Mid Sem Exam Tips BSS

Communication Process

a. Sender (also called Source or Communicator)


  • The person who starts the communication.

  • They have an idea, thought, or message they want to send.

  • The sender is responsible for encoding the message — changing thoughts into words, visuals, or signals.


📌 Example: A manager wants to inform the team about a meeting. The manager is the sender.


b. Message

  • This is the actual information that the sender wants to share.

  • It can be spoken, written, visual, or non-verbal (like gestures).

  • The message must be clear and organized to avoid misunderstanding.


📌 Example: “The meeting is at 10 a.m. in Room 5.”



c. Channel (Medium)

  • The method or tool used to send the message from the sender to the receiver.

  • Can be verbal (talking), written (email, letter), visual (charts, slides), or digital (text, video calls).

  • Choosing the right channel is important depending on the situation.



📌 Example: Sending the message through email, WhatsApp, or face-to-face.



d. Receiver

  • The person who gets the message.

  • The receiver must decode (interpret) the message and understand its meaning.

  • If the receiver misinterprets the message, communication fails.

📌 Example: The employee reads the email and understands the meeting time.




e. Feedback

  • The response from the receiver to the sender.

  • Feedback helps the sender know whether the message was understood correctly.

  • Can be verbal (e.g., “Okay, I’ll be there”) or non-verbal (e.g., nodding).


📌 Example: The employee replies, “Got it, see you at 10 a.m.”

2. Barriers to Communication

  1. Expectations
    People may interpret messages based on what they expect to hear, not what is actually said.
    Ex: A manager says, “We need to improve sales,” but an employee expects criticism and assumes they are being blamed.

  2. Emotions
    Explanation: Strong emotions like anger or stress can distort understanding.
    Example: An employee upset about a conflict may misinterpret a neutral comment as an attack.

  3. Time
    Explanation: Insufficient time to communicate clearly can lead to incomplete messages.
    Example: A rushed meeting causes key project details to be missed.

  4. Communication style
    Explanation: Using jargon, technical terms, or slang that others may not understand.
    Example: An IT specialist says, “The API is down,” and a non-technical colleague is confused by the term.

  5. Noise and distractions

    Explanation: Physical noise or distractions can prevent the message from being heard or understood.
    Example: Trying to discuss work plans during a loud construction project nearby.