Friday, January 3, 2014

Communication - One Way

In the last byte, we began the discussion on one-way and two-way communication. In today's byte, we look at one-way communication in greater detail.

One-way communication if carefully observed is suitable for situation which requires quicker communication. It is important to also realize that the speed of communication depends on the amount and complexity of information communicated and the choice of the medium for communication. Let’s use an example to understand this: In emergency situations, where time is of essence example a fire fighting scenario or a military operation - there is little time for any slag in communication. Communication has to be quick!
Generally, faster communication also risks being inaccurate than two-way communication. A message is more accurate when the perception windows are completely open - so clarification and iterations would be required in the process. In emergency situations, accuracy is crucial too - the training the fire fighting/military personnel undergo help make the communication accurate in addition to being faster.

If you are wondering which of one-way or two-way communication is better off, and what should be the right mix; clearly it would vary with the individual in question - some require extensive feedback while some others do not require much feedback. This is also true from the listener's perspective - some prefer two-way while other prefer one-way communication.

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