Fundamentals of Communication

Most of the verbal communicating you do is fromwas to address was in Columbus, Georgia. If
one individual to another. This is true whethersomeone in my hometown of High Point, North
you're in a family, social, or a workCarolina asks me, "How did Carolina do in the big
setting.One-on-one verbal communication affordsgame last night?" I know the reference is to the
the greatest opportunity for precision, becauseTar Heels of the University of North Carolina. If
immediate feedback can tell you whether yousomebody in Columbia puts the question in those
were understood accurately.But communicatingprecise words, I know that "Carolina" means the
effectively involves more than just accuracy.TheGamecocks of the University of South Carolina. In
purpose of most communication is to influencemost cities, if you ask a newsstand operator for
the attitudes and behaviors of those whom wethe Sunday Times, you'll be handed a New York
address. Since the human race is composed ofTimes. But in St. Petersburg, Florida, or Seattle,
billions of individuals, each with a different way ofWashington, you're likely to get the local
responding, no one approach is universallynewspaper.A Message Must Be ReceivedThe
effective. So it's important that you learn tosecond basic requirement of the one-on-one
express yourself accurately and in a way that willcommunication process is that the message be
accomplish your purpose toward the individualreceived and understood. Effective
you're addressing.The Basic Process ofcommunicators know that they have not
CommunicatingTo achieve precision andconveyed their meaning until they have made
effectiveness in communicating, you shouldsure that the other person has received it exactly
understand the basic process of communication. Itas they sent it. They test, with questions and
has four requirements:¨ A message must beobservations, to make sure that the real meaning
conveyed.¨ The message must bethey wanted to convey has passed through the
received.¨ There must be a response.¨filters and has been received and
Each message must be understood.Let's look atunderstood.There Must Be A ResponseThe goal
these requirements one at a time.A Messageof all communication is to obtain the desired
Must Be ConveyedThat sounds simple enough.response. You want to say something correctly,
You know what your thoughts are, and youand have your hearer understand what you mean
know how to translate them into words. Butby it. But you also want the hearer to do
that's where we lose the simplicity.Each of us hassomething in response.Each Message Must Be
our own mental dialect. It is the common languageUnderstoodOnce a message has been delivered,
of the culture in which we grow up, modified byreceived and responded to, it's time to take stock
our own unique life's experiences. Our life'sof what each person has communicated. The
experiences add color and shades of meaning tocycle of communication is complete only when
different words.When you speak, your mentalyou come away with a clearer understanding of
dialect must be translated into the mental dialectthe person with whom you sought to
of the hearer. So the words you speak acquire acommunicate. You may not always agree with
different color when they pass through the earsthe other person, and the other person may not
of the person who hears you.It Depends Uponalways agree with you -- but it is important that
Where You AreYou can probably think ofyou understand each other.Nido Qubein is
numerous opportunities for misunderstandings onpresident of High Point University and chairman of
your job and in your culture. If you tell your travelGreat Harvest Bread Company with 200 stores in
agent you want a flight to Portland, be sure to41 states. He has given more than 5,000
specify Maine or Oregon. Otherwise, you may endpresentations to audiences worldwide and has
up on the wrong coast. A colleague of mine onceauthored more than two dozen books and audio
flew to Ohio to keep a speaking engagement inprograms on leadership, sales, communication, and
Columbus. Too late, he realized that the group heachievement.