Human Communication
Communication skills are significant in conveying information correctly. Interpersonal communication occurs where an individual conveys information to another person. According to Floyd, it could be face-to-face communication, interviews or small group discussions (2009, p.78). Listening skills are vital for effective interpersonal communication. A communicator should understand the recipient and be interested in what the other person is saying. Maintaining eye contact and asking questions are positive signals to attract the recipient. The actions are important in order to be assertive and learn from the discussion at the end.
Public communication involves a person sending information to an audience. This could be direct through face-to-face or indirect such as in a television or radio. In public communication, it is essential to ooze confidence while relaying messages (James, 1986, p.54). A confident communicator excites people who want to hear more from the speaker. Public communication should be clear and the speaker presentable before his or her audience.
Intercultural communication involves conveying information to people of diverse cultures. Conveying information is important in understanding the culture of the people and their diversity to communicate effectively (James, 1986, p.56). The message should be simple for the audience, and the speaker should demand tolerance while communicating in a cross-cultural background. Where necessary, the speaker should get help in form of a translator to communicate effectively in a cross-cultural setting.
Speech
Today I am going to describe the concept of human communication. Human communication occurs in every activity that human beings carry out every day. By definition, communication is the process of passing on information from a sender to a receiver through a medium and receiving feedback. Human communication involves a deliberate act performed by a person with the intention of bringing an effect to another human recipient (DeVito, 2002, p.10). There are different styles of human communication categorized as passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive, and active (Berko et al., 2007). In an assertive style of communication, a person states clearly his or her views and ideas, and strongly fights for his or her rights without disregarding the rights of others. An assertive communicator has high self-esteem. This person values his or her time and needs while seeking for his or her rights, but working carefully not to violate others rights (Berko, et al., 2007, p.341). In contrast, in the aggressive style of communication people focus on their rights and needs while disregarding other people’s opinions. In passive communication style, individuals develop a behavior of hiding their opinions and safeguarding their rights. They suffer from a low self-esteem and rarely show their anger, which eventually builds up to dangerous levels. Finally, in the passive-aggressive style of communication avoid direct confrontation, but advocate strongly for their rights disregarding other people’s opinions.
Interacting with oneself is a form of human communication that occurs within one-person, which is intrapersonal communication. The objective of intrapersonal communication is to clarify an idea and critically analyze a specific situation. In addition, it enables an individual to meditate on and appreciate something. Intrapersonal communication begins with a self-concept where a person determines his or her stand in relation to others. Another form of human communication is interpersonal communication (DeVito, 2002, 56). This communication involves more than one human being. For example, in an interview communication is between the interviewer and the interviewee. In a telephone conversation, the communication is between two people, which make it an interpersonal communication. In addition, public communication is a form of human communication. It involves conveying information to a large audience in a gathering such as a public rally. There are two types of public communication i.e. direct and indirect. Direct public communication involves a speaker delivering a message face to face to a large audience. Indirect public communication involves conveying messages indirectly through the radio, television or through teleconferencing. Public communication is often one way and the speaker is not able to receive feedback from his or her audience because of the magnitude of the audience. Therefore, this form of communication requires the speaker to be audible and clear for effective communication.
Communicating in a group is another form of human communication. It is different from interpersonal communication or public communication because people in a group interact closely. It is common in organizations where there are group dynamics and everyone has their opinion. It works well with teams in an effort to achieve organization goals. Finally, the cross-cultural communication is another form of human communication. It involves speaking to people of different cultures and may require an interpreter where the language used is different (Redmond, 2000, p.101). This form of communication creates harmony within a region where there are different cultures.
Part 2: Non-Verbal Communication
During the meeting, it is important for the managers to understand the non-verbal communication used to avoid misinterpretation. Non-verbal communication involves actions and other forms of physical appearance such as facial expression that can have a strong way of conveying information (Anderson, 2007, p.321). There are situations in which a person communicates without uttering a single word. It is, therefore, important for the parties involved to understand both verbal and non-verbal messages. This is because certain non-verbal messages carry more weight than the verbal messages. Non-verbal communication is specific according to the culture where a person comes from. Therefore, it will be necessary to understand the culture of the people of Japan to ensure effective communication. Their interpretation of different symbols may be different from the known.
Good eye contact is essential in improving non-verbal communication (Burgoon, et al, 2011, p.65). This does not mean constantly staring at a person, but certain intervals of glances are recommended. Where eye contact is missing, it could be a sign of hiding something from the other party. It is significant to ask questions which an individual does not understand the meaning of a non-verbal sign. The recipient can repeat the gesture and ask the communicator to explain its meaning. This brings clarity and improves non-verbal communication. In addition, the dressing of a person and the overall grooming say much about a person. Grooming is part of non-verbal communication because people tend to judge a person from their outward appearance. Therefore, to improve non-verbal communication, it will be important dress according to the occasion. This is a formal meeting and formal clothing is appropriate.
Further, to improve non-verbal communication, the tone voice should be correctly used, depending on the message conveyed. A communicator should read the mood of recipients and change the tone of voice appropriately. For instance, if a person wants to express anger, he or she should change the voice to portray the anger to the recipients. This improves non-verbal communication. According to Remland (2009, p. 76) one non-verbal signal should not judge the behavior in a person. A person could be suffering from an illness leading to his or her poor physical appearance. This does not mean that the person has a poor personality. In contrast, the tone of voice could be exemplary portraying a different perspective. Therefore, it is essential to compare a group of non-verbal signs to improve communication.
Communicating with these managers on the non-verbal communication may pose a challenge owing to their different locations. However, video clips can be of effective help. Acted video clips can demonstrate the meaning of different non-verbal signs to the managers as they prepare for the meeting. The video clips require interpretation so that the managers understand the meaning of the non-verbal signs in their context (Anderson, 2007, p.99). It is also important to have a brief discussion with the managers before leaving for the meeting. In this discussion, brief the managers on the importance of concentrating on non-verbal cues and interpreting their meaning. A demonstration is essential to determine how the managers interpret the non-verbal signals in different settings. Since the meeting is formal, the managers should judge the meaning of an idea based on a group of the non-verbal signals. Small drawings on papers can also communicate to the managers the meaning of different non-verbal signs. Distributing these papers to managers before the meeting may help avoid misinterpretation.
References
Anderson, P., (2007). Nonverbal Communication: Forms and Functions (2nd ed.). Waveland
Press.
Berko, R., et al., (2007).Communicating: A Social and Career Focus. Houghton.
Burgoon, J.K., et al., (2011). Nonverbal communication. Boston: Allyn& Bacon.
DeVito, J.A., (2002). Human Communication. Boston, MN: Allyn& Bacon.
Floyd, K., (2009). Interpersonal Communication: The Whole Story. New York: McGraw Hill.
James, C.M., (1986). An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication.Prentice Hall.
Knapp, M.L., & Hall, J.A., (2007). Nonverbal Communication in human Interaction (5th ed.).
Wadsworth: Thomas Learning.
Redmond, M., (2000).Communication: Theories and Applications. Houghton.
Remland, M.S., (2009). Nonverbal communication in everyday life. Boston: Allyn& Bacon.
