Introductory Discussions on Communication Process

1. AMA Thoughts – Communication Process
©Associate Professor Ahmad Mahbub-ul-Alam (Retd)
PhD Fellow at Bangladesh University of Professionals
This session deals with the “Communication Process”, and how it
works. From the top right corner of the visual above, it‛s evident that
there is a series of phases in the communicant process, which also requires
a certain channel or medium, like the surrounding air, telecommunication
network, radio or television signal/frequency, internet platform, etc. We
already discussed in the previous session that communication takes place
in a certain situation which is also known as the circumstance or context
of communication.
In the communication process, the first phase is about the idea
generated in the mind (brain) of the communicator (we also discussed in
the previous session that while communicating, the communicator passes
his/her idea through a message to the person on the other side, who is
known as the receiver).
Now, the idea needs to be encoded in some form: it may be some
linguistic form, visual form, oral or written text form, or even an air of
gesture; whatever, the idea needs to be encoded to be ready in a form for
the transmission through the channel or medium.
As soon as the idea (encoded in any form) is transferred from the
communicator or the communication initiator towards the receiver, it
transmits through one or more particular channels or medium in different
contexts; e.g., when we talk, it‛s the surrounding air passage through which
the linguistically sound-coded ideas start moving (transmitting) with the
sound waves.
And then, the receiver on the other end receives the sound waves.
Suppose, it‛s the receiver‛s ears that receive the sound codes and through
the ear when the sound waves move towards the brain through the
auditory nerves, it‛s the human brain that decodes the coded sounds to be
interpreted (decoded) to get the meaning or sense, as the sender initiated
for passing his/her ideas.
The receiver‛s brain is supposed to decode those sound codes (as
received), but that‛s not the end of an effective communication process.
The receiver may or may not understand the meaning/sense even after
hearing the sounds (inability to decode the codes due to various reasons,
which will be discussed later in another session “Communication Barriers”).
Here, we need to consider the difference between the processes of
“hearing” and “listening”, which will be discussed later in some other
session.
So, finally, what‛s needed is feedback from the receiver to the
sender so that the communication ends/works effectively, and also to
make it clear if the receiver has well understood what was communicated
to him/her.
Now, the interesting part is, that when the receiver starts giving
feedback to the sender, another cycle of communication starts, as we can
see in the visual (cyclic) presentation – now the first receiver becomes the
sender, which logically, makes the first initiator the next receiver.
Interesting hun! And that‛s it; it‛s so simple.
Effective communicators, knowingly or unknowingly, or maybe
habitually practice/maintain the cyclic pattern of the communication
process. For example, any well-mannered professional will send an
acknowledgement receipt of an official email or text s/he receives. This
reply is the feedback. Not all professionals have theoretical knowledge of
communication skills, even learning about communication skills is not even
a big deal until it‛s in the habitual practice of the professional
communicators.
Please stay tuned for the next session on “Effective
Communication”.