In this week’s lecture we discussed the communication process. The communication process is a dynamic two-way exchange of information requiring both parties to seek meaning, sending and receiving, providing ongoing feedback through various channels while paying attention to the barriers to communication in the form of noise. When communication is clearly sent and received working and personal relationships are able to function at optimal levels. When communication breaks down, for a variety of different reasons, the door to conflict opens wide.
Noise gets in the way of clarity. As discussed, noise comes in many forms, both obvious and subtle. In the communication process, we need to pay attention to noise and seek ways to reduce, minimize or eliminate it if we want to improve the communication process.
Find and share a communication example that produced less than desirable outcomes, i.e. a bad example of communication. This example can be personal or sourced from the media, TV or the internet.
1. Describe the setting, the persons involved, what was said or not said and analyze what you think caused the miscommunication.
2. What examples of noise can you identify in this example? Explain.
3. What would you recommend to the persons involved to get a different, positive result?
4. From this example and this week’s lecture, how might you approach communicating differently in the future?
