Communication vs Effective Communication
Communication is a tool that allows us to share our thoughts, feelings, and opinions with others. Man communicated even before the development of language, and even today, a lot of the communication takes place through non verbal means such as body language, signs and symbols, and our facial expressions. However, verbal communication forms the backbone of all communication. There is another concept that is called effective communication and is gaining in importance these days. Increasing the efficacy of communication and making people understand what is intended is the essence of effective communication. This article intends to differentiate between the two related concepts.
Communication
Communication is the process that allows a person to let another person know his thoughts and feelings. Communication could be verbal using a spoken language, it could be written as text on paper or SMS, or it could be through body language and eye contact. The basic purpose of communication is sharing of opinions and thoughts. People talk to each other only to share their ideas and opinions. Sharing of information and using language to persuade others to see our point of view is the essence of communication. Communication skills are very important and make the basis of our interpersonal relationships. In fact, our success in all our endeavors, in life is dependent on how well we communicate with others.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is a concept that emphasizes the importance of the fact that our productivity and efficiency increases when we listen to a message and respond to it after understanding it in the manner it was intended to by the sender. It is a fact that to rise in life, whether in business or in an organization, one needs to communicate well with colleagues and superiors. It is a fact that every individual is different and communicates in a different manner. The presentation of a message or viewpoint is not all that is there in communication. Of course, it is important, but equally important is how you adjust according to the personality of the listeners to carry across your point of view.
Everyone has different worldviews and looks at things, people, and issues differently. This is what makes effective communication a big challenge. However, no matter what your age and gender, it is easy to be an effective communicator. There are many barriers to effective communication such as assumptions people make about other people and issues, making patterns of communication and keep reverting to them, being a poor listener, and so on.
The context of communication is very important in increasing its efficacy. You know how to talk to a small kid and also how to talk in a different manner when in front of your teacher or boss. Our body language tells a lot about our positive intent or the lack of it during communication. For effective communication to take place, the listener or the recipient must get the same message from the content as well as our body language.
What is the difference between Communication and Effective Communication?
Communication is a two way process where the speaker says something and the listener receives something. However, effective communication ensures that the recipient gets just the message that the sender intends to give.
Communication can be verbal, written, or even through body language. Many people are not good communicators thereby missing out on many opportunities. However, it is possible to learn effective communication to improve one’s interpersonal relationships. This is achieved by removing barriers that are self made such as assumptions. There are also techniques that lead to better and effective communication.