Professional Communication and Ethics – I(2020-21)
Module 01 : Fundamentals of Communication
Communication Theory- Communication Cycle
Being engineering students we learn a large number of concepts and ideas each day from academic
and non academic sources. By the time an engineering student graduates out of the university,
he/she will have accumulated a huge store of technical information. It is this technical information
that the graduate is expected to utilise and apply at the workplace. This utilisation and application
takes place through the process of communication. An individual is expected to share technical
information, learn from peers, discuss problems, convey news and perform myriad such tasks
during the course of his/her work. All this is possible only with effective communication. To be able
to do this at that level, a student should begin learning and practising communication skills at the
undergraduate level.
It is important therefore to understand what communication is and how it works.
Man being a social animal, finds the need to communicate quite early inlife. A new born child cries
and expresses hunger. Communication keeps developing at each stage and eventually we learn to
use language in order to communicate. We communicate in the family, in friend circles and in
school. Slowly we begin to distinguish between ways of communication that are proper to specific
circumstances. For eg: We know there is a difference in the way we communicate an illness to
authorities in school and to our parents. While we may communicate with our parents in the most
informal manners, it is important for us to understand standard procedures and protocols operating
in an organization in order to communicate in an organization. However, the fact is that irrespective
of the circumstance in which we find ourselves, it is impossible for us to not communicate.
Why Communication Skills?
Let us do an activity.
Groups of 4-6 are created. Each group is given a theme and is asked to write a story on the given
theme. The group is given 10-15 minutes to write the story and the story has to be read out by a
group member at the end of the allotted time.
This looks like an easy activity. However, there is a catch here. No member of the group is allowed
to talk or gesture to each other while doing this activity. One person is allowed to write one
sentence. The next sentence is written by the next person and it goes on in a cyclic manner.
One person from the group reads the story aloud to the class. The group relaises that they are
greatly dissatisfied with the story.
Ask the group to write the story again. This time, allow them to talk.
The group is satisfied with the second story.
This activity very clearly demonstrates the importance of communication and the difficulties that
could arise due to the lack of it. There might have been creative minds in the group whoe expertise
could have helped the group write an excellent story. There could have been gifted writers whoe
language could have helped weave an excellent plot. But all that remained locked up and unused
only because communication was eliminated.
This activity simply articulates that without proper Communication one's technical skills and
expertise could come to nought.
Pre-requisites for communication
Communication happens at different levels. In day to life we communicate with family members,
friends and relatives. We are not expected to follow specific patterns or formalities while involving
in such levels of communication. We call this the personal/intimate level. Communication also
happens in organizations between professionals. People are expected to follow certain protocols in
such circumstances. We call this the professional level of communication. Communication also
happens in academic institutions between teachers and students, students and authorities,etc. This is
called the academic level. Before we begin talking about communication, it is imperative to
understand the pre requisites for communication. The pre requisites include:
1. TRUST
Any communication can happen only when there is trust between the parties involved.
Trust comes with the following:
Competence- Knowing the competence of the person helps in communication. Eg: If you visit a
doctor, you will first want to know how qualified the doctor is. Higher the qualification, greater will
be the element of trust.
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Character- Trust however doesnt depend on competence alone. Character is equally important if not
more. Someone with high qualifications and experience but with a bad character may not make a
great professional. Eg: In the previous example, the doctor may be greatly experienced and
competent, but if he/she is involved in malpractices or resorts to unfair means, the patient may not
have trust in him/her.
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Relationships- Trust is easily built when someone is involved with someone for a very long time.
This applies to professional relationships too. We all have family doctors. Even if new doctors with
greater qualifications and higher competence have begun practice in the neighbourhood, we still
prefer to visit these family doctors.
UNDERSTANDING
People like to be heard. A lot of advice and sugggestions is available these days. But a willingness
to listen patiently and understand is what sets some professionals apart from the rest. Eg: Out of all
teachers in an academic institution, students might want to approach and consult only a few. This is
not because they are more competent than the others, but because they have a better ability to listen
to students.
COMMUNICATION
Etymologically, communication is derived from the Latin word(s) Communicare/ Communis
(Latin) which means to share.
Definition of Communication
Shannon and Weave
“All procedures by which one mind may affect another. This involves not only written and oral
speech but also music and pictorial art, the theatre, the bullet and in fact all human behaviour.”
Comprehensive Definition
“ A process of transmitting ideas, information, attitudes (images which we have formulated for
ourselves) by the use of symbols, words, pictures, figures from the source (who is the originator of
the message) to the receiver, for the purpose of influencing with intent.”
The Process
It is important for us to understand how communication actually works. The process of
communication involves the following components:
Sender
Receiver
Message
Feedback
Medium
Channel
Encoding
Decoding
Sender- initiates the communication on the basis of the need/urge.
Encoding- appropriate messages, method of structuring
Message- content
Medium- the vehicle- verbal (oral/written) or non- verbal, necessary to select the appropriate
medium
Channel- the actual instrument through which message is transmitted- letter, newspaper,
microphone, telephone, etc.
Decoding- understanding the message, unwrapping the content
Receiver- the person who decodes, targeted audience
Feedback- the response, confirmation of receipt, final link, silence is also a feedback (without
feedback, the cycle is not complete).
References:
Communication Skills- Meenakshi Raman & Sangeeta Sharma, Oxford University Press 2017.
Communication Skills- Shirley Mathew, Technical Publications & Nirali Prakashan 2017.
