Principles of Communication

An understanding of the models of communication enhances our ability to visualize our communicative interactions. In addition, the linear, interaction, and transactional models further help us identify and understand many key principles that clarifies and highlights the complexity of the communication process.

In this section we’ll explore four principles of communication and how these principles impact the workplace. Then we’ll look at how your understanding of these principles can help you develop the skills necessary for communication competence.

Principle 1: Communication is not a basic skill. Communication should not be viewed as a basic skill that one either possesses or lacks. Often our ability to communicate effectively is situational. For example, you may feel very comfortable interacting with co-workers during a team meeting, but feel anxious when delivering a formal presentation to a larger group. Likewise, a short project briefing with your supervisor may not cause you discomfort, but you may find yourself feeling worried and nervous before your performance appraisal with the same individual. Courses like this one provide you with opportunities to practice your communication skills and help you gain confidence for future interactions.

Principle 2: Communication is irreversible. We cannot undo a message conveyed to someone else, whether verbal or nonverbal, intentional or unintentional. This means once a message is communicated, we cannot modify or correct it, nor can we communicate a message in exactly the same way again.

We don’t need to look far to find examples of the irreversible nature of communication. You can probably think of a celebrity falling out of favor or becoming a casualty of “cancel culture” as a result of an objectionable post or comment on social media; and the same can happen to you. Employers also have the right to fire employees for expressing personal opinions or negative feelings on personal social media accounts. So, venting about a bad boss or a misunderstanding with a customer may seem simple on its surface, but once you realize your message cannot be corrected or retracted, you begin to appreciate the power of our words.

Principle 3: Communication is rule-based. The transactional model of communication illustrates how communication occurs within specific contexts, but it is important to understand that our communicative situations and environments also have explicit and implicit rules that influence interaction. Explicit rules are those that are written or documented in some formal way, whereas, implicit rules are implied or unstated.. For example, do employees work in private offices, or are they assembled in open work spaces in order to encourage collaboration? Is it customary for employees to dress in business casual attire, or are jeans and t-shirts the workplace norm? Some organizations even have specific channels or procedures for communicating work policies or interacting with managers or supervisors. Your ability to adapt to the communication rules, whether written or unwritten, can make all the difference in your organizational success.

Principle 4: Communication has ethical implications. It’s not enough to create a message that is clearly understood, we must also communicate ethically. We can be guilty of unethical communication when we craft messages that are not clear and concise, or use language that skews the information presented to our intended audience. Other times, we may not communicate ethically when we communicate our own opinions (or the opinions of others) as fact.

The complexities of today’s organizations can make doing the right thing more complicated than ever. There may be times when we are expected to not disclose complete information or to communicate in ways that are inconsistent with our own beliefs. The ethical choices we make in the workplace are situational and personal. Professional organizations have developed codes of ethics to help guide employees through areas that might be ill-defined or uncertain.