Communication Synopsis

Communication is a subject one can learn to do better or interpret better. Communication is a process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, knowledge, and information in a way that the objective is achieved most effectively. Communication is best put as views by the sender in a way best interpreted by the receiver. Excellent communication deals with a lot of other factors, but the main three to try and get your point across are perception, understanding, and expectations.

Perception

Perception is different for everyone because we all perceive information differently. Perception or how one receives information is the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting data. This affects the way one communicates because people respond differently, and everyone is stimulated in different ways. Perception is a total experience, as opposed to logic, and receivers vary in their sensory and mental capacities to perceive data inputs. The first question to ask before sending a message is, can the receiver perceive it (Whisenand & McCain, 2015, p.73).  Perception is a crucial factor in good communication, which leads to understanding.

Understanding

Good communication is often erroneously define by the communicator as agreement rather than clarity of understanding (Whisenand & McCain, 2015, p.72).  Every person that perceives the information that one is disseminating brings with them their ideas and feelings that play a role in how their understanding of the message is perceived to them. Effective communication helps people understand the message one is trying to convey, build rapport with coworkers, and achieve consensus. So, the question is, how does one communicate effectively? The first step is to understand the communication process and mutual agreement.

Expectations

Expectations are another crucial factor in good communication. When it comes to communication and the expectations of the message, it is essential to planning and decision making, particularly in cases of uncertainty. As humans, we are all influenced by emotions, past experiences, motivations, and individual expectations, along with personal interests. These factors often determine how one may receive the message and one’s expectations of the message (Fibuch & Robertson, 2019). Thus if the data is significant, then the communicator may want to add what one calls “shock” to the message which disturbs the pattern and alerts the receiver that something out of the ordinary is occurring (Whisenand & McCain, 2015, p.73).  If not, unexpected or unwanted data is ignored.