Communication is the process of conveying information (knowledge, facts, ideas and feelings). One person (communicator or Sender) makes their ideas, information, knowledge known to the others (receiver or Target).
This method is one way (telling), but it does not guarantee successful communication, as your target may not receive the information, take any notice of it or understand it.
So, critical to successful communication is ensuring that your message is conveyed in a way that it is received and understood by the target. The sender should know:-
- with whom they need to communicate
- how much and what kind of information needs to be imparted
- what methods need to be employed and are best suited
- the target audience
In fact, tailoring the messages as appropriate to suit different audiences increases the likelihood that the message is both received and understood. For example, front-line employees may need practical and specific information on how to complete a task, whereas a senior manager may require information on policy and the process for taking on new work.
This can be further improved by checking and testing the understanding of the receiver through feedback.