert in the subject at hand -- or you may ask "What would God say?". Then, you can use that extreme to come up with a decision or solution.
Tool #3 -- The 7-Points Problem Solving(c):
Every company should have a common strategy that all employees use to solve problems. That would be part of what is called the "house rules" or the corporate communication of a company. It should be part of the first-hand orientation of a new employee.
When people are faced with a problem, everyone in the company then knows how to handle it in the same manner so that all will be able to communicate with one another in the same language and picture -- in other words "be on the same page".
The way to look at a problem is to spend 20% on the problem and 80% on the solution -- not the other way around.
With that in mind, one needs to ask and answer the following questions:
1) What is the problem? Break it down into groups of not more than 3, that you can call by one name or sentence.
2) What’s the cause of this problem? Analyze facts only. Under each Group, break them down into 3 possible causes.
3) What’s the solution? Under each possible Cause, break this down into 3 possible solutions, 1 appropriate solution for each possible cause. Choosing the most promising, decide the best one to pursue (one at a time).
4) What’s the corrective action? Again, break down into 3 actions to be taken for that expected solution.
5) Monitor the result. Break down the Action into workable deadlines, and monitor on the time frames until corrected.
6) Follow up with every affected function or department. Continue to monitor and follow-up until every concern is satisfied.
7) Change the approach if needed. Go back to step 3 again and change it. If the first solution does not give the desired result, take the 2nd most possible solution. Work through steps 4, 5 & 6 until a solution is found. If all three fail, start from step 1 again.
These are three of the most popular tools within the tools from my book “Contextual Communication, Organization and Training” that I’m happy to share with you to help you improve communication./dmh
Diane M. Hoffmann is owner/manager of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications, which offers ONline and OFFline business services and resources. She is the founder and creator of this web site http://business-resources-hrc.blogspot.com and author of several books, e-books and articles, including "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Copyright(c)2009-2011 Diane M. Hoffmann. You may reprint this article without any changes, making sure to include this bio.
The 3-D of Effective Communication
by Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d/th
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
The 3-D of Effective Communication
How do we communicate now? Poorly. The majority of people communicate at a very shallow surface level. Studies have shown that most people communicate at 50% effectiveness -- even in a two-way communication. I venture to say that it is often less than that.
Just think how often you are frustrated by your boss, your peers, your spouse, your children... on a daily basis. How many times are you misunderstood? How many times do you have to explain that you didn't mean something the way it was perceived or received by your listener?
How many times at work have you been interrupted to never have had the chance to get back to that important discussion where you wanted to clear yourself of a misunderstanding? Often, even the explanation of a misunderstanding is misunderstood -- sometimes angrily, sometimes silently.
How many times have you kept silent rather than risking offending someone as you would genuinely try to find out where a misunderstanding came from, or try to explain your position.
How ought we to communicate? We have to communicate on a much deeper level. We must go beneath the surface which is where most people operate at now. There is a 3-D to communication amongst the words, the surface, and the lines we use.
This 3-Dimensional element is a critical part of communication. You've heard the expression "reading between the lines". This is only one dimension. There is also reading below the surface and reading behind the words.
When words are spoken, listen beyond the mere words -- where reality is found. A lot of people have a limited vocabulary and don't use the precise words they really mean. Studies have shown that one of the major causes for the aggression of violent or criminal people is the inability to express themselves, and consequently their being misunderstood, ignored or misjudged.
If you don't understand someone or if what he/she is saying doesn't make sense, ask questions -- or wait until the rest of the discussion clarifies itself. The best way to do this is to listen. Listening doesn't mean keeping quiet only.
Someone may say one thing while meaning another. Sometimes they may be trying to tell you something without taking the responsibility of having said it. Of course, there has to be a constructive reason to probe in these cases -- sometimes it's best to leave it alone, depending on the motives.
For instance, one may be trying to say that somebody in the office is having an affair. That, you're best to leave alone. Or one may be saying something that may indicate he/she will be leaving the company, which will create an opening. If you've been looking for that opening, you might want to start some smart probing in order to inform yourself about it before you lose the opportunity.
Watch for hints and cues along the discussion with people. That's “contextual listening”, looking at the surrounding context, making the effort to understand what the person is thinking, not just saying. Understand where the person speaking is coming from -- that's being aware of the context of the speaker. At times a person may be full of air, but at other times he/she may be telling a truth worth investigating or expanding. This can be at work as much as at home -- the principles of communication are the same anywhere.
Sometimes people say one thing because of something else -- what is that something else? If it's not clear, make the effort to understand where the person is going with what is being said; what is the ultimate result the person is trying to get at; if these results are not demonstrated during the communication, ask wise questions rather than respond negatively to something not understood. Give the conversation time to finish.
As you can see listening is active.
Speaking about a dissatisfied job at work, someone said, "After January 1st, there is nothing to hold me back." To an effective listener, this should have raised questions like, "Hold you back from what?" "Nothing" means there was something before January 1st -- what was that something? Why is it not there anymore? What is the person saying, or getting at, or trying to bring attention to? Often, we just leave it there and nod politely.
We say something the way we do because of our own contextual situation from our past experiences, the knowledge of our present or the hopes of our future. To listen (or receive) actively means to be aware that there is more than "meets the ear". This is where the Translating, Interpreting, Feedback, Understanding and Awareness responsibilities take place.
It is the responsibility of every communicator to find out when something is unclear. But, if the person being addressed only thinks of what he/she is going to say next, there will be no perception and no opportunity to respond in a connecting manner. This is where the cue will be given to the sender that the listener is not listening.
If the speaker expects the listener to say "yes" and the listener gives an irrelevant reply, then that's the tip-off that the listener's mind was on something else. How often does that happen to you? The speaker can then pick up the topic, the phrase or the question again and re-state it, for the satisfactory result.
This requires the on-going use of the 3-D tool which is "to read between the lines, read below the surface and read behind the words"./dmh
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
The 3-D of Effective Communication
How do we communicate now? Poorly. The majority of people communicate at a very shallow surface level. Studies have shown that most people communicate at 50% effectiveness -- even in a two-way communication. I venture to say that it is often less than that.
Just think how often you are frustrated by your boss, your peers, your spouse, your children... on a daily basis. How many times are you misunderstood? How many times do you have to explain that you didn't mean something the way it was perceived or received by your listener?
How many times at work have you been interrupted to never have had the chance to get back to that important discussion where you wanted to clear yourself of a misunderstanding? Often, even the explanation of a misunderstanding is misunderstood -- sometimes angrily, sometimes silently.
How many times have you kept silent rather than risking offending someone as you would genuinely try to find out where a misunderstanding came from, or try to explain your position.
How ought we to communicate? We have to communicate on a much deeper level. We must go beneath the surface which is where most people operate at now. There is a 3-D to communication amongst the words, the surface, and the lines we use.
This 3-Dimensional element is a critical part of communication. You've heard the expression "reading between the lines". This is only one dimension. There is also reading below the surface and reading behind the words.
When words are spoken, listen beyond the mere words -- where reality is found. A lot of people have a limited vocabulary and don't use the precise words they really mean. Studies have shown that one of the major causes for the aggression of violent or criminal people is the inability to express themselves, and consequently their being misunderstood, ignored or misjudged.
If you don't understand someone or if what he/she is saying doesn't make sense, ask questions -- or wait until the rest of the discussion clarifies itself. The best way to do this is to listen. Listening doesn't mean keeping quiet only.
Someone may say one thing while meaning another. Sometimes they may be trying to tell you something without taking the responsibility of having said it. Of course, there has to be a constructive reason to probe in these cases -- sometimes it's best to leave it alone, depending on the motives.
For instance, one may be trying to say that somebody in the office is having an affair. That, you're best to leave alone. Or one may be saying something that may indicate he/she will be leaving the company, which will create an opening. If you've been looking for that opening, you might want to start some smart probing in order to inform yourself about it before you lose the opportunity.
Watch for hints and cues along the discussion with people. That's “contextual listening”, looking at the surrounding context, making the effort to understand what the person is thinking, not just saying. Understand where the person speaking is coming from -- that's being aware of the context of the speaker. At times a person may be full of air, but at other times he/she may be telling a truth worth investigating or expanding. This can be at work as much as at home -- the principles of communication are the same anywhere.
Sometimes people say one thing because of something else -- what is that something else? If it's not clear, make the effort to understand where the person is going with what is being said; what is the ultimate result the person is trying to get at; if these results are not demonstrated during the communication, ask wise questions rather than respond negatively to something not understood. Give the conversation time to finish.
As you can see listening is active.
Speaking about a dissatisfied job at work, someone said, "After January 1st, there is nothing to hold me back." To an effective listener, this should have raised questions like, "Hold you back from what?" "Nothing" means there was something before January 1st -- what was that something? Why is it not there anymore? What is the person saying, or getting at, or trying to bring attention to? Often, we just leave it there and nod politely.
We say something the way we do because of our own contextual situation from our past experiences, the knowledge of our present or the hopes of our future. To listen (or receive) actively means to be aware that there is more than "meets the ear". This is where the Translating, Interpreting, Feedback, Understanding and Awareness responsibilities take place.
It is the responsibility of every communicator to find out when something is unclear. But, if the person being addressed only thinks of what he/she is going to say next, there will be no perception and no opportunity to respond in a connecting manner. This is where the cue will be given to the sender that the listener is not listening.
If the speaker expects the listener to say "yes" and the listener gives an irrelevant reply, then that's the tip-off that the listener's mind was on something else. How often does that happen to you? The speaker can then pick up the topic, the phrase or the question again and re-state it, for the satisfactory result.
This requires the on-going use of the 3-D tool which is "to read between the lines, read below the surface and read behind the words"./dmh
Diane M. Hoffmann is owner/manager of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications, which offers ONline and OFFline business services and resources. She is the founder and creator of this web site http://business-resources-hrc.blogspot.com and author of several books, e-books and articles, including "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Copyright(c)2009-2011 Diane M. Hoffmann. You may reprint this article without any changes, making sure to include this bio.
The Definition of Communication
by Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d/th
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
The Definition of Communication
In researching several relevant books in my library for the best definition of communication, I did not find one direct answer. Most described it in terms of the language, the process, the influence, etc.
The best definition I came across is the following:
Communication: "the act of transmitting. A giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc. To make known. To give information, messages. To have a systematic and meaningful relationship. A system for sending and receiving messages as by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc... A system as of routes for moving one place to another. The art of expressing ideas, esp. in speech and writing." (Websters New World Dictionary).
The Dictionary of Psychology by J. P. Chaplin also describes it as “a process of transmitting or receiving signals or messages.”
Thus in short, the definition of communication is: A system for sending and receiving messages.
This can be applied to human communication within personal, business and technology.
Because communication is a system for sending and receiving, it therefore requires a Sender and a Receiver. In business, it is a seller and a buyer, a consultant and a client, an employer and an employee, a supervisor and a worker or staff member. At home or in our personal lives it is one family member to another or one friend to another.
Within the definition of communication, there is also a verbal, vocal and nonverbal part of communication. Experts tell us that of the total impact of a presentation, only seven percent is determined by the words we use (verbal); thirty-eight percent by the tone of our voice (vocal), and a fifty-five percent comes from nonverbal cues.
In nonverbal communication, people don't even need to be conscious of sending a message. This may take place by means of facial expressions, head movements, body positions, acts and gestures, tones of voice, clothing, dress appearance and even odor!
Saying one thing while doing another is a powerful nonverbal communication. The supervisor tells the subordinate "always return to your original working file after saving a back up copy of your work", yet the supervisor doesn't do it; or management agrees with an employee's request to have staff meetings but does not implement them, etc.
In one company the manager gave a deadline for the production staff to come out with catalogs. Yet, that same manager held up the production by not providing the necessary input on time. This type of sloppy communication sends mixed messages and confusions. These inconsistencies speak louder than words.
In other instances, supervisors or senior personnel use their authority to take off early or carry on long personal conversations on the phone. The rest of the staff can't say anything and are supposed to ignore it and live with it; they don't want to create bad feelings and difficulties for themselves, but it bothers them and affects their attitudes. Again, this sends the wrong messages to the team.
These examples create bad relationships, frustrations and low morale. The worst part is that top management doesn't know it goes on. These supervisors are all nice and diplomatic in the presence of management, but they carry on devastatingly in their own departments.
In a training organization that specialized in providing management excellence to corporations, the office manager used to rave and rant when a staff member made a mistake in data entry, banging on the desk with her fist, yelling and swearing. In front of the management group she was as smooth and professional as you could expect anyone to be.
As leaders, how can we use communication more effectively? By remembering the definition of communication as being a system for sending and receiving that involves a sender and a receiver with equal responsibilities.
And armed with that, by applying workable concepts that create the environment to both talk (when we're the sender) and listen (when we're the receiver)to the staff.
It has become popular in many companies to use "Feedback" forms that employees are asked to send to their co-workers.
However, people are not going to write on them such situations as described above. No one is going to put down on these forms the negative experiences they tolerate from their supervisors/managers or their peers. It takes more than just forms. It takes personal and deliberate open communication.
And these same examples apply at home also within the daily definition of communication, activities and encounters of family members -- between a father and a mother, a parent and a child, a brother and a sister, an uncle or aunt and a nephew or niece, a grand-parent and a grand-child, etc…
It takes willingness and effort to improve communication. Again, the first thing to know is the definition of communication and the understanding of what it is and how it works. Then that knowledge must be applied – every day.
The typical rewards will be 50-100% improvement in areas of greater efficiency, less misunderstandings, better relationships, better environments, happier employees, higher morale, happier customers, better productivity, better corporate and personal results. Who doesn't want that?
In one of his Personal Power tapes, Anthony Robbins names 7 character traits that are imperative to success. One of them is "Develop Communication Skills". "Develop" is the key word.
It has to be developed by each one of us within that definition of communication as a system for sending and receiving messages by both an engaged sender and a receiver. /dmh
Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications
The Definition of Communication
In researching several relevant books in my library for the best definition of communication, I did not find one direct answer. Most described it in terms of the language, the process, the influence, etc.
The best definition I came across is the following:
Communication: "the act of transmitting. A giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc. To make known. To give information, messages. To have a systematic and meaningful relationship. A system for sending and receiving messages as by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc... A system as of routes for moving one place to another. The art of expressing ideas, esp. in speech and writing." (Websters New World Dictionary).
The Dictionary of Psychology by J. P. Chaplin also describes it as “a process of transmitting or receiving signals or messages.”
Thus in short, the definition of communication is: A system for sending and receiving messages.
This can be applied to human communication within personal, business and technology.
Because communication is a system for sending and receiving, it therefore requires a Sender and a Receiver. In business, it is a seller and a buyer, a consultant and a client, an employer and an employee, a supervisor and a worker or staff member. At home or in our personal lives it is one family member to another or one friend to another.
Within the definition of communication, there is also a verbal, vocal and nonverbal part of communication. Experts tell us that of the total impact of a presentation, only seven percent is determined by the words we use (verbal); thirty-eight percent by the tone of our voice (vocal), and a fifty-five percent comes from nonverbal cues.
In nonverbal communication, people don't even need to be conscious of sending a message. This may take place by means of facial expressions, head movements, body positions, acts and gestures, tones of voice, clothing, dress appearance and even odor!
Saying one thing while doing another is a powerful nonverbal communication. The supervisor tells the subordinate "always return to your original working file after saving a back up copy of your work", yet the supervisor doesn't do it; or management agrees with an employee's request to have staff meetings but does not implement them, etc.
In one company the manager gave a deadline for the production staff to come out with catalogs. Yet, that same manager held up the production by not providing the necessary input on time. This type of sloppy communication sends mixed messages and confusions. These inconsistencies speak louder than words.
In other instances, supervisors or senior personnel use their authority to take off early or carry on long personal conversations on the phone. The rest of the staff can't say anything and are supposed to ignore it and live with it; they don't want to create bad feelings and difficulties for themselves, but it bothers them and affects their attitudes. Again, this sends the wrong messages to the team.
These examples create bad relationships, frustrations and low morale. The worst part is that top management doesn't know it goes on. These supervisors are all nice and diplomatic in the presence of management, but they carry on devastatingly in their own departments.
In a training organization that specialized in providing management excellence to corporations, the office manager used to rave and rant when a staff member made a mistake in data entry, banging on the desk with her fist, yelling and swearing. In front of the management group she was as smooth and professional as you could expect anyone to be.
As leaders, how can we use communication more effectively? By remembering the definition of communication as being a system for sending and receiving that involves a sender and a receiver with equal responsibilities.
And armed with that, by applying workable concepts that create the environment to both talk (when we're the sender) and listen (when we're the receiver)to the staff.
It has become popular in many companies to use "Feedback" forms that employees are asked to send to their co-workers.
However, people are not going to write on them such situations as described above. No one is going to put down on these forms the negative experiences they tolerate from their supervisors/managers or their peers. It takes more than just forms. It takes personal and deliberate open communication.
And these same examples apply at home also within the daily definition of communication, activities and encounters of family members -- between a father and a mother, a parent and a child, a brother and a sister, an uncle or aunt and a nephew or niece, a grand-parent and a grand-child, etc…
It takes willingness and effort to improve communication. Again, the first thing to know is the definition of communication and the understanding of what it is and how it works. Then that knowledge must be applied – every day.
The typical rewards will be 50-100% improvement in areas of greater efficiency, less misunderstandings, better relationships, better environments, happier employees, higher morale, happier customers, better productivity, better corporate and personal results. Who doesn't want that?
In one of his Personal Power tapes, Anthony Robbins names 7 character traits that are imperative to success. One of them is "Develop Communication Skills". "Develop" is the key word.
It has to be developed by each one of us within that definition of communication as a system for sending and receiving messages by both an engaged sender and a receiver. /dmh
Diane M. Hoffmann is owner/manager of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications, which offers ONline and OFFline business services and resources. She is the founder and creator of this web site http://business-resources-hrc.blogspot.com and author of several books, e-books and articles, including "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Copyright(c)2009-2011 Diane M. Hoffmann. You may reprint this article without any changes, making sure to include this bio.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Workplace Communication – How To Make The Best Use of It
by Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d./th.
In its simplest form, communication is a system for sending and receiving messages. And when we do any of that within the workplace, as we do every day, we have “workplace communication”. How do we make the best use of it?
To understand what workplace communication is, one needs to first understand what communication itself is. Communication is a giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc., to give information and messages.
Communication is a process we use to have and keep a meaningful relationship. It is a system for sending and receiving messages as by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc... It is a system of routing for moving things from one place to another. It is the art of expressing ideas, especially in speech and writing. It is the science of transmitting information in symbol. It is all of these things and more.
Like all other basic communication, it needs to be developed, practiced and improved on a continuing basis. In the workplace, because we spend a large part of our daily lives at work, we first need the ability to communicate with others.
Within workplace communication we need to manage ourselves, our co-workers, our bosses, our suppliers and customers. We need to establish, cultivate and nurture business and personal relationships effectively and successfully.
How do we do that? For many, it does not come naturally. We get irritated by things and by people around us. We get frustrated if we cannot express ourselves properly. Many folks find it very hard to have any kind of relationship, let alone one at work. We often hear of conflicts, sometimes ending with tragic results.
One thing we all have in common: we all have to work at workplace communication. Some of us come into the workplace more equipped than others, some less. We decide what we need and initiate ourselves in the learning process. We may have to learn to communicate with diplomacy for example.
We may need to learn to become more persuasive communicators. We may need to learn to become better leaders in our own lives and in our own departments. We may need to learn to reduce stress in difficult situations, or in our overloaded responsibilities.
Whether we deal with our co-workers or our employees, we can improve workplace communication by learning to give and get constructive feedback. But first, we need to learn to be assertive. We need to be able to make contact with others and open up a conversation. We need to be interesting by reading interesting things that we can talk about, relating to our business. We need to smile more.
Workplace communication should flow from one person to another, from one department to another, from top management to bottom management.
Workplace communication takes many forms. It is verbal, nonverbal, written. It uses many means such as telephone, letters, memos, computers, Internet. Email has become the most common forms of workplace communication.
All of the above have one thing in common. It can all be learned. Whatever we are missing in workplace communication we can learn. We only need to be aware of it, be mindful of it and take the initiative to learn it and make the best use of it to our successful advantage. /dmh
Article Copyright(c)Diane M. Hoffmann. You may print this article making sure to include the following bio without any changes.
Diane M. Hoffmann is the founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and author of the 296-page printed book "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Diane also provides a 2-part e-book version of her printed book, "Improve Communication, Verbal and Nonverbal" and "Improve Communication, Organization and Training" as well as many free articles which can be seen at her blog at http://contextual-communication-hrd.blogspot.com/.
***Sign up for my weekly "TipSheet" on Communication Verbal-Nonverbal, Organization and Training...***
In its simplest form, communication is a system for sending and receiving messages. And when we do any of that within the workplace, as we do every day, we have “workplace communication”. How do we make the best use of it?
To understand what workplace communication is, one needs to first understand what communication itself is. Communication is a giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages by talk, gestures, writing, etc., to give information and messages.
Communication is a process we use to have and keep a meaningful relationship. It is a system for sending and receiving messages as by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc... It is a system of routing for moving things from one place to another. It is the art of expressing ideas, especially in speech and writing. It is the science of transmitting information in symbol. It is all of these things and more.
Like all other basic communication, it needs to be developed, practiced and improved on a continuing basis. In the workplace, because we spend a large part of our daily lives at work, we first need the ability to communicate with others.
Within workplace communication we need to manage ourselves, our co-workers, our bosses, our suppliers and customers. We need to establish, cultivate and nurture business and personal relationships effectively and successfully.
How do we do that? For many, it does not come naturally. We get irritated by things and by people around us. We get frustrated if we cannot express ourselves properly. Many folks find it very hard to have any kind of relationship, let alone one at work. We often hear of conflicts, sometimes ending with tragic results.
One thing we all have in common: we all have to work at workplace communication. Some of us come into the workplace more equipped than others, some less. We decide what we need and initiate ourselves in the learning process. We may have to learn to communicate with diplomacy for example.
We may need to learn to become more persuasive communicators. We may need to learn to become better leaders in our own lives and in our own departments. We may need to learn to reduce stress in difficult situations, or in our overloaded responsibilities.
Whether we deal with our co-workers or our employees, we can improve workplace communication by learning to give and get constructive feedback. But first, we need to learn to be assertive. We need to be able to make contact with others and open up a conversation. We need to be interesting by reading interesting things that we can talk about, relating to our business. We need to smile more.
Workplace communication should flow from one person to another, from one department to another, from top management to bottom management.
Workplace communication takes many forms. It is verbal, nonverbal, written. It uses many means such as telephone, letters, memos, computers, Internet. Email has become the most common forms of workplace communication.
All of the above have one thing in common. It can all be learned. Whatever we are missing in workplace communication we can learn. We only need to be aware of it, be mindful of it and take the initiative to learn it and make the best use of it to our successful advantage. /dmh
Article Copyright(c)Diane M. Hoffmann. You may print this article making sure to include the following bio without any changes.
Diane M. Hoffmann is the founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and author of the 296-page printed book "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Diane also provides a 2-part e-book version of her printed book, "Improve Communication, Verbal and Nonverbal" and "Improve Communication, Organization and Training" as well as many free articles which can be seen at her blog at http://contextual-communication-hrd.blogspot.com/.
***Sign up for my weekly "TipSheet" on Communication Verbal-Nonverbal, Organization and Training...***
Leadership Communication: The Merger of Leadership and Communication
by Diane M. Hoffmann, ph.d./th.
Of all communication, leadership communication is the most potent. Why? Because a) leadership is the beginning of effective management and b) communication is part of that leadership that leads to good management.
What do I mean by leadership being the beginning of effective management? By that I mean that leadership is where it all begins. Without leadership you can’t have effective management, or management at all, in any area of business or personal life.
To lead means to show the way, to direct the course by going before and along with; to conduct, to guide, to cause one to follow, to mark the way, to hold the hand, to pull along, to persuade or influence a course of action or thought….
Placing this adjective next to communication means that, now, communication takes on the same lead role and becomes a whole other dimension of basic communication, and becomes the most important leadership skill.
As leadership is the beginning of management, leadership communication is the beginning of leadership. Without effective communication you cannot lead or manage effectively. When you merge leadership and communication, you have the most potent of communication skills.
What is necessary to make a leader? Are leaders born or are they made? One might think that personality types would limit the possibilities for someone to become a leader. But personality types have both strengths and weaknesses, and it is the strong points that make the difference.
What makes a leader, is the recognition and capitalization of these strong points in any personality type. Anyone can be a leader in business or at home, no matter whether you are a type A, B, C, D or whatever other label you chose to describe your personality with.
But leadership without the “serving” attitude is dead. Leadership is not about bullying. Leadership is not about serving yourself at the expense of others. That will eventually lead to destruction rather than construction. It is about serving others. Every day we are serving someone.
So how does one become a successful leader and keep on being a successful leader?
Firstly, by being mindful of wanting to be a leader. Secondly, by pursuing being that leader through learning. And, thirdly, by continuously asking yourself questions, such as are found in the book “Serve to Lead” by James Strock:
Who are you serving? How can you best serve? Are you making your unique contribution? Are you getting better every day?
Leadership communication begins in successful leadership. It is all of the communication process and activities, conscious and unconscious, instinctive or created, that stem out of leadership into the effective management of our business and personal lives. /dmh
Article Copyright(c)Diane M. Hoffmann. You may print this article making sure to include the following bio without any changes.
Diane M. Hoffmann is the founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and author of the 296-page printed book "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Diane also provides a 2-part e-book version of her printed book, "Improve Communication, Verbal and Nonverbal" and "Improve Communication, Organization and Training" as well as many free articles which can be seen at her blog at http://contextual-communication-hrd.blogspot.com/.
***Sign up for my weekly "TipSheet" on Communication Verbal-Nonverbal, Organization and Training...***
Of all communication, leadership communication is the most potent. Why? Because a) leadership is the beginning of effective management and b) communication is part of that leadership that leads to good management.
What do I mean by leadership being the beginning of effective management? By that I mean that leadership is where it all begins. Without leadership you can’t have effective management, or management at all, in any area of business or personal life.
To lead means to show the way, to direct the course by going before and along with; to conduct, to guide, to cause one to follow, to mark the way, to hold the hand, to pull along, to persuade or influence a course of action or thought….
Placing this adjective next to communication means that, now, communication takes on the same lead role and becomes a whole other dimension of basic communication, and becomes the most important leadership skill.
As leadership is the beginning of management, leadership communication is the beginning of leadership. Without effective communication you cannot lead or manage effectively. When you merge leadership and communication, you have the most potent of communication skills.
What is necessary to make a leader? Are leaders born or are they made? One might think that personality types would limit the possibilities for someone to become a leader. But personality types have both strengths and weaknesses, and it is the strong points that make the difference.
What makes a leader, is the recognition and capitalization of these strong points in any personality type. Anyone can be a leader in business or at home, no matter whether you are a type A, B, C, D or whatever other label you chose to describe your personality with.
But leadership without the “serving” attitude is dead. Leadership is not about bullying. Leadership is not about serving yourself at the expense of others. That will eventually lead to destruction rather than construction. It is about serving others. Every day we are serving someone.
So how does one become a successful leader and keep on being a successful leader?
Firstly, by being mindful of wanting to be a leader. Secondly, by pursuing being that leader through learning. And, thirdly, by continuously asking yourself questions, such as are found in the book “Serve to Lead” by James Strock:
Who are you serving? How can you best serve? Are you making your unique contribution? Are you getting better every day?
Leadership communication begins in successful leadership. It is all of the communication process and activities, conscious and unconscious, instinctive or created, that stem out of leadership into the effective management of our business and personal lives. /dmh
Article Copyright(c)Diane M. Hoffmann. You may print this article making sure to include the following bio without any changes.
Diane M. Hoffmann is the founder of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications and author of the 296-page printed book "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Diane also provides a 2-part e-book version of her printed book, "Improve Communication, Verbal and Nonverbal" and "Improve Communication, Organization and Training" as well as many free articles which can be seen at her blog at http://contextual-communication-hrd.blogspot.com/.
***Sign up for my weekly "TipSheet" on Communication Verbal-Nonverbal, Organization and Training...***
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