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Oral communication involves rewards and challenges: Two-Minute Takeaway

By Paul Schaumburg posted 10-09-2017 09:07

  

 The two words information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.

 — writer Sydney J. Harris 

Anthropologist Walter Goldschmidt calls the drive to meet social needs "the human career." Success in so doing depends on interaction with others. Therefore, in effect, we could call communication the human career!

Just as breathing is essential to human existence, communication is necessary for meaningful life. Communication helps us to meet our needs and to achieve our desires. It plays a significant role in the development and maintenance of self-image. It facilitates relationships connecting us to others and to the society as a whole. It is the “glue” that holds relationships together. It facilitates task achievement and conflict resolution; but it is not a cure-all. 

Researchers of speech, or oral, communication have defined it more than 125 different ways. A thumbnail sketch is that communication is the creation of shared meanings. The dictionary says to communicate is to share our ideas or to make them common. The element making communication its own academic field is messages.

Levels of communication range from intrapersonal (within one’s self) to interpersonal (literally “between persons”), small group (about 3-10 persons), organizational (a larger group), public (presentational), mass (a technology-delivered process from a few senders to many receivers), and societal (cross-cultural, whether official heads of state or simply individuals from different cultures).

Communication could be called a “practical man’s psychology.” That is because to be effective, it requires understanding others’ perspectives, at least to some degree. 

Oral communication is not a linear process. Instead, it is simultaneous, on-going, and ever-changing. The sender of the message also is the receiver of the messages returned, even while the initial communication occurs. 

Context is crucial in oral communication because the meaning, acceptance, and even the origination of communication depend on genders, cultures, relationships, and situations involved.

At best, “communication” is the name for those practices that compensate for the fact that we can never be each other. – writer John Durham Peter

How effective is your daily communication? Why? How can you improve it?

 

2 comments
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10-10-2017 09:28

Brian, From my viewpoint you are an excellent communicator because you are so positive and encouraging. That openness is inviting to people to express themselves to you. I tell my students that I believe the three most important general communication aspects are listening, nonverbal, and perception. It's no coincidence that each focuses on other people and their communication. Clearly, you are emotionally intelligent, understanding individuals beyond just their words. Listening and hearing are not the same, listening is deeper and requires more effort. Reading nonverbal and other perceptions sometimes requires clarification. Understanding one another takes work! Thanks for writing and best wishes for continued success!

10-10-2017 00:12

I strive to be a good communicator and believe that I am effective most of the time. However, I am constantly seeking ways to improve in this area as well. I try to communicate as often as possible. I've heard it said that if you have a void in communication then people will fill the void with negativity. I am intentional in sharing our positives/successes as often as possible to limit the negativity, or at least limit the ability of the negativity to breed and grow.

Recently someone pointed out that the words "listen" and "silent" are spelled with the same letters. Coincidence? When communicating, I must remind myself to listen, actively listen. I must listen to those I am directly communicating with as well as those in which I am indirectly communicating. It is essential that I have a good feel for our climate, and active listening is key to this understanding.