Communication can be defined as a simple act of exchanging information between two or more people or a group of people. Communication is a two-way process where the recipient of the information not only accept the information and decodes its meaning to establish understanding but also participates in the communication.
The information shared through communication can be news, idea, or someone’s personal feelings about something.
Communication is an integral part of day-to-day business activities. An organization cannot exist without communication. However, it is made sure that the communication takes place in a disciplined manner between the different levels of an organization.
In business management, various information such as ideas, business objectives, instructions is communicated between the employees using four different types of communication, such as verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written, and visual communication. Effective communication has various features.
The ten features of communication
#1. Communication takes place between at least two or more people
The most important feature of communication is the parties involved in the communication process. The communication usually takes place between two or more than two people where one person is the recipient of the information, and another is the transmitter of the information.
However, a communication process is a two-way communication process, which means both parties involved in the communication process can share information at the same time.
#2. A two-way process
As we have learned already that communication is a two-way process where all parties involved in the communication process exchange ideas and information with one another.
However, communication is not complete unless the message is not understood and acknowledged by the receiver of the message.
#3. The message
Communication is useless if it does not contain a useful message. Therefore, a message is a must in the communication process. A message can be an idea, information, instructions, or suggestions.
A communication is called effective if it delivers the intended message properly, and there will be no communication with no message.
#4. Dynamic in nature
Communication is dynamic, which means it grows and evolves with the participation of parties and their mood and state of mind involved in the communication.
Therefore, communication can either last for hours or last for just a few seconds depending on the information being shared in the communication and the interest of people involved in the communication.
For example, a meeting between the manager and his subordinates can last for 10 minutes or can also last for hours, depending on the discussion taking place in the meeting.
#5. Establish mutual Understanding
Another important feature of communication is to establish understanding between the parties involved in the communication process which means the information is received and understood by the receiver in the same way as the sender wanted it to be received and understood.
Communication is not successful until the message is not conveyed correctly and until the acknowledgment is not received by the sender of the message.
#6. Response
Communication will be considered complete only if the appropriate response is received by the sender of the message.
#7. Systematic
Communication is systematic, which means each component of the communication depends on the other component of the communication. The meaning of entire communication will change with the little change in any of the component involved in the communication.
For example, if communication takes place between a boss and his subordinate over the phone. The information exchanged in the communication process can be affected by the slightest problem in the phone line.
#8. Form of communication
Communication can take place in any form. For example, it can be oral, written, or in gestural form. Oral and written communication is considered as formal communication and is often used in a business environment. However, gestural communication takes place by conveying information using hands or eyes movements.
It is an informal type of communication which is widely used in the informal environment but is not acceptable and considered appropriate in the formal environment.
#9. The flow of information
The communication can take place between superior, and his subordinates where information flows from upper level to lower level and vice versa and similarly communication can also take place between two persons working at the same level in an organization.
This type of communication is referred to as side-to-side communication. Both up-to-down and side-to-side communication can be both formal as well as informal in nature.
For example, when one employee share information mentioned in a circular with another employee is called formal communication and when the same employee shares a rumor about another employee working in the same organization is an example of informal communication.
#10. A continuous Process
A communication process is a continuous process where information is shared between the people involved in the communication endlessly.
For example, a manager gives instructions to his subordinates to complete various jobs at work.
