Communication

Communication (from Latin "communis", meaning to share) is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or a group of person.
One definition of communication is “any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or nonlinguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.”[1]
Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the receiver doesn't have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the message of the sender
Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver (U.S. Army, 1983). Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended to transmit.
Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, and evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur.

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Components of Communication Process Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him.Communication Process |
The main components of communication process are as follows: 1. Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. Every communication proceeds with context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context. 2. Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance - a training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal and non verbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender. 3. Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear. 4. Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication. For instance - Written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there. 5. Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder. 6. Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in form of memos, reports, etc.

written communication - communication by means of written symbols (either printed or handwritten) black and white, written language communication - something that is communicated by or to or between people or groups folio, leaf - a sheet of any written or printed material (especially in a manuscript or book) transcription, written text - something written, especially copied from one medium to another, as a typewritten version of dictation writing - letters or symbols that are written or imprinted on a surface to represent the sounds or words of a language; "he turned the paper over so the writing wouldn't show"; "the doctor's writing was illegible" piece of writing, written material, writing - the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect); "the writing in her novels is excellent"; "that editorial was a fine piece of writing" writing - (usually plural) the collected work of an author; "the idea occurs with increasing frequency in Hemingway's writings" prescription - written instructions from a physician or dentist to a druggist concerning the form and dosage of a drug to be issued to a given patient prescription - written instructions for an optician on the lenses for a given person reading material, reading - written material intended to be read; "the teacher assigned new readings"; "he bought some reading material at the airport" correspondence - communication by the exchange of letters code, codification - a set of rules or principles or laws (especially written ones) print - the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication; "I want to see it in print"

Advantages of Written Communication | Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization. | | | It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required. | | | It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge. | | | Written communication is more precise and explicit. | | | Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image. | | | It provides ready records and references. | | | Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records. |
Disadvantages of Written Communication | Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters. | | Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous. | | Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and sending of message takes time. | | Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization’s reputation. | | Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.Oral communicationOral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of meaning. Oral communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and choice tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate feedback.oral communication - (language) communication by word of mouth; "his speech was garbled"; "he uttered harsh language"; "he recorded the spoken language of the streets"speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, voice communication,language, speechlanguage, linguistic communication - a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols; "he taught foreign languages"; "the language introduced is standard throughout the text"; "the speed with which a program can be executed depends on the language in which it is written"auditory communication - communication that relies on hearingwords - the words that are spoken; "I listened to his words very closely"orthoepy, pronunciation - the way a word or a language is customarily spoken; "the pronunciation of Chinese is difficult for foreigners"; "that is the correct pronunciation"conversation - the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.give-and-take, discussion, word - an exchange of views on some topic; "we had a good discussion"; "we had a word or two about it"locution, saying, expression - a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression"non-standard speech - speech that differs from the usual accepted, easily recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech communityidiolect - the language or speech of one individual at a particular period in lifemonologue - a long utterance by one person (especially one that prevents others from participating in the conversation)magic spell, magical spell, charm, spell - a verbal formula believed to have magical force; "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands"; "inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese"dictation - speech intended for reproduction in writingmonologue, soliloquy - speech you make to yourself Advantages of Oral Communication * There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is interpersonal. * There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing changes in the decisions previously taken. * The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be made quickly without any delay. * Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts. * Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over. * Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy. * Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees. * Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential information/matter. | |
Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral Communication * Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is formal and very organized. * Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal and not as organized as written communication. * Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in case of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times. * Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady. * There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack essentials. * It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience. * Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except in investigation work.-------------------------------------------------
Non Verbal Communication - Actions Speak Louder than WordsIt is communication of feelings, emotions, attitudes, and thoughts through body movements / gestures / eye contact, etc.The components of Non Verbal Communication are: * Kinesics: It is the study of facial expressions, postures & gestures. Did you know that while in Argentina to raise a fist in the air with knuckles pointing outwards expresses victory, in Lebanon, raising a closed fist is considered rude? * Oculesics: It is the study of the role of eye contact in non verbal communication. Did you know that in the first 90 sec - 4 min you decide that you are interested in someone or not. Studies reveal that 50% of this first impression comes from non-verbal communication which includes oculesics. Only 7% of comes from words - that we actually say. * Haptics: It is the study of touching. Did you know that acceptable level of touching vary from one culture to another? In Thailand, touching someone's head may be considered as rude. * Proxemics: It is the study of measurable distance between people as they interact. Did you know that the amount of personal space when having an informal conversation should vary between 18 inches - 4 feet while, the personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of people should be around 10-12 feet? * Chronemics: It is the study of use of time in non verbal communication. Have you ever observed that while AN employee will not worry about running a few minutes late to meet a colleague, a manager who has a meeting with the CEO, a late arrival will be considered as a nonverbal cue that he / she does not give adequate respect to his superior? * Paralinguistics: It is the study of variations in pitch, speed, volume, and pauses to convey meaning. Interestingly, when the speaker is making a presentation and is looking for a response, he will pause. However, when no response is desired, he will talk faster with minimal pause. * Physical Appearance: Your physical appearance always contributes towards how people perceive you. Neatly combed hair, ironed clothes and a lively smile will always carry more weight than words.Remember, “what we say” is less important than “how we say it” as words are only 7% of our communication. Understand and enjoy non verbal communication as it helps forming better first impressions | Verbal Communication | A medium for communication that entails talking using the spoken word, such as talking face-to-face, on a telephone, or as a speech. |
Verbal communication is a type of communication where the information flows through verbal medium like words, speeches, presentations etc. In verbal communication the sender shares his/her thoughts in the form of words. In organizations, individuals communicate verbally among each other in the form of dialogues, speech, presentations, discussions to name a few. The tone of the speaker, the pitch and the quality of words play a crucial role in verbal communication. The speaker has to be loud and clear and the content has to be properly defined. Haphazard and unorganized thoughts only lead to confusions and misunderstandings among individuals. In verbal communication, an individual must understand the importance of words and how to put them across.
While speaking the pitch ought to be high and clear for everyone to understand and the content must be designed keeping the target audience in mind. In verbal communication it is the responsibility of the sender to cross check with the receiver whether he has downloaded the correct information or not and the sender must give the required response.

Context vs Content
Context and Content are two words used in the English language that are often confused due to the appeared similarity in their meanings. Strictly speaking there is some difference between the two words, context and content.
The word ‘context’ refers to ‘the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning. Sometimes the word ‘context’ refers to the circumstances relevant to something under consideration as in the expression ‘seen in context’.
On the other hand the word ‘content’ refers to ‘written matter’ in an essay or a dissertation as in the expressions ‘the content of the letter’, ‘the content of the essay’ and the like. You refer to a context whereas you write the content. This is the main difference between the two words.
The expression ‘reference to context’ means ‘reference to a particular occasion’ in a play or in a short story. On the other hand the expression ‘quality content’ refers to ‘a topic written in an impeccable language bereft of grammar errors’. This is another important difference when it comes to the usages of the two words context and content.
The word ‘content’ is generally used to indicate something contained in a vessel, a book or a house. The substance or material dealt with in a speech or a work of art is often referred to by the word ‘content’. Sometimes the word ‘content’ is used in the sense of ‘the capacity or volume of a thing’.
It is interesting to note that the adjectival form of the word ‘context’ is ‘contextual’ and is used in the sense of ‘relevant’ or ‘something pertaining to an occasion or place’. The expression ‘contextual advertising’ refers to ‘advertising done according to the relevance of the place or the occasion.

In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions- 1. Downward 2. Upward 3. Lateral 4. Diagonal 5. External 1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward communication is used by the managers for the following purposes - | Providing feedback on employees performance | | | Giving job instructions | | | Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization. | | | Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees. | | | Highlighting the areas of attention. | | Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward communication, managers must: * Specify communication objective * Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous. * Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right form | | 2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors.
The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process.
Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things.
Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager discussions etc. 3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows: | It is time saving. | | It facilitates co-ordination of the task. | | It facilitates co-operation among team members. | | It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members. | | It helps in solving various organizational problems. | | It is a means of information sharing | | It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts within a department. | 4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform their task. 5. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance - To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager.

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Feedback Communication

| Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the message and respond to them. This response of a receiver to sender’s message is called Feedback. Sometimes a feedback could be a non-verbal smiles, sighs etc. Sometimes it is oral, as when you react to a colleague’s ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written like - replying to an e-mail, etc.Feedback is your audience’s response; it enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your message. If your audience doesn’t understand what you mean, you can tell by the response and then refine the message accordingly.Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an open communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages feedback. For example after explaining the job to the subordinated he must ask them whether they have understood it or not. He should ask questions like “Do you understand?”, “Do you have any doubts?” etc. At the same time he must allow his subordinated to express their views also. |
Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he agrees to that message or not.
There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees, such as : Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news letter etc. Employees are not always willing to provide feedback. The organization has to work a lot to get the accurate feedback. The managers encourage feedback by asking specific questions, allowing their employees to express general views, etc. The organization should be receptive to their employee’s feedback.
A manger should ensure that a feedback should: 1. Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general. 2. Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize anyone personally. 3. Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we should always direct it to the recipients goal. 4. Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the recipients behaviour and the receipt of that feedback. 5. Use “I” statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words like “I”, “However” etc. For example instead of saying”You were absent from work yesterday”, manager should say”I was annoyes when you missed your work yesterday”. 6. Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make sure that the recipients understands the feedback properly. 7. While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not mention the factors which are not in control of the recipient.

The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows: 1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their performance if it is not up to the mark. 2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions. 3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual. Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written communication help in moulding employee’s attitudes. 4. Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of another individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without communication. 5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps controlling organizational member’s behaviour in various ways. There are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling function of management.
An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication, analyze the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the primary responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication system in the organization.

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Communication Barriers - Reasons for Communication Breakdown | Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them.There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below. |

Following are the main communication barriers: 1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support.The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean different to different individuals. For example: consider a word “value”. a. What is the value of this Laptop? b. I value our relation? c. What is the value of learning technical skills? | | “Value” means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver. 2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective. 3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay attention to one “NO PARKING” sign, but if such sign is put all over the city, he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of subordinate. 4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. 5. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. 6. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). 7. Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. 8. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown. |

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Overcoming Communication Barriers

| | 1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg: Voice and Accent training). 2. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided. 3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source. 4. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between “listening” and “hearing”. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker. 5. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good. 6. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication. 7. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively. 8. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate. 9. Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc. 10. Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in an organization the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much pressure on employees to meet their targets.

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Seven C’s of Effective Communication

There are 7 C’s of effective communication which are applicable to both written as well as oral communication. These are as follows: 1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required by the audience. The sender of the message must take into consideration the receiver’s mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication has following features: * Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an organization. * Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the communication is complete. * A complete communication always gives additional information wherever required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver. * Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the audience/readers/receivers of message as they get all desired and crucial information. * It persuades the audience. | | 2. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to convey in least possible words without forgoing the other C’s of communication. Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has following features: * It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving. * It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and needless words. * Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words to the audience. * Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience. * Concise message is non-repetitive in nature. 3. Consideration - Consideration implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective communication must take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audience’s view points, background, mind-set, education level, etc. Make an attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your words in message to suit the audience’s needs while making your message complete. Features of considerate communication are as follows: * Emphasize on “you” approach. * Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate a positive reaction from the audience. * Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on “what is possible” rather than “what is impossible”. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial, committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc. 4. Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than trying to achieve too much at once. Clarity in communication has following features: * It makes understanding easier. * Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message. * Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words. 5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message has following features: * It is supported with specific facts and figures. * It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation. * Concrete messages are not misinterpreted. 6. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show the sender’s expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has following features: * Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of the receiver of the message. * Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience. * It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message. * It is not at all biased. 7. Correctness - Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors in communication. Correct communication has following features: * The message is exact, correct and well-timed. * If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level. * Correct message has greater impact on the audience/ readers. * It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the message. * It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.