Week 1 Discussion 1

       Communication is unavoidable.  It is a part of our everyday lives no matter who we are or what we do.  Regardless of the type, whether it is written, oral, or technical in nature has basic principles that should be heeded in order for it to be effective.  Some of these essential principles include knowing your audience, knowing your topic, and establishing credibility with the audience.  The effectiveness of communication is largely dependent on how it is received. As Nick Sanchez explains in his article, communication consists of a sender and receiver; that is, a person doing the communicating and the person receiving it.  (Sanchez, 2012) If the receiver or audience interprets the message incorrectly, the communication cannot be considered a success.  That is why it is important that the sender knows their audience.  The sender must be able to adjust their communication so that they are communicating at a level that the audience can understand and not too far above or below their understanding.  For example, in my field, I am an instructor at a basic electronics repair course.  My audience is generally in their early to mid-twenties with a basic understanding of electronics theory.  When I teach my subject matter, I try to remain sensitive to the audience to ensure that I am teaching at a level that they can understand.  I translate the information in the technical publication from what I call “engineer speak” to a level they can understand and visualize. If taught the information from the level of an engineer, the students would have a very difficult time being successful in the course since that would be teaching above their level of understanding. 

         Establishing credibility and knowing your topic are two principles that work together.  If the sender knows the topic well and is able to support their communications with facts and credible statements, they will be able to speak intelligently on the subject and thus establish credibility with the audience.  Another way to establish credibility is to introduce yourself prior to speaking on the subject matter to let the audience know who you are and why you are speaking on the subject.  In my field, establishing credibility is very important since I teach electronics.  The students have to be able to trust my expertise and trust that what I tell them is the truth.   I have to be the resident expert on the material that I teach otherwise the students will not have any confidence in what I say pertaining to the subject matter and my communication would have little to no effectiveness.    

Sanchez, N., (2012) Communication Process. Retrieved May 17, 2012 from:             http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/comproc.htm