Communication Insights for Supervision

Interpersonal Communication

Communication starts with one person having a thought or idea and wanting to communicate it to another. The person then has to put it into words (encode) and transmit it to the other person (receiver). The receiver then has to decode the message and make sense of it. The meaning conveyed by the sender's words depends upon the receiver's life experience, attitude, and perception as well as the context in which the exchange occurs. So to overcome this potential barrier, the sender must try to speak in terms of the receiver's outlook and circumstances. Therefore, the better the sender knows the receiver, the greater is the potential for successful communication.

Communication has many facets (see Figure 1). Simplistically, it is the transmission of a message to another person. How that other person receives the message can be affected by the receiver's listening skills; therefore, the sender should be attuned to this. There are many communication channels: oral (face-to-face) one-on-one and in groups, oral (electronically) by telephone or radio, or in written form—by email, letters, handouts, postings on bulletin boards, or signage. Selecting the appropriate channel for the situation will also impact the quality of the exchange. On a construction site, much of the communication is generally done verbally, and so the environment where the exchange occurs will impact the quality of the exchange. See "The Role of Communication in Effective Supervision" for greater detail of the basics involved.

Figure 1: Two-Way Communication Model

People have engaged in nonverbal communication for much longer than they have been using language. The main reason is that much of nonverbal communication takes place below our conscious awareness level. Generally, all messages communicated orally and, to some extent, the ones in writing have a nonverbal component, which can reinforce, complement, detract from, or contradict the message. We may express something verbally while our facial expressions, postures and positions, tone of voice, or gestures may indicate the opposite. The nonverbal component typically communicates belief, attitude, or emotional aspects of the message, as well as potentially the participant's state of mind. It may also be indicative of the relationship between people.

Gestures are sometimes used to reinforce a statement or indicate direction, approval, or dislike. They may be inviting or threatening, communicating encouragement, disappointment, or anger. Facial expressions and posture also are strong indicators of what a person is feeling or thinking. These may telegraph whether the person is fearful, agitated, sad, conciliatory, calm, happy, or some other emotion. Therefore, any of the nonverbal cues can play an important role in either facilitating or hindering effective communication, or conversely it can provide valuable information about the thinking of the people involved in the exchange.

The supervisor may not be fully aware of the importance of nonverbal communication and its effect on dealing with people as well as its impact on effectively managing everyday work-related issues. This could create barriers to the effective exchange of information and, more importantly, understanding. This could render the supervisor less than optimally effective. This also impacts the effectiveness of the workforce, the efficiency of operations, and profitability of the organization. Research has shown that about 7 percent of information is communicated by words, 38 percent by body language, and 55 percent by vocal tone (see Figure 2). The differences in values, beliefs, and personalities between sender and receivers will impact the way each person hears, interprets, and reacts to the same information. So being aware of this and taking it into consideration will greatly improve the exchange of information. Another important factor for which the sender should be looking is feedback from the receiver of the message, especially body language and tone of voice. This will allow the sender to make adjustments so that the message is received as intended and understood by the receiver.

Figure 2: Communication Flow

It is important to note that, in positive interactions, we do not seem to focus as much on the tone of voice or nonverbal component of the interaction as on what is being said and how the message makes us feel. When the exchange is negative, emotionally charged, or confrontational, the focus tends to gravitate more heavily to the nonverbal part of the interaction, with body language, facial expression, and especially tone of voice taking on a significant role in how we react to the message.

The Effect of Relationships on Communication

The relationship between people involved in communicating may form a greater barrier to the effectiveness of the process than almost any other cause. The communication between people with a good relationship tends to be more effective and successful. This is true of any form of communication. Douglas McGregor, a leading authority on management practices, once said, "It is a fairly safe generalization that difficulties in communication within an organization are more often than not, mere symptoms of underlying difficulties in relationships between parties involved. When communication is ineffective, one needs to look first at the nature of these relationships rather than at ways of improving communication."

Lack of empathy can create a barrier between the sender and receiver. Empathy, as defined in the dictionary, is "understanding so intimate that the feelings, thoughts, and motives of one are readily comprehended by another." Better messages can be transmitted if one can see oneself in the receiver's place and analyze the intended message from his or her point of view. The same thinking applies to the receiver, who must be able to empathize with the sender. This may be easier said than done, but the potential benefits of the effort can enhance working relationships as well as benefit the organization.

The Feedback Cycle

An important part of the communication process is the feedback element. The sender must pay attention to the feedback from the other person in order to manage the communication process more effectively. The sender must observe the receiver's facial expression and body language to make a determination of the reaction he or she is having to the message. This will allow the sender to adjust the various elements of the process in order to enhance the recipient's understanding of the message.

The next step is to solicit verbal feedback. This will provide information to the sender in two ways. First, the sender should look for any tonal information that will again deal with the recipient's emotional response to the message. The other source of information is the words used in the feedback. The assessment of this information will tell the sender if the receiver has understood the message as the sender intended. If there is a discrepancy, the sender can then take the necessary steps to modify the message to better explain it, reword the message to provide additional information, or repeat some portion of it to clarify a misunderstanding or confusion on the recipient's part.

Effective Verbal Communication Strategies

• Focus on the issue, not people. Avoid taking things personally. Try to resolve issues amicably. Express needs and/or opinions in terms of the work at hand. Constructive criticism should be directed at the work and not the worker's personality.
• Empathize rather than being judgmental. When dealing with people, it is important to demonstrate sensitivity. How one feels toward people will easily manifest itself in one's demeanor and will readily be picked up by them.
• Create an atmosphere of openness so as to establish a good working relationship. In conversations, give your undivided attention to the people with whom you are conversing. Avoid trying to communicate in busy and noisy areas.
• Avoid pulling rank. Be genuine and straightforward in dealings with others. Work toward creating a trusting and cooperative working relationship. Treat people fairly and with respect.
• Demonstrate flexibility when dealing with others. Respond in ways that acknowledge their knowledge and experience. Thank them for their input.
• Good listening skills and showing a genuine interest are attributes of a successful communicator. Actively listening to people creates an atmosphere of trust and respect, enhancing communication and problem resolution.
• Be concise, use clear language, listen for feedback, and pay attention to body language and tone of voice.

Conclusion

We become better communicators to the extent that we can devise messages that elicit the response we expect or desire from recipients. To accomplish this effectively, we need to thoroughly understand the communication process and its inherent barriers. If we do not elicit the anticipated response, we need to be able to modify the message to facilitate its understanding.

We also need to be able to recognize the effect our messages can have on the recipient and how to structure them so the effect is as positive as possible. To communicate effectively, we also need to actively seek out feedback as well as build relationships so as to enhance the overall communication process.

The importance of effective communication can even be found in the Bible in the story of the collapse of the Tower of Babel due to people not being able to make sense of what they were saying to each other. Communication skills are critical in everything we do. How well we communicate and how effective our communication is determine to a great extent how successful we are in our professional or personal lives. The ability to convey knowledge is power. What we think or know only becomes powerful if we can pass it along to others so that they may use it to better their circumstances or those of their organization.