Methods of communication and barriers

Last time

Before we start: last time, in Motivation, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.

Getting the message across

An order from a customer is written down wrongly, and the wrong goods are sent. Poor communication like this costs businesses money every day. This lesson covers how businesses communicate, which method to choose, and what gets in the way.

The communication process

Every communication has a sender, a message, a medium or method, and a receiver, who gives feedback. Communication is only effective if the receiver understands the message as the sender meant it.

Internal and external

Internal communication is between people inside the business, such as a manager and workers. External communication is with people outside: customers, suppliers, banks and the government. One-way communication gives no feedback; two-way communication lets the receiver reply.

Verbal methods

Face-to-face meetings, phone calls and video calls are quick, and give instant feedback. They allow questions and discussion, and body language helps the message. But there is no permanent record, and details may be forgotten.

Written methods

Letters, emails, reports, notices and text messages give a permanent record that can be checked later. They are good for detailed or legal information, such as an order or a contract. But feedback is slower, and long documents may not be read carefully.

Visual and electronic

Charts, graphs and diagrams make numbers easy to understand. Websites, social media and messaging apps reach many people quickly and cheaply. But they depend on technology and on the receiver having access to it.

Choosing a method

Speed: how fast must the message arrive? Cost: how much can be spent? Need for a record: legal and detailed messages should be written. Need for feedback: discussions need two-way methods. And the receiver: how many people, and where they are. For suppliers abroad, email may suit best.

Barriers to communication

Jargon or technical language the receiver does not understand, or a different language. The wrong medium: a long, complex message sent by a quick phone call, or noise in a factory. A long chain of command, where the message is passed through many people and changes on the way. And attitudes: a receiver who does not trust or like the sender may ignore the message.

Overcoming barriers

Use simple language, and the language the receiver knows best. Choose the right medium for the message, and ask for feedback to check understanding. Shorten the chain of command, and build trust between managers and workers.

Why it matters

Good communication means fewer mistakes, faster decisions, and motivated staff who understand the objectives. With customers and suppliers, it means correct orders and good relationships. Poor communication means wasted resources, lost customers and low motivation.

Mistakes that lose marks

Mistake one: naming a method without saying why it suits the situation. Mistake two: listing barriers without explaining how they stop the message being understood. Mistake three: choosing a method without comparing it with the other. The fix: method, why it suits, and why it is better than the alternative.

The full-marks tip

The full-marks tip: for each barrier, say how it stops the receiver understanding, and the effect on the business. When choosing a method, compare speed, cost, record and feedback for this receiver.

On one card

So, on one card: communication. Keep it for revision.