COMMUNICATION

Source: Communiation. (2008, September 17). Retrieved May 25, 2011, from Comunicación Cultural para Artistas: http://seminariocomunicacioncultural.blogspot.com/

COMMUNICATION can be defined in many ways. - Link to exchange messages

- Verbal or non verbal expressions

- Method to express an idea; implies that someone is expected to capture the idea

- Social process to relate with others 

It has been subject to many gradual changes in recent times due to new trends imposed by globalization. Example of this are the emoticons, which appeared to provide expressions to virtual communication, they were born from the need of including expressions to written communication through the internet and technological devices.

The use of metaphors has proven to be an effective method for improving communication as shown in the article IF InterContinental WERE A SOUND…WHAT WOULD IT BE? By: Michael Spencer - Managing director of Sound Strategies Ltd. London, UK., where the use of metaphors was effective to transmit an idea regarding the corporate sound idea that Sound Strategies Ltd. wanted to propose to InterContinental. Metaphors make communication more creative, it implies more attention and even relating emotions. This type of communication goes beyond words to a more analytical and comprehensive process.

Also, reflexive listening is effective because it makes the other one feel comfortable and understood. Verbal response is done in four stages:

1.       Affirming contact

2.       Paraphrasing the expressed – summary

3.       Clarifying implicit thoughts and feeling

4.       Reflecting core feelings not fully expressed – hearing themselves

Regarding INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, the encoding and decoding has to be made in the same system in order for the message to be decoded by the receiver. The source and the receiver share the same channel of communication, but have different fields of experience. Those differences in the fields of experiences between the source and the receiver constitute the barriers that affect communication. Barriers to communication are the following:

COMMUNICATION is the most important skill when dealing with intercultural communication. Cultural awareness, flexibility and patience are other important skills that should be taken into account to manage intercultural communication effectively.

DISCUSSION: New communication methods are taking over from more traditional approaches, resulting in a reduction in face-to-face meetings. How can you improve this situation?

As it was previously mentioned, new communication methods have appeared due to globalization and advances in technology that allow overcoming physical barriers such as time and distance. In the business environment this evolution of communication means have facilitated business making in different parts of the world, with the counter back that it means as well the reduction of face-to-face meetings. This issue is very relevant when evaluating the effectiveness of this type of communication channels given that dealing with intercultural communication becomes even trickier when all the senses are not involved in the communication as it goes down to writing/reading and speaking/hearing. In this way, other elements of the communication are lost such as the physical behavior of the people involved in the conversation which reflect much of the person’s emotions.

To improve this situation elements such as the previously mentioned emoticons appear in order to add an emotional background to the written conversations. Additionally, emoticons add information regarding physical expressions that can very much help decipher if communication is being effective or not. One can identify the other person’s mood and response to the conversation and therefore have clearer indices of how to manage it from there on.

In this context the power of words become important as languages and its extensive vocabulary provide elements that allow people to express their selves fully. For example poets are able to transmit in words the most complex and interesting feelings and in this way words can become a very successful communication strategy when one wants to express an idea. The use of metaphors to illustrate ideas and transmit messages are a creative means for improving communication as it is creative and implies deeper thought and analysis. This solution to the presented situation has a major setback imposed by the difficulty of having a thorough understanding of a common universal language that in the current business world is English.

Teleconferences have surged as a more comprehensive answer to this reduction in face-to-face meeting caused by the internet’s boom worldwide. In teleconferences people set a time to connect through the net in a visual contact provided by webcams. In this context, emoticons are no longer necessary as one is able to see the other’s facial expressions, reactions, and behavior at real time. This is why I believe that the most suitable way to improve the situation caused by the reduction of face-to-face meetings is developing communications means that even if they don’t occur in the same physical space, allow to integrate at the highest possible the eye contact with the writing/reading and speaking/hearing modes very common today.