Essential Requirements of Effective Communication
When both the sender and receiver perceive the meaning of communication almost in the same way, it is called effective communication. Proper performance of organizational activities and thus attainment of its goals largely depends on effective communication. Effective communication requires some conditions or elements or factors. These are discussed below:
- Pre-thinking:
Pre-thinking about the message is an important quality of good communication. Communication should always be in common and easily understandable language so that it may not be misunderstood by the persons receiving it. Pre-thinking enables the sender to develop a creative message and to transmit it efficiently.
- Specific objective:
Communication occurs with specific objectives. The message to be communicated should be adequate and complete in all respects since incomplete information turns out to be dangerous from the viewpoint of business. Therefore, the communicator must know the objective of communication and must arrange the message accordingly.
- Timeliness:
Proper attention should be given to the timing and timeliness of the communication. The usefulness of any message depends on its timely transmission. Even in an emergency one dare not overlook the situational, psychological, and technical aspect of timing. If the message is not transmitted inappropriate time, its utility is lost. So the communicator should consider the time of communication. Moreover, it is also necessary that information should be given in time as out-of-date information is as bad as or worse than none at all.
- Conciseness:
Another important quality of good communication as the message should be concise. It implies that first of all the communicator must be clear in his mind with the information he wants to communicate. A concise message is one that contains only relevant and necessary facts to avoid repetition and organize properly.
- Completeness:
Good communication transmits a complete message so that the receiver can understand the full meaning of the message. The adequacy of information being transmitted depends upon the intellectual capabilities of parties concerned. The sender should not sacrifice completeness to attain conciseness.
- Persuasiveness:
Persuasiveness is another important quality of good communication. Self-contradictory messages always create chaos and confusion in the organization which is highly detrimental to the efficient running of the enterprise. It helps to develop a positive attitude of the receiver towards the message.
- Concreteness:
Business communication becomes effective when it excludes irrelevant facts. Concreteness is essential to express the communicator’s view to the receiver unambiguously. All aspects of oral or written communication must be carefully examined.
- Feedback:
Feedback is an important method of ensuring effective communication. Good communication always keeps the provision of feedback. It refers to the confirmation of the idea communicated whether the message has been understood by the receiver in the same sense in which the sender makes or whether the recipient is agreed or disagreed to the proposal of the communicator, makes it essential on the part of the sender to confirm it from the receiver. Feedback ensures that the message has reached the intended receiver.
- Mutual Interest:
When communication considers the interest of both sender and receiver, it is treated as good communication. This will provide additional insight and objectivity to the message. If the ignores the interest of the receiver, communication may fail to attain its goal.
- Use of appropriate language:
Good communication always uses appropriate language. The communicator must be careful about the language he uses while speaking or writing. Appropriate language avoids ambiguous and complex words, misleading non-verbal cues technical jargon, poetic words, etc.
- Considering the receiver:
A good communicator thinks about the receiver’s knowledge, ability, interest, origin, etc. The communication must create proper understanding in the mind of the receiver. This increases the utility and acceptability of communication.
