Hey everyone! I want to finish this week off with an article about communication! This topic is not as simple as some people may think. At least before I learned about everything involved with it, I thought it was just talking about something with someone. Although that is partially correct, communication has SO MANY things within it, including different communication channels! Let’s dive in!
Communication
According to Merriam-Webster, communication is “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.” Below is the model of communication created by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver in 1949, which schools still use to teach with today! I studied this model last semester, and it is very interesting and informative to me.
Model of Communication
Sender
The sender is also know as the information source, they are the one sending the message to the receiver.
Encoder
According to Helpful Professor, “the encoder is the machine (or person) that converts the idea into signals that can be sent from the sender to the receiver.”
Channel & Noise
Channels are used to get the message to the decoder. Noise is something that disrupts the communication channel, which can be physical noise, language barriers, cultural barriers, and many more.
Decoder
The decoder is something that is used to figure out what the sender is trying to say. According to Helpful Professor, “Decoding is the exact opposite of encoding.”
Receiver
The receiver is exactly what it sounds like. They are the person or thing receiving the message sent from the sender.
Feedback
This is when the receiver responds to the sender, and the process restarts.
Summary
Communication goes more into detail than many people think. Communication channels are also very detailed and important. Finding the right channel for you and those around you can be beneficial in many ways. I suggest thinking about how you want to communicate something to others and testing different channels to use. Oral communication is the most beneficial because people can sense your tone and see your body language. Sending an email or putting a flyer on the bulletin board is less effective because it can get overlooked or misread.
If you are interested in more information about the communication model, I suggest looking into communication channels and/or reading the sources I used for this article.
-Brea
Sources:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication
https://helpfulprofessor.com/shannon-weaver-model/
https://www.communicationtheory.org/shannon-and-weaver-model-of-communication/
Wanting to read the previous article? Here is the link:
https://buzz.uni.edu/herleadershipmindset/constructive-and-destructive-conflicts/
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