Y Technical Communication a @ Important features of Technical Communication What are the essential features of technical communication ? ‘They are : * Precision, es * Brevity, * Simplicity and being purely objective in style and attitude. (a) Precision—It means stating the things in a clear-cut, straight,forward way. It requires the exactness of either black or white; it has no scope for any shade of grey of doubt. It has no scope for vague statements like ‘a good many” or ‘quite a few’, it clearly answers ‘how many’ or ‘how much’ or ‘how. little’ ? by giving the exact number or amount. (6) Brevity—No where else does the statement of William Shakespeare, “Brevity is the Soul of Wit” hold more true than in technical communication. It discourages irrelevant details and over elaboration which often lead to deviation from the main point; whereas brevity always ensures ‘to the point’ statement. (c) Simplicity—A simple and lucid expression is a distinct feature of technical communication. It should not have any ornate or figurative language. A prosaic, matter-of-fact way should be adopted in technical communication. Bombastic words, redundant phrases and unnecessary complex sentences should be avoided, Technical jargon can be used only when there is‘a genuine need of the same. * (d) Logical structure—Technical communication should always be logically structured. It should have a rational appeal. Its main objective is to convince the receiver, not to fascinate him or impress him. There is no scope for any flashback or repetition of subject-matter, unlike literary writing. A logically organized subject matter ensures better understanding, while a logically disorganized message confuses the receiver. (e) Objectivity—Technical communication should be purely impersonal and object-oriented. The sender has to focus upon the facts only; he has no right to mix in his own feelings or emotions. A professional communicator should always state the fact in a detached, dispassionate manner. Objectivity in attitude is always reflected in an objective style. ‘These are some of the salient features which mark technical communication, ye make it different from general writing. Distinction between Technical and General Communication How do we differentiate between technical and general communication ? Although the salient features of technical communication may be found in general ‘communication as well, because the word ‘General’ is too broad and vague to be bound ina clear-cut definition, still there are many more points, which distinguish it from general writing. We can mark the difference between the two in the following manner :V The How of Communication 13 = Communication on the Basis of Flow of Information Communication on the basis of Flow of | a of Information may be classified as under : . ‘ . 1. Vertical Communication (Downward, Upward] 2. Horizontal Communication : 3. Diagonal Communication. (1) Vertical Communication Downward, Upward] When the information passes various hierarchal levels, eifher from top to bottom or it is known as Vertical Communication. If the crganization _ssartiowratic te the flow of information is mainly downward; and if the ‘organization has a democratic pattern, it may have an upward flow. Downward Communication, When thé flow of informating is rom top management level to the lowest level, it is known as Downward Communication. It can be in Written as well as.in oral form. It can be in the form of orders, circulars, policy statements, written instructions or job specifications. Advantages : Through job specification, employees get a clear iden of what they are supposed to do. * The employees are made to realise the significancé of their duties and responsibilities. + It apprises the employees of the quality of their performance from time to time. . * Through downward communication, the manger can have his hold and control over the employees; who can work under him as a composite team. Limitations: (a) Distortion. As the message has to pass through various hierarchical levels, it is often susceptible to distortion or contortion at any level. Any message, as it filters down from one level to another, has a chance of losing its originality, and getting diluted or modified, either deliberately or unconsciously. b) Loss of Important points. As the information is filtered through various , it is quite likely that the necessary part may be held back, and the unnecessary part may be passed on. In such cases, the very purpose of downward communication is defeated. level (ec) Delay. Downward communication can sometimes be too time consuming. A message may be essentially delayed in reaching its destination within the stipulated time. And because of this delay, it may lose its significance altogether.MM Nasic Concepts of Professional Communication [§3} (d) Inattention due to excessive message, Sometimes due to excessive message, the receivers at the lower level get careless and stop taking them seriously a (e) Negative Impact. Quite often, the downward communication smacks of authoritarianism or sounds dictatorial. Consequently, the employees develop f resisting the decision made by the superiors; they resent the idea boing at the receiving end ard Communication, Until recently, most of the organizations recognized the need of downward communication only; they always thought that the right to communication should always rest with them only. But of late, there has been a welcome change in this trend. Now the organizations with a democratic setup arc fast recognizing and encouraging upward communication also, which may start at the lowest level, and move upto the topmost level. Like downward communication, it can also be in written or in oral form. It usually comprises of letters, reports, proposals, suggestions, informal gatherings or direct correspondence. : Advantages : 1, Through upward communication, the management gets a prompt feedback, and can give its policies and work structure a better shape. 2. Informal get-togethers, parties and social functions give an opportunity to interact with superiors. This promotes goodwill among employees. 3. The employees get a chance to express their feelings, their personal problems and genuine grievances to their superiors. If they are allowed togive vent to their suppressed emotions, their bitterness gets diluted to a considerable extent. 4. Upward communication brings out some very useful suggestions from the employees, Suggestion boxes can be kept for this purpose, the best of them can be implemented for the benefit of the organiz: 5. Upward communication fosters a sense employees. and ation. of belonging among the Limitations : 1. Most of the time authorities do not like to be advised by their subordinates, or told anything against their own decisions. 2. Subordinates may become too bold and directly approach the top authority with their complaints. The managers get very busy in sorting out their problems, and this adversely affects the quality of their own work. 3. Upward communication may also be misused by sycophants for personal gains. They suppress the unpleasant facts and Pass on only selective information which may be far from truth.Y The Flow of Communication 15 bi {orizontal or Lateral Communication . ‘This kind of communication takes pl: i the hierarchical order. Departments may vary, bot ine hieorchieal hel ronainn » This is \y vary, but the hierarchical level remains the same. This is what is meant by the same peer group. Since it is carried out within the same peer group, it is obviously less formal and less structured than cither kind of vertical communication. It comprises of informal discussions, telephonic talks, memos, teleconferencing ete. Since most of the organizations believe in composite teamwork, this type of communication becomes indispensable for their success and overall progress, because it promotes unity, goodwill and coordination among employees. . — Advantages : 1, It creates a spi organization. 2. It transcends department barriers. 3. it of teamwork and congenial atmosphere in an It spreads quite speedily, and ensures a quicker response from the receivers. . Limitations: -1, It often gives birth to rumor-mongering, 2. Since it is often instrumental in spreading false information, people do not take the information seriously, even if it may be correct. Good suggestions are often not implemented because they have not been approved by any authority. Consequently, they are under- estimated and go waste. 3. 4, Horizontal communication is beneficial only when there is a spirit of cooperation and coordination among employees; otherwise it often ends up in clashes of egos and disagreements. Grapevine : It is an extended form of horizontal communication. It is a totally informal network of exchange of information, which takes place among the same peer-group. Since the exchange of information does not follow a specific pattern, it is called a grapevine. The information may pass on from one to one, from one to selected few, or from selected few to many, or even from many to many. These varied patterns of exchange of information have been illustrated as follows : (a) Single strand chain : stands for one to one exchange of information (A) { - (B) | ae (c) . : (0) a4 (e)