The Oxford English Dictionary (2023) defines communication as ‘The transmission or exchange of information, knowledge, or ideas, by means of speech, writing, mechanical or electronic media.’

Essentially, communication involves a transaction between a sender and at least one recipient. It should be straightforward, but as we will see in this chapter there are many ways in which the communication process can be affected which influeance the outcome of the interaction.

The process of communication begins with the sender who decides on the means of delivery (oral, written, visual, digital etc.) and conveys (encodes) the message according to their own values. The recipient then understands (decodes) the message and may themselves become a sender giving feedback and beginning a dialogue. There are many issues that can arise here. Maybe the method of delivery causes difficulties in reception or interpretation of the message. Maybe multiple recipients understand the message differently because it is ambiguous. Maybe recipients are angered, disappointed, saddened or frustrated by the message and allow their emotions to cloud their response. There are so many opportunities for this simple process to fail to achieve its goals.

Choosing the correct communication channel

These days, we have much choice in how we deliver our messages to other members of a team. We can still just speak to others but in general we may need to record our conversation in some way as a reference. This might include minute taking in a meeting, or sending an e-mail acknowledging a transaction and any agreements made following a chance conversation in the staff room, corridor or library, for example. We can write reports or academic papers, or we could take to social media to post our thoughts or compose a blog. Maybe we can construct a library website or have a page dedicated to our services on the main school website. Sometimes, if the subject is complex or technical, we may use a diagram, an infographic or even a physical model to convey our meaning. To ensure we choose the correct form of communication, we should think about how the recipients will respond best and what barriers we need to overcome to be certain our message is understood in the way we intend.