Karnataka   

Mastering the communication techniques

"Being complete and concise is not contradictory. It only amounts to giving pertinent information and all the pertinent information,'' K. Shankar, who has interviewed scores of famous people on television and in the print media, tells K. Satyamurty.

He is an engineer-turned consultant whose specialisations range from communication skills to industrial safety.

Long before a series of disastrous fire mishaps woke up industries to the need for emergency planning, he was advocating them to his clients. Getting back to communications, which the corporate world has recognised as something equally important as new production techniques and marketing strategies, Mr. Shankar feels companies that send their employees on assignments overseas should teach them the differences in "communication culture" every country has.

"Communication patterns differ in countries, and sometimes even from one State to another as in India. This variation in oral communication pattern must be understood before addressing a particular group or nationality. Organisations need to train their employees in this. What is acceptable in Germany may not be in Japan,'' he says.

In fact, even automatic gestures such as shaking or nodding one's head may have different meanings in various cultures. Without understanding these subtleties, one cannot do business with those from another country and culture.

Within an organisation itself, one's manner of speaking tells as much about a person, as his or her attire and appearance, especially at a first meeting, he says.

"If being neatly dressed and well-groomed is 50 per cent of one's success, communication skills fill the rest,'' he says.

Communication skills ensure a better career or advancements in a chosen career in today's competitive world. "Culture, knowledge, capacity to act according to the demands of a situation, language skills, attitude and experience can all be judged through a person's way of communication,'' Mr. Shankar says.

In various sectors, career prospects are becoming both national and global.

Software engineers working in Bangalore may often spend half the year with client companies in the U.S. or Europe. Good communication and the ability to network and inter-personal skills should be part of education, he feels. Both oral and written communication matter in the world of business; technical knowledge has to be translated into written reports that should be easily understood and not mystifying.

The lack of communication skills has been named as one of the greatest obstacles to effective leadership as it is the strongest link between a leader and his team.

Many workplace disputes can be resolved at an early stage through good communication at various levels of an organisation.

Both speaking and listening are equally important.

He says, "Even within the family or community, good communication is important. Many strained and fractured relations can be traced back to the breakdown of mutual communication between individuals in a family, community or even among countries.

"We see disputes everyday in the media... think how many of them could have been avoided with better communication between the two or more sides involved?''

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