The Communication Process
Last update: 21 August 2002

 
In many ways, the history of human civilization chronicles the increasing centrality of communication. Communication establishes relationships and makes human organization and cooperation possible. Whether you recognize it or not, you have no choice but to communicate. If you try to avoid communicating by not replying to messages, you are nevertheless sending a message, but it may not be the one you want or intend. When you don’t say yes, you may be saying no by default—and vice versa. The only choice you can make about communication is whether you are going to attempt to communicate effectively.

Communication Is Complex

Communication is a complex process in which many possibilities for error exist. Since World War II, we have become increasingly aware that many of our problems in our personal and professional relationships result from poor communication. Nevertheless, because we spend so much of our time communicating, we tend to assume that we are experts. Surveys indicate that when business professionals are asked to rate their communication skills, virtually everyone overestimates his or her abilities as a communicator. When we have problems understanding or making ourselves understood, the natural tendency is to blame the other person (or persons).

Effective Communication

Effective communication begins with a recognition that not everyone experiences the world in the same way and that other’s views may be as correct—perhaps even more correct—than our own. We create internal, mental maps of reality based on our experiences. When we communicate, whether nonverbally through gestures and actions or verbally through language, we do so based on our mental maps. If I were to tell you, for example, that Coke tastes better than Pepsi, I would not have actually said anything about either Coke or Pepsi. Instead, I would have told you something about my subjective experience—the mental map I have created for Coke and Pepsi.

Cultural Differences and Subjective Experience

For most of human history, relationships have been based on shared mental maps. When people shared a common language, culture, or religion or had common trade or business interests, they could establish and maintain relationships. Differences led to difficulties. In today’s global economy, we must do better.

Fortunately, subjective experience—our mental maps—has structure, and, to a very large extent, that structure is knowable. The next several sections cover the nature of subjective experience, models of the communication process, the ways that communication influence behavior, the importance and use of language, and rapport.

 

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~bowman/comproc.html