Thursday 24 January 2013

What is Communication

Communication is derived from the Latin word ‘Communico’ which means “to share”. Hence the
word “communication” means: the process of sharing. One may ask, sharing what? Obviously – sharing
information, which could be facts, ideas, thoughts, feelings, needs, etc. This sharing takes place from one
person to another so that it is understood. This process involves systematic and continuous process of
speaking, listening, and understanding. Therefore, Communication is a process, which involves sharing of information between people through a continuous activity of speaking, listening, and understanding.
Why is Communication Important? Communication is a learned skill. Most people are born with the physical ability to talk. But in order to speak well and communicate effectively you have to learn the art and improve upon your ability to talk. Speaking, listening, and our ability to understand verbal and nonverbal meanings are the skills we develop in various ways. We learn basic communication skills by observing other people and changing our behaviors based on what we see. We also learn communication skills directly through education, practice and constant evaluation of the responses we get from people around us. Importance of communication has always been realized in all times because it is the most vital
means by which people are connected together in the society. However, today communication plays a
crucial role in almost all aspects of life. Work in business, government or organizations are impossible
without communication. People have to communicate with each other, exchange information, make
decisions, talk about new ideas, plans, proposals etc. They also have to communicate externally with
foreigners and people of other races and languages. For a moment, turn your eyes inward and see how much of your waking hours you spend in communication. Nearly 70% – writing, reading, speaking, & listening. As a college student, 69 percent of your communication time is spent on speaking and listening. You spend 17 percent of your communication time on reading and 14 percent writing.
Don’t forget, therefore, that communication is inevitable in one’s life. Today, in this age & world, a
successful person is the one - who can communicate effectively. Pick up any newspaper and scan the jobs wanted advertisements. You will find that communication skills are one of the essential prerequisites in most of the occupations. Be it engineers, business managers, sales officers, operators, etc. Any vocation you choose- oral communication skills are identified as valuable for
both obtaining employment and successful job performance. Big corporations and multinational
organizations need better communication skills in their employees so that they are able to work in teams
and with people from diverse backgrounds.Remember we are living in a communications revolution; we are living in an age of increasing talk. When we have to talk, we might as well talk well, and talk wise.

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