Page 7 - Leadership Basics 5

A Model of Communication

Communication should be easy, after all, it is a simple process of:

sender > transmission > receiver

sender < transmission < receiver

You have a message, you exchange ideas and you reach an understanding.
These models assume that communication moves directly from sender to receiver without
interference or modification. Thus we think, “If you are not getting my message, it must be because I
am not sending it right”.

This simple model of communication is too simple. Because between sender and receiver is a lot of
interpretation of data. In other words, messages are altered by our senses as well as our previous
experience, our values and beliefs, and sometimes even our physical state (tired, hormonal balance,
etc).
In send mode, we don't just transmit the text of our speech e.g. "Haven’t I met you before?", but also
‘unintended’ messages. The receiver might ‘interpret’ the text by applying a range of filters to come
up with something like “I fancy you” (some men often interpret all communication at this way).

Thus, the data is conceived by the sender, but before transmission it passes through mental filters
and gets merged in with everything else that is going on in our heads. This information passes to the
receiver, who then also mentally filters and merges it before chooses a response. See Illustration 1.

It is therefore quite surprising that we can communicate at all.

Illustration 1. Model of Communication

Sender > Filter > Transmits > Senses > Filter > Receiver

Sender < Filter < Senses < Transmits < Filter < Receiver

Effective Communications

1. The first step in effective communication is
understanding what it is that you wish to
communicate and with whom?
2. The second step is to have a clear, consistent message.

3. The third is to use a variety of channels and venues to

3