The term communication encompasses a wide range of skills, including public speaking, debating, discussing, listening, counseling, mediating, negotiating, teaching and marketing (Caputo, Palosaari & Pickering 2003). There are various public speaking venues that fall under the category of Speech. However, for the purpose of this essay, I will focus on effective communication in the areas of leveling, listening and validating.
Leveling means ensuring that all parties involved in the communication process are on the same page and have access to all necessary information for effective communication. It involves sharing all relevant information to benefit everyone involved in the conversation. Information is power, and how it is delivered determines its impact. When there’s an uneven flow of information, one party holds more power over the conversation. To achieve equal power, we need a level playing field.
This does not imply that one party has less information or lower quality information than the other. Instead, it means that both parties share information equally.
In a recent survey conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Business School, communication skills were cited as the single most important decisive factor in choosing managers. Recruiters from companies with more than 50,000 employees participated in the survey. The results showed that communication skills, including written and oral presentations, as well as an ability to work with others, are the main factors contributing to job success (source: www.mindtools.com).
Mindtools.com has expended a great deal of energy into creating an electronically formatted book that covers the importance of effective communication. Communication can be disrupted simply due to the stages it passes through to complete its intended use. The sender sends a message through a designated channel before it reaches the receiver. A number of things can hinder the receiver’s ability to comprehend the message. If the message is received without hindrance, then feedback is the next logical step in the process. The receiver sends information back to the sender in an effort to keep the process flowing smoothly.
Without a level field of communication as a foundation to build upon, communication will be lost in translation. This is why listening is so important; not only must receivers hear messages, but they also need to comprehend them, which can only be accomplished through active listening.
The skill of listening involves both parties carefully hearing the message. Individuals learn social behaviors by observing someone else perform them first, practicing and refining them until they can be used to achieve positive outcomes (www.schizophrenia.org).
To be an effective communicator, the skill of listening is imperative. One of the largest inhibitors for students is often a mental block. While listening, a student may suddenly decide that they don’t understand what is being said. At this point, many students just tune out or get caught up in an internal dialogue trying to translate a specific word. Some students convince themselves that they are not able to understand spoken English well and create problems for themselves (Beare, The Challenge of Teaching Listening Skills).
The tools in a communication repertoire are all without merit if listening skills are low. The skill level of listening is directly correlated to the success of university students. According to clinical psychologist Larry Alan Nadig, there are three basic listening modes: competitive, passive, and active. Competitive listening is pretending to listen only for the purpose of interjecting and interrupting the sender’s message. Passive listening involves interest in the message but with no response. Active listening involves interaction once the message is received (Three Basic Listening Modes).
It is interesting to learn that ineffective communication is the most common barrier in the breakdown of marriages and families. The familiarity of surroundings, including people, can cause a subconscious barrier that slows down or even stops communication growth. Listening is the best tactic for helping others cope with daily life. Sometimes people are just looking for a sympathetic ear and do not intend for the receiver to respond. Effective listening enables the receiver to understand an important skill in the communication process. This action validates the message without even saying a word.
Validation adds an emotional quality to communication. It involves relaying both verbal and nonverbal communication, and the feedback phase of communication is the most appropriate place for validation to occur.
Relationships will be better with more validation because it leads to less debating, fewer conflicts, and less disagreement. Validation also helps people feel free to communicate. In fact, if there is a communication breakdown or a wall between communication partners, it’s likely been built with the bricks of invalidation. Validation is the means of chipping away at the wall and opening the free flow of communication (Freedman, http://www.6seconds.org/news/2004226.html).
Mr. Freedman presents a compelling argument regarding how the receiver can offer effective feedback, thereby ensuring successful communication. Emotions can make or break any conversation – their absence may convey a lack of concern, while their overemphasis may come across as pretentiousness. Validation serves as a set of checks and balances in this process. Once the message is received, the receiver has the option to respond in various ways. Since it’s impossible to be completely emotionless, validation becomes an essential component of effective communication.
Not showing any emotion is an emotion in itself. Stoicism is often considered to be the absence of emotion, but when it comes to communication, it can actually be a very effective negative emotion. Validation is a crucial part of both mathematics and science, as well as the communication process used to measure success. For instance, if a man walks into a room full of women, his facial expressions will validate what he’s thinking. This may or may not be immediately apparent to the women present. If the man is introverted, his validation will become evident as he retreats into a corner of the room away from them. Conversely, if he’s extroverted, his validation will clearly demonstrate his thoughts.
Validation Fundamentals: How to, What to, When to Validate is a book designed to cover validation in medical studies. William Gibson presents a life-cycle of validation in this book that includes a beginning, middle, and end. The process should develop systematically and progress along meaningful paths (Gibson, p 6). Although he speaks about a different profession, his idea applies to the communication process as well. Validation of information is inevitable and will always occur. Even not responding to a message validates it. Many authors have written on this subject before and have used the phrase you cannot not communicate.” This law applies universally; intelligent beings cannot avoid it. It’s like boasting that you are not prideful when bragging itself demonstrates pride.
At times, effective communication requires active listening followed by validation. These three aspects of communication are a good representation of the process as a whole. However, limiting oneself to these three would be detrimental. Communication is about sharing information with the purpose of learning and growing. It may not always take place in a classroom on a campus somewhere in the world, but wherever you are, communication is an essential part of daily activities. Therefore, it is important for everyone to practice and improve their communication skills.
References.
Caputo, John et al. (2003) wrote a book titled Effective Communication” published by Dramatic Lines Press in Twickenham, England.
Why Communication Skills are So Important
Communication is an essential aspect of our daily lives. It is the process of exchanging information, ideas, and thoughts between individuals or groups. Effective communication skills are crucial in both personal and professional relationships. They help us express ourselves clearly, understand others better, build trust and respect, resolve conflicts, and achieve our goals.
If you want to improve your communication skills, there are many resources available online. One helpful website is Mind Tools (http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/CommunicationIntro.htm), which provides tips on how to communicate effectively in various settings such as meetings, presentations, negotiations, and interviews.
Remember that good communication is a two-way street; it requires active listening as well as clear expression. By developing your communication skills, you can enhance your relationships with others and achieve greater success in all areas of life.
Effective Communication is a fact sheet series that provides valuable information on the topic. The source of this information is from schizophrenia.org.au and can be accessed through the following link: http://www.schizophrenia.org.au/pdfs/Effective%20Communications.pdf. This resource was retrieved on April 13th, 2007.
Beare, Kenneth (2007) discusses the challenge of teaching listening skills in English as a Second Language. The article can be retrieved from http://esl.about.com/cs/teachinglistening/a/a_tlisten.htm, accessed on 13 April 2007.
Nadig, Larry Alan (2006) discusses three basic listening modes in his article Tips on Effective Listening”. The article can be retrieved from http://www.drnadig.com/listening.htm, accessed on 13 April 2007.
Freedman, Josh. (n.d.). Emotional Validation.” Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved 13 April 2007 from http://eqi.org/valid.htm.
Gibson, William. (1998). Validation Fundamentals: How to Validate, What to Validate, and When to Validate. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
