Download Global Question - Pope 1 Effective Communication: Spring 2008

Global Question - Pope
Effective Communication:
Spring 2008 Global COMP Question
Megan Pope
Texas State University – San Marcos
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Communication is a process which all humans partake in. However, not everyone does it well. In
order to discuss what constitutes effective or good communication, it is appropriate to determine
what effective means. In order for communication to be effective or good, all parties involved
must have finished the exchange and walk away from the experience of communicating feeling
like they were heard, understood, and their goals for communicating were met. Another highly
important attribute of effective and good communication is that it must not have been malicious.
When communication is cruel or selfish, it does not make up effective communication. There are
four characteristics which a person who is a good communicator possesses. A good
communicator must be clear, sensitive, dedicated, and responsive.
In order to be an effective communicator, a person must practice using clarity. Clarity is
concerned with being precise, organized, and is concerned with receiver understanding.
Achieving clarity requires communicators to ponder about their message before they
communicate, whether that be through verbal, nonverbal, face-to-face, or computer mediated
communication, in any context or environment. In the organizational context, Schneider (2002)
discusses how technical communicators must endeavor to be clear and avoid misunderstanding.
Especially in regards to hard skills, effective communicators must be clear in order to send
information correctly. Clarity is also discussed in the instructional context. According to
Simonds (1997), clarity is difficult to visualize and that, in reference to teacher clarity, a teacher
can be an expert, but if knowledge is not communicated clearly, then learning does not occur.
Chesebro & McCroskey (2001) also discuss clarity in relation to teaching. Another aspect of
communicator clarity is not only making sure the information is easy to understand, but is also
correct. Aristotle would call this virtue ethos, and ethos goes beyond credibility, since credibility
is a product of ethos (Patrick, 2006). Individual communication behaviors are a direct reflection
of one’s ethos, (Patrick, 2006). Therefore, a good communicator must always be ethical. Clarity
is an important communication concept which applies to all studies of communication. Even the
master communicator, C. S. Lewis (1966) mentioned clarity saying, “Take great pains to be
clear.”
Good and effective communicators are sensitive communicators. Being a sensitive
communicator requires being cognizant of factors which are external to oneself, and making sure
to practice communication which is sensitive to the needs of the receiver. Effective
communicators are sensitive to nonverbal communication. Schachner, Shaver, & Mikulincer
(2005) discuss how nonverbal communication and sensitivity have an effect on the quality of
interpersonal relationships. Worley, Titsworth, Worley, Cornett-DeVito (2007) discuss their
findings of the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication in the classroom.
Communication competence is also central to being a sensitive communicator. Goss (1991)
suggests that in order to be a competent communicator, one must be sensitive to all variables
which might affect the situation. Communication competence revolves around “concepts such as
role-taking, flexibility, empathy, behavioral repertoires, and style-flexing are assumed to aid in
this process” (Duran & Spitzberg, 1995). Empathy and sensitivity also go hand and hand.
“Empathy is the ability of an individual to project himself into the role of another” (Rogers &
Bhowmik, 1970). Sensitive communicators use empathy. Finally, in order to be a sensitive
communicator, one must be careful of gender and culture differences. According to Hsu (2007),
gender differences in communication may differ, depending on a person’s culture. Good
communication should be sensitive to intercultural differences. Burroughs (2008) discusses how
culture influences communication apprehension, self-perceived communication competence, and
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willingness to communicate. Effective communicators use empathy, are sensitive to sex, culture,
verbal and nonverbal communication, and receiver needs in order to be a sensitive
communicator.
Being a good and effective communicator requires the sender to be dedicated. In order to
be a dedicated communicator, a person must be patient and not give up. The dedicated
communicator is committed to making sure understanding of all parties is achieved. One way in
which to do this is to be other oriented. DeVito (2006) discusses being other oriented as being
attentiveness and focusing your message toward the other person. These characteristics showcase
dedication towards achieving understanding. Goss (1991) says a skilled communicator needs
quality speaking and listening skills. Listening is a requirement of a dedicated communicator
because listening is being committed to achieving understanding and not giving up on this goal.
According to Brunner (2008), listening is a part of the communication process, and students and
people working in businesses could benefit from using listening skills well. Also, this researcher
suggests that listening and communicating are impossible without trust, with trust being defined
as “…a willingness for both parties to communicate and listen with an open mind” (Brunner,
2008). Barbara (1959) suggests that good listening is a process which requires being alert, is not
done through shortcuts, requires discipline, and patience. Finally, dedicated communicators
realize miscommunications happen, and work to overcome them. According to Jaworski &
Galasinski (2002), nonverbal communication can often be taken more literally with verbal
communication, or be more believable. Believing nonverbal communication over verbal
communication can lead to miscommunication, so dedication is required to avoid these
miscommunications and meet the goal of achieving understanding.
The last characteristic which a good and effective communicator has is being responsive.
Responsiveness refers to the aspect of the communication model which completes the
communication loop. Communication is not communication until the sender responds’ back to
the receiver’s response. Being responsive involves feedback. DeVito (2006) discusses feedback
in terms of adjusting. A good communicator must adjust what they communicate depending on
the context. Also, feedback which is effective depends on the situation (Lizzio, Wilson, Gilchrist,
& Gallois, 2003). Cline (2005) studied being responsive in the organizational setting, with
superior feedback, and discussed the impact of positive and negative feedback on subordinate
performance. Being responsive is also about being flexible and being to roll with the punches.
Being responsive is also important in the instructional context. Worley, Titsworth, Worley,
Cornett-DeVito (2007) discuss their findings which state how adaptability and flexibility are
important in the classroom. An effective communicator realizes that the nature of
communication is one such that in order to keep up, a person must go with the flow, and respond
to the situation. Having these qualities of being flexible, using feedback and responding to the
situation create a responsive communicator.
This essay has discussed four characteristics of good and effective communication.
Communication which is effective takes into consideration the needs of every individual
involved, fulfills those needs in order to create understanding, and does so without malice. By
being clear, sensitive, dedicated, and responsive, any person can be an effective communicator.
These four characteristics take into account nearly every aspect of the communication model,
and can be applied into every communication context.
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