Communication is the lifeblood of human connection, yet it remains one of the most intricate and fragile aspects of our existence

Conversation is a delicate business. It is made even more fragile by being central to all human interaction. The more knowledgeable individuals feel that communication is only partially through words. It can also be through eyes, through touch, through gestures, and even through silence. The list can go on. This makes communication not only complicated but also a sensitive matter.  Communication can be with oneself. It can be between two persons, or in groups. It can be a short distance or a long distance. The possibilities are immense. 

The pitch of the voice could matter. The eye’s movement can be an intervening variable, and sometimes the more well-versed practice cross-communication. It means giving one message through one medium and another through another.  In other words, it can be one message through words and another message through the eyes. 

If technology intervenes, it becomes even more complex. The technological interventions can be through a medium such as a handset, a telephone, or, in some parts, a piece of paper. In the past, pigeons have been known to serve a useful purpose. The permutations and combinations are immense, and each has a value, just as each medium has a context.Like in the case of many essentials in life, there is no primer available and there is no one author who has covered comprehensively all aspects of communication. Hence, much of this is on learning by practice.

Much of this is also learning by grief because in the absence of a proper ‘Guru’ one can only learn by trial and error.Many relationships get under strain or break because one meaning is intended, but another meaning gets conveyed. This can sometimes be incomplete or even distorted. Put simply, coding and decoding a message is a complex process and has to do with many variables, most of which may not be under the control of the parties involved. Hence, it could become like fiddling with wires in the dark. 

The solutions are not difficult if they are systematically put into operation.  In early childhood, when a person is being taught words, it would be helpful if the person is also helped to choose the better word to communicate his ideas. Proper pronunciation should also be taught.  If the circumstances permit bye linguicism or multi-linguicism can be practiced. 

This would help adjustment to different levels of people; people of different ages and from different contexts.  The solutions are known just as much as the problems are known. 

But there is little systematic attempt to put it in a frame and help better communication. It is obvious that communication can be between two people of equal age, between somebody who is older and somebody younger, people of the same gender, people of the opposite gender, people with prior antecedents of relationships, and people with no prior antecedents of relationships. 

The contexts are huge and almost impossible to exhaustively list. This is not to say that the problem is not solvable or cannot be handled.  The usual response when there is a lack of clarity on where to begin, one should begin just somewhere and hope that it runs on satisfactorily. If it is not entirely satisfactory, it can be corrected as one goes along.  Being inundated by problems and not beginning at all cannot be the answer. Sometimes a simple problem can be so elusive that it becomes difficult to structure it for a solution.  Effective communication is one such problem.

Any discussion touching on communication will be incomplete without the realisation, as already noted, that communication is not always with words. There is an oft-repeated quote to the effect of ‘if you cannot understand my silence, you will not understand my words’. Interestingly, silence also communicates, and there are different types of silence. Often, body language takes over, but that is another matter.  Unfortunately, communication through silence also needs deep insights and research,Communication can be between people where one of the limbs that is centrally used in communication, loses its function or becomes unusable. For example, if someone has a problem with listening through one ear, the best course of action would be to help the person concerned restore their hearing through the other ear.

However, this may not always work. So options and support systems have to be generated. Like in many things, psychological factors become very heavily involved, and unfortunately, those who are not capable of deep thought fumble more. 

There is a case for serious research on all aspects of the communication enumerated above and more research on communication per se, in a scholastic mode, would help.

Till then, one can only hope that the general conversation on communication will alleviate the confusion that sometimes arises on communication points.  One also hopes that research will help good communication all around.

(The writer is a well-known management consultant of international repute. The views expressed are personal)