Clarity in Communication

Scenario 

George, Rita and Arun are colleagues. One afternoon, three of them were having a casual discussion after lunch. Arun, being an introvert, spoke less in the group. When George and Rita were engrossed in discussion, Arun suddenly remembers an urgent unfinished task. He gets up and leaves without saying anything to his companions. George and Rita wonder at this sudden action. They assume that probably Arun was not interested in their talk or may be their company.

This is a typical case of non-verbal miscommunication due to untimely gesture or improper communication. Arun could have simply interrupted ”Excuse me! I have an urgent work. I need to go.” Lack of clarity in communication led to a state of confusion.

You must have come across similar or different kinds of miscommunication. After contemplation, you will understand that miscommunication is a result of ambiguous communication.

Purpose of Communication

Communication is the act of conveying information. It can be verbal, non-verbal, written or visual but its sole purpose is to convey the right thought and avoid miscommunication. To convey the right thought, there should be clarity in communicating the thought which can be achieved by having exact information that is to be communicated and using the modes of communication properly.

Communication Process 

Every communication follows a common process from its inception to completion. As an example, let’s have a look at the communication process between a sender and a receiver:

As we can see in the diagram, the thought conceived by the sender will reach the receiver after going through all the steps in the ‘information transfer’ or communication process. Thus, the original thought of the sender will reach the receiver in its correct form only when the sender ensures clarity at each step in the communication process. In other words, clarity is of prime importance throughout the communication cycle for effective transfer of information.

Ensuring Clarity in Communication 

There are simple guidelines to ensure what you communicate is received with correct perspective.

Please note: The article doesn’t intend to capture the exhaustive list for effective communication. The prime focus is on the simple things that can be done using our common sense.