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Communication is the process of sharing information. In a simplistic form information is sent from a sender or encoder to a receiver or decoder.

Communication can be:

1. Verbal communication which requires language. A language is a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures or written symbols which communicate thoughts or feelings

2. Non verbal communication, which does not need language to exchange ones thoughts. Silence is the best example. In certain contexts, silence can convey its own meaning, e.g. reverence, indifference, emotional coldness, rudeness, thoughtfulness, humility, aggressiveness. Silent communication shows more emotion than verbal. Non verbal communication includes gestures, body language, signs, symbols etc.

In everyday day life we come across various forms of communication. Between parties, communication content includes acts that declare knowledge and experiences, give advice and commands, and ask questions. These acts may take many forms, including gestures (nonverbal communication, sign language and body language), writing and speech .The form depends on the symbol systems used. Together, communication content and form make messages that are sent towards a destination. The target can be oneself, another person or another entity (such as a corporation or group

A particular instance of communication is called a speech act. A speech act typically follows a variation of logical means of delivery. The most common of these, and perhaps the best, is the dialogue. The dialogue is a form of communication where both the parties are involved in sending information. There are many other forms of communication but the reason the dialogue is good is because the dialogue lends itself to clearer communication due to feedback. (Feedback being encoded information, either verbal or nonverbal, sent back to the original sender (now the receiver) and then decoded.

Although we do not realize but in everyday we communicate with 10 to 1000 people in one way or the other may be directly or indirectly. All of us come across situations when things go wrong due to lack of communication. There can be various barriers in communication which may lead to such a situation.

Following factors can impede human communication

1. Not understanding the language

Verbal and non-verbal messages are in a different language. This includes not understanding the idioms used by another sub-culture or group. Not understanding the language also means that body language cannot be understood. One person may greet another person differently. If the two people do not understand each other then it can cause a rift in communication

2. Not understanding the context

Not knowing and or understanding the history of the occasion, relationship, or culture. Intent can be perceived differently by the receiver than what the sender intended.

3. Obfuscation

Intentionally delivering an obscure or confusing message

4. Distraction

Inadequate attention to processing a message. This is not limited to live conversations or broadcasts. Any person may improperly process any message if they do not focus adequately. Sometimes due to the “static”, or real life events that cause distraction. This is why an interactive form of communication, one with lots of questions and answers for clarity, would be best so it is easier to stay involved in the message and to have less miscommunication.

So communication is an important activity in one’s life. Whether humans or animals, everyone wants to share his feelings, his emotions, his thought, his ideas and hence develops one way or the other to communicate!

John Khu is an experience entrepreneur and internet marketer. He specializes in communication development and personal happiness.

http://www.communicationessence.com

Janet’s career as a software engineer appeared to be stalled. She completed each low level assignment competently, but felt ineffective in team meetings. When Janet asked for more challenging work, she was ignored, while other team members made similar requests and got the choice assignments.

Janet struggled along as best she could and tried hard to support others and be a good team player. She kept wondering why no one took her seriously. She had no idea that her team leader believed that she was always whining, and not really committed to her job.

Frequently, Janet wondered what was wrong with her. Others just seemed to know what to do to get ahead, and she was afraid that she would never discover their secret.

When a friend suggested working with a personal coach, Janet first dismissed the idea: “I’m well trained; I should be able to figure out what to do myself.” However, she was so frustrated that she was considering changing jobs, and finally decided a professional’s perspective might help.

Janet quickly learned that being coached in personal skills was similar to being coached in tennis (her favorite sport). Although the coach could not observe her “game” directly, Janet’s reports of her behavior patterns at work and her actual behavior with the coach gave them plenty to go on.

She admitted to the coach that she had experienced similar problems in other situations, and they decided together that changing jobs now wouldn’t solve anything. Janet decided to use the current situation as a laboratory where she could practice new skills.

Their discussions also touched on several seemingly unrelated areas of Janet’s life. How did she manage her other relationships, what did she want to achieve in her life, how did she handle stressful events, how did she manage her personal space and financial affairs?

After Janet completed a series of self-assessment inventories about these issues, they identified several patterns that Janet wanted to modify. In several important areas of her life, including her job, Janet saw that she was doing just enough to get by.

Her coach challenged her to change the pattern. Janet identified three specific “extra” things that she could do at work that would have an impact on the project she was working on, and she did them.

She found it hard to admit that she really had ignored opportunities to polish her performance, until she realized that she was angry that she was not getting the kind of immediate feedback on the job that she could get from her coach.

Assured that her desire for feedback was normal, and recognizing that it really wasn’t available on the job, Janet made agreements with her personal coach to report on her progress at work. She also reported on her progress in reorganizing her apartment so that she could really enjoy the time she spent at home.

As they continued to work together, Janet realized how unsupported she had been feeling in most areas of her life. Her belief that adults aren’t supposed to need help (except in achieving athletic success) gradually shifted to the recognition that high achievers need coaching to attain superior results.

As Janet continued to recognize and do the important little things on her job, her team leader did notice. Three months after starting to work with her coach, she did get a more challenging assignment; the team leader even commented on how much she had changed. When he was promoted several months later, she was offered a better paying position on his new team.

Communicate skillfully about sensitive subjects. Http://www.DareToSayIt.com/blog
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D. is a Master Certified Coach and communication expert. Dr. Weiss has spent 35 years helping clients resolve conflict in business and personal relationships. Email feedback@laurieweiss.com

How often do you hold your tongue and not speak the truth of what you are thinking?

What do you love doing that you haven’t done in a long time?

Does your creativity get shoved into the box of what you think will please others?

If so, you may be letting your fear of criticism rule your life. This is one of the key sources of struggle people face. It is easy to try to please everyone all the time.

We tend to moderate our words, our actions, and look over our shoulder to see who’s watching. Actually pleasing everyone all the time is actually a losing battle!

When we’re caught up with what we’re supposed to do we tend to stifle our energy and enthusiasm for whatever project we’re pursuing. When we trust our actions and choices, we see that everything gets easier and we’re in the flow of the work. There is more consistent energy. Our energy is not bolstered when others applaud us and deflated when others have a negative reaction to what we’ve said or done.

This is contrary to how many of us were raised. We were supposed to listen to how things were to be done and do our best to copy that. There was a right and wrong way for every project to be completed. Rarely were our personality styles considered as to what method would work best for us to approach any situation.

Terry Cole-Whitaker wrote the book titled, What You Think Of Me Is None Of My Business. I remember when I first heard this title. Over the years it has come to mean more to me as I’ve realized the peace that can come from letting go of need for love and approval for everything I do.

Is this selfish to put our OWN approval above others’ approval? This may have been the message of our childhood. When we have healthy self-love we are able to be comfortable with what we are doing and are able to accept that others may have their own way to complete a task as well. Our self-care is essential for us to be a fully engaged individual in any situation, whether it is a personal relationship or a business project.

HOW CAN YOU CHANGE YOUR HABIT OF PLEASING OTHERS?

It first takes the decision that you are going to live life for yourself. This isn’t to say you are not being considerate of others. On the contrary, you will value and respect them more than ever.

Then make a conscious effort to speak the truth, no matter what. How often to we filter our words carefully to avoid offending anyone? This only makes connecting more difficult and awkward. It is really pretty obvious when a person is not being authentic. You are not doing anyone a favor by not being real.

This process will not happen in just a few leaps and bounds. Small steps are the most effective way to make any change. You have to be comfortable with what you are doing to have this be a smooth process.

Give yourself a moment before speaking to check how authentically you are about to respond. Speaking the truth does not mean that you have to fully disclose all of your thoughts. That isn’t necessary. Healthy boundaries for your privacy are appropriate.

And, realize that some people in your life may not be comfortable with your honesty. They are probably not people who are adding positive energy to you anyway.

How would your life be different if you were living congruently with your ideas and values?
How would your relationships be enriched by being all of who you are?
How would your productivity be affected?

What would it mean to your bottom line to be more aware of yourself and how you relate to others? Check out the resources and services offered by Suzanne Holman, MAEd, Exuberant Productivity Coach, found at http://www.exuberantproductivity.com

Technology has become a part of almost every aspect of the workforce. Many industries and organization are now reaping the benefits of its many uses, and the education system is no exception. Communications servers are now making it easier than ever for school officials to notify parents of a child’s absence, for parents to notify the school of a child’s absence, and for teachers to offer information and assistance concerning various homework assignments.

Through the use of a computer system, an automated dial system can be configured to provide pre-recorded information upon request, and updating this information has become easier than ever. Also, through the use of voice mail, students and parents can leave messages that can be easily access by school officials. Likewise, students can quickly access critical information as desired to find various homework assignments, an option that is especially useful if a student has been absent on a particular day.

These communications servers are designed to streamline information and messaging within the school system’s administrative and teaching community. This type of system can also help facilitate communications between various designated groups, clubs, the entire student body, and parents. Through this, everyone can stay better informed of special events and check the system frequently for any updates or changes that may have occurred.

These types of communications systems are very affordable, and use an easy to use voice processing system that will make communications more convenient across the board. Now, as soon as events are scheduled or changes are made, the messages can be recorded and immediately available to students and parents. Parents will also be able to call the system and obtain this information more easily than ever before. The results are now more instantaneous.

Teachers can also post informative information about homework assignments, upcoming exams, and school-wide testing that students can access on a daily basis from the comfort of their own homes. The use of websites has also served to promote this type of instant communication, and the two systems can be used in conjunction with one another to increase communications and raise awareness.

There are several companies that offer such communications servers and services, each using similar technology. As the voice capabilities improve, so will the level of technology. As more functions are added to the system, more information will be readily available to students, school officials, and parents that will only help to unify the overall educational experience and foster a more comprehensive learning environment.

Voicegate Corporation is an innovative leader in the voice processing, voice recording/call logging, call centre and emergency preparedness/business continuity notification systems industries.

http://www.voicegate.com/emergency_response.html

You have just been promoted at work and you are excited and proud because you have been working towards this for a long time. At the same time, you are nervous about all the changes this will bring.

Change is defined as the “act, process or result of altering, transforming or modifying something.” We all know change is inevitable and even though we may not like it, accept that it is part of life. Some changes we know are coming and we prepare for them. The change of seasons, the first day of school, and special holidays like Christmas or a birthday. Other changes may be thrust upon us, like losing a job, a major illness or loss of a relationship or a loved one.

How we cope and manage transitions contributes to our well being and ability to progress in life. Some people thrive on the idea of things changing frequently. They become excited about the idea of something new and different. It gets their adrenalin flowing. Others like things to stay the same, feeling more comfortable with routine and predictability. Perhaps they are fearful of doing things differently.

Over the years, work environments have become a constant source of change. It used to be that people would work for the same company for their entire career. Those days are gone. When new bosses or managers are hired, they often do a “clean sweep”, bringing in their own people and introducing a different way of doing things. If you have ever spoken with people who are employed at a company undergoing a transition, you probably hear more complaints than excitement, particularly in the beginning. “How will these changes affect me?” “Will I still have a job?” “Will my income change and how will that impact my being able to provide for my family?” “Will I have a different boss and will my working relationships remain as good as they are now?” The changes may also represent what direction an industry is heading, as well as the company which employs you. The push has certainly been to do more with less time, resources and manpower.

So what are some strategies for managing transitions?

First how we think about the change contributes to the way we deal with it. If we assume the worst and our thoughts are very negative than we tend to not manage things so well. Having said that we do need an opportunity to mourn the loss of the way things were, without staying stuck. At the same time, it is important to consider 1 or 2 positive things that might occur as a result of a transition. You might be given a new responsibility that you have wanted to acquire or a task you found boring and uninteresting is no longer something you will have to do.

In the book “Who Moved my Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, M.D., he uses the metaphor of mice looking for cheese in a maze. This represents what one wants in life and how you go about attaining it. The mice that were willing to adapt were successful in achieving their goals. Those who remained faithful to their routines withered and stagnated. Some companies use this book as an introduction to dealing with change.

We need to allow ourselves the time to experience our emotions. This middle phase allows us the time to process our feelings and reactions to the transition. This is very important and sometimes, companies in their eagerness to have staff accept change, don’t allow enough time for discussion about the situation. The reality is that if this “feeling” phase is built in, than moving on to new beginnings becomes less problematic.

Third, think of a transition as an opportunity to learn something new. Cross pollination can be powerful and bring about lots of new possibilities. I am mindful of the summer camp industry. There is often a large turn over in camp staff (as counselors move on to other job experiences). Each camp has their own individual style of doing things, however a counselor or staff member who have been at other camps could make suggestions which enhance the over all functioning of a program. This is cross pollination.

The same is true for any company. When someone from another department or outside joins there is always the option of their providing exciting, perhaps better ways of doing things. We have to be willing to consider and experiment with possible new options. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”.

In summary, we need to accept and understand that change and transitions are part of life. Transitions start with an ending and move towards a beginning, with uncertainty and confusion in the middle. If we view this as a process, an evolution, then we might be able to manage it better. With any new activity or course, there is always a learning curve and we need to be patient with ourselves about mastering new things.

Copyright 2007 by Gail Solish.

Gail Solish, provides Executive/Personal coaching to managers, directors and executives focused on workplace development and relationship management. Claim your FR-EE e-course “Unleash Your Potential and Increase Productivity and Fulfillment” at http://www.ActualizeYourGoals.com