The communication process and its failures

Communication is a fundamental process for human interaction, but it is prone to failures that can lead to conflict.

To understand where these errors occur, it is helpful to break down the basic model of communication into its essential components: the sender, the message and the receiver.

Each stage of this process presents opportunities for information to be misinterpreted, especially due to the presence of "noise" that alters the message.

These noises can be external (such as interruptions or distractions) or internal (such as biases, emotions or lack of context).

The process starts with an idea or thought that the sender wishes to convey.

The sender then translates that idea into a message that is sent out into the world through speech, text or any other form of expression.

The receiver, on the other hand, receives the message through his or her senses and begins to interpret it.

It is at this stage that problems often arise, since the receiver's interpretation does not always coincide with the original intention of the sender.

From this interpretation, the receiver generates a response.

This response is the key for the sender to evaluate whether the message was understood correctly or whether there was a misunderstanding.

However, for this evaluation to be accurate, the sender must also be able to correctly interpret the receiver's response.

The sender's responsibility in communication

One of the most critical points in the process is the sender's responsibility.

For communication to be effective, the sender must not only be clear in conveying his or her message, but must also take responsibility for the message being correctly interpreted by the receiver.

If the sender perceives that the message has been misinterpreted, he should try to communicate it in a different way, rather than simply repeating what he said the first time.

Repeating the same communication will only reinforce the initial misinterpretation and will not allow the situation to move forward.

In a work environment, a lack of clear communication and an inability to take responsibility can lead to a cycle of misunderstanding and frustration.

To prevent conflict, it is essential that both leaders and employees focus on feedback and verification of understanding.

This ensures that the intentions of the sender and the interpretation of the receiver are aligned, minimizing the possibility of misunderstandings escalating into more serious conflict.

Summary

The communication model (sender, message, receiver) is prone to failures that can lead to conflict. These errors are due to external "noise," such as distractions, or internal, such as biases and emotions.

The receiver's interpretation often does not match the sender's original intent, and this is where problems arise. The receiver's response is key to the sender's assessment of whether the message was understood.

The sender has a responsibility to ensure that his message is interpreted correctly. If he perceives a misunderstanding, he must find a different way to communicate the idea, rather than simply repeating it and reinforcing the error.