Principles of Communication

This article discusses the five principles of effective communication: self-awareness, verbal communication, non-verbal communication, listening, and adaptation. It explains how these principles can improve communication skills and provides examples to illustrate their importance.

Running head: PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
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Author’s Note

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Photo Collage
Fig: Five Principles of Communication

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Discussion
Communication is the art of conveying information by writing, speaking or any other
medium. It is the art of conveying meaning from one entity to the other entity or form one person
to the other person by using signs, symbols, expressions and semiotic rules that are mutually
understandable. The five principles of effective communication are discussed as below:
Aware
One must be aware of their communication with themselves and the others. Self
awareness means the knowledge of the person about the effect of his behavior, attitude, thoughts
and emotions on others and the ability to control them to make the other person feel important in
the conversation.
I was angry at a colleague for hurting me. Under that situation I questioned myself
whether I am really angry or just worried about my insecurities. I questioned what can be the
probable long term effect of a harsh reply and then ignored the matter ultimately. So, awareness
prevented argument between us.
Verbal
Effective communicators make use of appropriate symbols. They encode and decode the
messages accurately (Adler, Rodman & Du Pré, 2016). It refers to using proper words and
sentences while writing or speaking. It helps in clear understanding of the message and prevents
miscommunication.
I sold a travel card to a customer of my organization. I precisely told him about the
benefits of having our card over any other and conveyed about a discount offer on the card as

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well. The customer was pleased with my explanation and took the card without further
questioning.
Non-Verbal
This is the basic way for the communication of feelings, attitudes and emotions. This
involves using of proper gestures, hand movements and facial expressions to communicate the
ideas to the others. This type of communication is more believable than simple verbal
communication (Eaves & Leathers, 2017).
It has been observed at the workplace that few employees start to stare at the other
employees in an awkward manner and few employees start to sweat and shake their legs while
working within close deadlines. These expressions show the nervousness or blankness of the
employees while performing their tasks. Therefore, these employees are unable to properly use
their non-verbal communication skills.
Listen
One must listen properly and respond thoughtfully in an effective communication. The
communicators must develop sensitivity to others and must be other oriented (Brownell, 2015).
This helps in complete understanding of the message.
Once my boss was explaining me a task but I was looking at my boss and the files on my
hand. Because of being inattentive, I faced a lot of trouble while completing the task and had to
visit my boss again for further clarification. Proper listening is thus necessary for clear
communication.

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Adapt
The messages must be appropriately adapted to the others. The structure and the general
style of the message should be adapted. It helps in meeting the needs and preferences of the
audiences. The communicator must be prepared to satisfy the audience rather than just his own
satisfaction (Williams, Kemper & Hummert, 2016).
I made a video from an online site to present on a finance topic in front of my colleagues.
However, the video consisted cartoon animations and a video presentation was not required in
the meeting, as a result I was not appreciated for my efforts. Had I adapted to the needs of the
audiences and made a simple presentation I would have been appreciated.

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References
Adler, R. B., Rodman, G. R., & Du Pré, A. (2016). Understanding human communication (Vol.
10). Oxford University Press.
Brownell, J. (2015). Listening: Attitudes, Principles, and Skills (Subscription). Routledge.
Eaves, M., & Leathers, D. G. (2017). Successful nonverbal communication: Principles and
applications. Routledge.
Williams, K., Kemper, S., & Hummert, M. L. (2016). Enhancing communication with older
adults: overcoming elderspeak. Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health
services, 43(5), 12-16.