The Communication Model

One of the "ground rules" Randy Revell uses in the 21st Century Leadership course is to follow a "communications model" whenever appropriate during the course. I actually extend this past the course to any conversation where misunderstanding is a danger. I am most conscious of using this mode when I disagree with someone's points of view.
Here is the model:
Perceptions. Much confusion results from blurring the line between perceptions and interpretations. No one can disagree with the fact that I have certain perceptions. For example: I notice you use the word "jerk." I see you're wearing a red shirt. I smell the perfume that you're wearing. I hear you pausing several seconds before replying to me. These are all perceptions, very close to the source of my data about reality, made through the use of my five senses.
Interpretation or judgment. This is what I personally am imagining is true based on the data from my perceptions. I do not present it as The Truth. Instead, I own it as my personal interpretation. For example: I judge that you are angry. I think you aren't paying attention to what I'm saying. I think you look fat in those pants. These are all interpretations, not perceptions and not The Truth.
Feelings. Do you feel happy, sad, closer, more distant, angry, afraid? It's common for the casual English speaker to confuse thoughts with feelings. Any time you say "I feel that..." you are likely about to communicate a thought, not a feeling. Avoid using "I feel" to communicate thoughts. Use "I think," "I judge," "I believe," or even "the story I make up around that is..." (since that's really what you're doing anyway).
Intention. What, if any, change do I intend to create as a result of this? Much of the time, my intention is to vindicate my own point of view rather than to help you in any way. If this is true, be honest about it. Much of the time, my intention is to sell you on my point of view about you. If this is true, I consider my deeper intention. Is it to promote growth and learning, or simply so I can be right about my point of view? If there is no intent to help, abandon the communication.
If you're having difficulty with the difference between perception and interpretation, bear in mind that all the right/wrong, good/bad emotion stems from the interpretation. One great exercise to try is this: make up several different interpretations that all fit the data you perceive. Make up interpretations, all based on the same event or data, that result in your feeling:
angry
sad
righteous indignation
surprised
delighted
bursting with hysterical laughter
You may soon realize that your feelings are a result of the positions you take, not the events that happen

Importance of communication in organization

Organizational communication lays the keystone to every organization for upbringing and grooming the environment of that particular organization. It could be categorized in three different categories as follows.Upward communication :It is the communication that occurs in an organization from peer to the managerial level and has formal tone included in it. It can be the feedback of the employee towards the manager about some specific report or task. Downward communication :The communication that takes place from the upper echelon that is from manager towards its employees and can be in the shape of some orders and instructions that are required to be followed.Dydic Communication :More friendly and informal communication that occurs between the peers of same organization. It takes place as exchanging ideas amongst each other being the subordinate of that organization

.Principles of communication :Communication is based upon following seven principles,These are known as 7 C's of communication.

1- Conciseness: It should be notified that the message should be concise in nature so that it will be easy to catch the readers' attention.

2- Concreteness: Message should be concrete as having all the meanings conveyed in it but should be shorter in length.

3- Clarity: It must give appropriate and explicit meaning that would not diversify and confuse the reader at any instance. By placing prominence and consequences with all the facts and figures.

4- Completeness: Also it is important that the message must have complete meaning that will providing the sufficient information to its reader.

5- Courtesy: Another important feature is that the sender must be emphasizing on the courteous tone and must give some compliments and benefits to its readers.6- Correctness: The message conveyed must be checked for correctness and should be free from all grammatical errors

7- Consideration: There must be proper consideration in the message and it should emphasize on you attitude rather than 'I' and 'we' kind of words.Process and components of communication :Here are following components on which communication is preceded in any organization.

1. Context : It is the theme that a message must have.2. Sender : Sender acts as encoder from where the message is sourced.

3. Message : The purpose of context and detail information is provided in this component.

4. Medium : It is the channel from where the message is bypassed and information flows towards receiver.

5. Receiver : It acts as an encoder that understands the message, sent by the sender and where information sinks.

6. Feedback: The final phase where the sender gets its audience and readers response in form of criticism or appreciation.Also effective communication is based upon the knowledge of the 5 W's as When, Who, Where, Why, What? which makes it more complete. This is how communication plays its role in any organization through its vital features and grooms the structure within the organization as well as externally enhancing the repute of the whole organization. By just simply improving these components and considering all the necessary elements, the end result can be a successful and a productive organization.

Cycle of Communication

Media EYE Middle East offers several solutions and integrated services. Our solutions help professionals to simplify the day-to-day tasks of generating press coverage so that the targeted audience is influenced to decide on a preferred course of action.
The Communication Cycle Model optimizes workflow through the four stages of the media relations communication cycle:
1 More in-depth and comprehensive media research – More elaborate and in-depth information to help you target specific news professionals and media outlets;
2 Media Contact – Most up-to-date Regional Database.
3 Monitor - a broad base of media for related news, including monitoring competitors' news; and
Evaluate results - through quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Railways to use latest communications systems

IANS) The Indian railway system, in a bid to become more people-friendly, will be implementing modern communications systems such as the global information system (GIS), global positioning system (GPS) and radio frequency identification (RFID), Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said while presenting the Railway Budget 2008-09 in the Lok Sabha Tuesday. Several measures like these were announced as part of the Information Technology Vision 2012 for the railways.
“For getting maximum benefit in the coming years, the mantra for present and future IT applications would be seamless integration,” Lalu Prasad said while presenting his fifth Railway Budget.
“The railways nationwide communication infrastructure will provide the foundation for a common delivery network and platform. Modern technologies like GIS, GPS and RFID will be applied progressively,” he added.
“A centralised information system will not only be useful for the customers but also for the organisation as well.”
Implementation of this system would enable the passengers to have fast and accurate information on a host of issues such as reservation status, train timings and availability of routes among others.
“For the customer it would result in superior experience with improvements in overall efficiency, safety of railway operations, ease of transactions and value added services like infotainment, on board television and knowledge kiosks with Internet facilities,” Lalu Prasad said.
The Information Technology Vision 2012 would be implemented over the next five years.

Business letter

A business letter is a letter written in formal language, usually used when writing from one business organization to another, or for correspondence between such organizations and their customers, clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter will depend on the relationship between the parties concerned.
Parts of a business letter.
Business letters (in the United States) usually contain the following information (in this order):
Date of writing.
Return address
Recipient's address
Salutation or Greeting
Message (body of the letter)
Closing
Signature, printed name, and position of sender
In some situations, a business letter may also include the following optional information:
Enclosures (Encl:)
Carbon Copy Recipients (cc:)
Reference Initials (of the typist)

Example of a block-style business letter
January 17, 2009Name of SenderAddressName of ReceiverAddressMarawi City, Lanao del SurDear Mr. Hayat Shay:This letter is typed flush with the left margin. Note that all lines begin at the left margin including the date, complimentary close, and signature block. They start from the center, or slightly to the right off center on the page. Some authors refer to this form as the “modified block with block paragraphs.”This style is usually typed with mixed or standard punctuation. The salutation is followed by a colon, and the complimentary close, by a comma. This form of punctuation is widely used in most business correspondence.To facilitate typing the date and the closing lines, set the tabular stop at the center or slightly off to the right of the paper so that you can tabulate it whenever you wish.Remember to always leave a space between the valediction and the name, so the person who is sending this has plenty of room to sign the letter.
Sincerely,
*Signature*

What is a Letter OF Inquiry?

A letter of inquiry asks someone for specific information. In some cases, such as a request for promotional material, the recipient will have a clear interest in responding to your letter. In other cases, such as a request for specific information on a product, the recipient may or may not be as motivated to respond quickly. Consequently, always make the tone of the letter friendly and make it easy for the recipient to identify and provide the information you need.
Format of a Letter of Inquiry
Follow this format in writing a letter of inquiry:
In the first paragraph, identify yourself and, if appropriate, your position, and your institution or firm.
In the second paragraph, briefly explain why you are writing and how you will use the requested information. Offer to keep the response confidential if such an offer seems reasonable.
List the specific information you need. You can phrase your requests as questions or as a list of specific items of information. In either case, make each item clear and discrete.
Conclude your letter by offering your reader some incentive for responding.
The following letter of inquiry is written by a computer programmer requesting specific information about an upcoming release of a software product.

3 Things My Mother Taught Me About Communication

I was one of those children who learned to speak young and never really stopped, like those children who learn to stand and take off running.There were a few life lessons that she had to repeat to me over and over growing up. These related specifically to communication, and I'd like to think that they have finally sunk in.Here they are:
"Think before you speak." This was a big one, the biggest one. It was necessary as a child and is just as pertinent, if not more so, as an adult. We all think things that are either inappropriate, ill-timed, or just out of line. We all think them, but we shouldn't say them.
"Get to the point." This may seem a bit harsh to say to a little kid, and my mother may have put it less bluntly many times, but I had and have a tendency to ramble, to digress into little anecdotes and funny stories. In effective communication, there is a point of interest, a final thought or idea to express. Know that path and get there.
"Watch your tone." Sarcasm may have its place, and anger may be justified, but if we are seeking a level playing field, if we wish for our communication to reach a goal or to have a positive effect, we need to pay attention not only to what we say but to how we say it.