Think it - Can Good Communication Save You?

To me communication is to convey your thoughts to others as you perceive it. Misunderstanding occurs because of a lack of conveying your thoughts to others as you have perceived it which results in adverse outcomes. For example, when a dog follows us, we see it as a dangerous thing that he might bite us so we try to avoid it by running away or beating him but he may be calling our attention to something or asking for food etc and in either case the outcome would be adverse. Take the case of interaction with a computer, you have to communicate with the computer to do something that you want it to do and if you fail to do so then you will get  nothing or garbage as a result.

First of all communication involves some kind of language that both the parties in communication need to understand. Second thing is the clarity of conveying and understanding each other. In the example of a dog, the dog could not convey in a language that human beings can understand and in the case of a computer human beings have to convey to the computer in the language that it understands and in both cases have to clearly and precisely convey what you want. So in any type of communication two things are important namely Language and Clarity. 

In an emergency situation your call for help if others can understand then it is life saving. Same is true in negotiation. In business one has to negotiate almost daily many times, for example with vendors, customers, employees, employers etc. One of the biggest causes of failed negotiations is miscommunication. 

Communication has many aspects viz. (1) Verbal Communication (2) Non-verbal Communication (3) Written Communication and (4) Visual Communication. In verbal communication you need to have clarity i-e what you want to say and tone i-e how to convey your thoughts - angrily, softly, jokingly etc. Selection of the right words and tone of your voice can give you an edge in any situation.  In non-verbal communication your face expressions, your body movements convey important messages that can have favourable or unfavourable outcomes. So be mindful of your face expressions and body language. In written communication, structure of your letter or report i-e introduction, body, closing etc. , grammar, choice of words and spelling matters. You must take care of all these things as they convey a very strong impression about your personality i-e who you are. In visual communication, design, relevance to what you are saying and of course simplicity so that the other people can understand the visual message clearly.

In business effective communication is an important tool. If you could not effectively communicate to others then the results would be unfavourable to you. You may not get what you want not by fault of others but by miscommunication. This is very important when you are dealing online. In this case you have to be very clear and precise in your order taking or taking delivery. In either case, the result of miscommunication can be bad.

Good communication can be a lifesaver in many situations. It's a skill worth developing and refining throughout life.