Have you ever realized how infrequently the message sent is the message that is actually received? When you consider the communication process, and all the factors that come into play, it’s amazing that we communicate effectively at all!

Let’s start with the person sending the message. He/she has an idea of what they want to communicate. In this person’s mind, it might be perfectly clear (then again, sometimes even that isn’t the case). But, let’s assume it is. Based on that person’s experience, background, learning preference, etc., they formulate the message and select a channel to send it.

What are their channel choices? Face-to-face, phone (land line or cell), and written (e-mail, letter, memo, etc.).

Each has advantages and disadvantages, yet rarely does the person sending the message consider the format that the receiver likes the best, nor which would be the best to get the message across.

The channel choice is only one potentially problematic area. How about the noise that affects the channel? The physical noise is most obvious:  What else is going on in the environment? Car horns, cell phones, conversation, multi-tasking, etc., all cut down on effectiveness.

In written communication, typos, misspellings, font size, and sloppy handwriting have the same impact – not to mention content-laden PowerPoint slides.

Along with physical noise is psychological noise – the attitude of the receiver toward the sender and the message, and any personal thoughts (did the kids get to school”, is it lunchtime yet?, etc.). Then there are the factors related to the language used to send the message. Even if it is all in English, different words impact people differently — not to mention use of acronyms, jargon and buzz words, which can be totally confusing.

What are some of the other things that impact our communication process?

•  personal motivators
•  behavioral style
•  intonation
•  dialect and diction
•  physical appearance

So, whose responsibility is effective communication? Both the sender’s and receiver’s. That’s why using skills like listening, paraphrasing, clarifying and confirming will help to ensure that the message sent is, indeed, the one received.

Although communicating effectively is a challenge, it can be done, and is well worth the effort. It will improve your relationships and the bottom line.