![\"A](\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2023\/09\/25004634\/1.1.3L.Diagram1.png\")
Figure 1. Steps of the social communication model[\/caption]\r\n\r\nCommunication suggests a linear process. There\u2019s a sender of a message\u2014let\u2019s say that\u2019s you talking. You put your thoughts into words. And then there\u2019s a recipient of a message who hears those words and considers their meaning. That\u2019s your co-worker, listening. It looks something like this:<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3765\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"881\"] Figure 1. Steps of the social communication model[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
You, the sender<\/strong>, have a thought. You put that thought into words (encoding<\/strong>). The message comes out of your mouth, and then it is decoded<\/strong> (processed) by the recipient, your co-worker, who then decides on the meaning of your words as a result of that decoding process.<\/p>\r\n But what you say isn\u2019t always what your co-worker hears. And that\u2019s where miscommunication can happen.<\/p>\r\n Imagine you're discussing project details over the phone while in a noisy caf\u00e9. You're trying to convey, \"We need the report by next Thursday,\" emphasizing the deadline. This is your message, encoded with the urgency and importance of the task.<\/p>\r\n However, the \"noise<\/strong>\" in this scenario isn't just metaphorical. This environmental noise interferes with your message as it travels to your colleague, distorting the reception.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3766\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"881\"] The noise disturbing your message can jump in at any time. It can be actual noise, it can be a concept misunderstood by the sender before the message is even formed, it can be a message that\u2019s not articulated properly, or it can be a message that\u2019s just not understood by the receiver. In this case, the \u201cnoise\u201d is literal background noise from the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\r\n Your co-worker hears your communication, and the message you encoded and sent is not decoded in the same way, because the decoding process is affected by \u201cnoise.\u201d As a result, your coworker thinks you\u2019ve said, \u201cWe need the report by this<\/strong> Thursday,\u201d and your colleague rushes to complete the report, prioritizing it over other critical tasks based on this misunderstanding.<\/p>\r\n They send you an email saying, \"I've rearranged my schedule to ensure the report is ready by this Thursday,\" which serves as feedback<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_3767\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"881\"] Your recipient has let you know that you\u2019ve been misunderstood by giving you feedback. At this point, you can:<\/p>\r\n In this scenario, you realize the mix-up was due to the noisy environment during your call. This happens frequently in business communications, where background noise or distractions can lead to misinterpretations. You process the feedback and encode a new message, clarifying, \"My apologies for the confusion; the deadline is next Thursday, not this Thursday.\"<\/p>\r\n When the communication is only linear, extending from sender to recipient, you\u2019re talking at<\/em> your audience. The minute there\u2019s feedback from the audience, like with the social communication model, you\u2019re talking with your audience. Talking with an audience ensures a better level of understanding.<\/p>\r\n [ohm2_question height=\"500\"]14664[\/ohm2_question]<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n \u00a0<\/p>","rendered":" Communication suggests a linear process. There\u2019s a sender of a message\u2014let\u2019s say that\u2019s you talking. You put your thoughts into words. And then there\u2019s a recipient of a message who hears those words and considers their meaning. That\u2019s your co-worker, listening. It looks something like this:<\/p>\n You, the sender<\/strong>, have a thought. You put that thought into words (encoding<\/strong>). The message comes out of your mouth, and then it is decoded<\/strong> (processed) by the recipient, your co-worker, who then decides on the meaning of your words as a result of that decoding process.<\/p>\n But what you say isn\u2019t always what your co-worker hears. And that\u2019s where miscommunication can happen.<\/p>\n Imagine you’re discussing project details over the phone while in a noisy caf\u00e9. You’re trying to convey, “We need the report by next Thursday,” emphasizing the deadline. This is your message, encoded with the urgency and importance of the task.<\/p>\n However, the “noise<\/strong>” in this scenario isn’t just metaphorical. This environmental noise interferes with your message as it travels to your colleague, distorting the reception.<\/p>\n The noise disturbing your message can jump in at any time. It can be actual noise, it can be a concept misunderstood by the sender before the message is even formed, it can be a message that\u2019s not articulated properly, or it can be a message that\u2019s just not understood by the receiver. In this case, the \u201cnoise\u201d is literal background noise from the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n Your co-worker hears your communication, and the message you encoded and sent is not decoded in the same way, because the decoding process is affected by \u201cnoise.\u201d As a result, your coworker thinks you\u2019ve said, \u201cWe need the report by this<\/strong> Thursday,\u201d and your colleague rushes to complete the report, prioritizing it over other critical tasks based on this misunderstanding.<\/p>\n They send you an email saying, “I’ve rearranged my schedule to ensure the report is ready by this Thursday,” which serves as feedback<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Your recipient has let you know that you\u2019ve been misunderstood by giving you feedback. At this point, you can:<\/p>\n In this scenario, you realize the mix-up was due to the noisy environment during your call. This happens frequently in business communications, where background noise or distractions can lead to misinterpretations. You process the feedback and encode a new message, clarifying, “My apologies for the confusion; the deadline is next Thursday, not this Thursday.”<\/p>\n When the communication is only linear, extending from sender to recipient, you\u2019re talking at<\/em> your audience. The minute there\u2019s feedback from the audience, like with the social communication model, you\u2019re talking with your audience. Talking with an audience ensures a better level of understanding.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2023\/09\/25005426\/1.1.3L.Diagram2.png\")
Figure 2. The gray \u201cNoise\u201d cloud represents interference that can occur at each step of the communication model[\/caption]\r\n\r\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2023\/09\/25005537\/1.1.3L.Diagram3.png\")
Figure 3. Feedback sends information back to the sender[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\r\n\t
The Social Communication Model<\/h2>\n
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