Mysuru:  Communication is the act of conveying meaning from one entity or group to another through the use of mutually understood signs and semiotics rules, said Dr. N. N. Prahallada, former Faculty, Regional Institute of Education (RIE), NCERT, Mysuru.

He was delivering a lecture on “Communication Skills” to a group of Assistant Directors of Fisheries attending a training Programme at Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysuru recently.

He said that Effective Communication (EC) skills are fundamental to success in many aspects of life.  EC is a key interpersonal skill and learning how one can improve his/her communication. Sender, Message, Medium and Receiver are the four essential components in the process of communication.

Dr. Prahallada highlighted the following ten effective communication skills to be followed:

1) Listening, 2) Non-verbal communication, 3) Clarity and concision, 4) Friendliness, 5)Confidence, 6) Empathy, 7)Open-mindedness, 8) Respect, 9) Feedback and 10) Right Medium. Also reading, writing, speaking and listening are basic communication skills  necessary for effective communication in any environment particularly the workplace. Language is the vehicle of thought and, therefore, language must be used in an appropriate way to communicate effectively.

Shiva Kumar,  Faculty, ATI, was the co-ordinator of the   programme.