3.The Barriers to Effective Communication
Communication is the transmission of meaning from one person to another or to many people, whether verbally or non-verbally. Communication from one person to another is commonly depicted as a simple triangle consisting of the context, the sender, the message, and the receiver
(Exhibit 1).
Exhibit 1: The Communication Triangle
This exhibit shows what would be very simple and ideal communication. There would be no miscommunication or misunderstandings. The sender would understand the context and the audience (receiver), select the right medium, and send a clear message, and the receiver would receive and understand that message exactly as the sender intended.
In reality, communication more likely resembles some variation of the diagram in Exhibit 2:
Exhibit 2: Communication Reality or the Interruptions to Communication
The complication in communication comes from the interruptions or interferences in that transmission, whether the sender causes them or the receiver. The context in which the information is sent, the noise that surrounds it, the selection of the medium, the words used in the message, the image of the speaker, etc., all influence the meaning traveling successfully, or as intended from one to another. Learning to anticipate the interruptions in the rhetorical situation, to appreciate the context, to understand the audience, to select the right medium, and to craft clear messages that allow the meaning to reach the specific receiver as intended is the foundation of effective business communication.
The goal of mastering all aspects of leadership communication is to move prospective leaders as close to the ideal communication situation as possible. Leadership communication necessitates anticipating all interruptions and interferences through audience analysis and then developing a communication strategy that controls the rhetorical situation and facilitates the effective transmission of the message.