Effective Communication: An Emphasis on Clarity

Abstract

Communication is a process of shared meaning. When meaning is not
understood in a communication context the whole essence of
communicating with someone is lost due to gap in the process. This
paper attempts to fill the gap which is responsible for obscurity in
meaning and failure in sharing clear and understandable messages in
many of our communication endeavours. It is a discourse analysis of
selected writing problems that hinder clarity in writing and make our
communication ineffective. It is hinged on the three-part theories of
Cognitive Load, Cognitive Learning, and Cognitive Bias. The aim is to
comment on the importance of clarity in the very nature of
communication and re-emphasize its worth for human survival. The
paper appraises the linear, interactive and transactional conceptions of
the communication art. The research randomly assembles some factors
that affect clarity and constitute barrier to effective communication in
daily encounters using documentary and discourse approaches. The
results of the field selection uncover some salient principles and
anatomy of effective communication based on clarity. The field
outcome reveals the need to take clarity seriously if our communication must be devoid of misunderstanding, rift and rancour. Hence the report
stresses the need for a sender of message to have clear purpose for
conveying messages which are received, interpreted and understood by
the receiver exactly as intended by the sender in such a way that both
(sender and receiver) are satisfied and happy with the communication
outcome. The paper recommends a checklist to keep our
communication simple, easy to read, understand and to the point.