What is Communication?
From Your Warehousing and Distribution
Center in Southern California
River Plate Fulfillment and Trucking

What is communication?

River Plate is bringing you this series of pages on the theme of communication as a service to our customers, the business owner. We understand the importance of having a healthy repoire with our associates and friends and we want to make our customers aware of the various ways that properly executed communication can benefit them personally and professionally.

The services we provide (Pick and Pack in Southern California, Nationwide Trucking, and fulfillment in California...to name a few) could not be done without our loyal customers. It is because of them that Riverplate continues to grow year after year. Our goal is 100% satisfaction on the work and service we provide to all of our customers.

What is Communication / Exchanging Information

Communication is the process of transferring information from one person to another person.

According to Wikipedia, communication is commonly defined as "the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs."

Communication as an academic discipline relates to all the ways we communicate, so it embraces a large body of study and knowledge.

What is Communication / Overcoming Obstacles

Communication occupies approximately 70% of our waking hours and yet we are rarely able to master this common activity. The fact is, most of us were never taught how to communicate in a way that produces desired results, so we continue to experience frustration, resistance, conflict, and/or breakdowns.

Let's take a look at some obstacles that may prevent you from reaching certain objectives during the communication process...

What is Communication / 5 Points to Address

1. We want to be heard and listened to but don't always concentrate on the quality of our message or give the gift of our own listening.

2. We want to be understood, yet often fail to check if our communication was successful.

3. We want acceptance and agreement from others, so much that we often become consumed with having to be right or to prove our point, instead of co-creating a greater outcome together.

4. We want some kind of action or response from another person, without letting them know what we really want, or how to achieve it.

5. We want to understand the message the other person is communicating to us, yet our ability to listen is tainted by our perceptions of the person speaking or the outcome we are looking to achieve. So we often pass judgment on the speaker, evaluating the messenger rather than fully accepting the entire message.

Improving your communication requires taking full responsibility for the outcome of each conversation; not only for what you are saying but also for how the receiver comprehends your message.

Since we all listen and process information differently, it is crucial to uncover and become sensitized to the other person's style of communication in order to align it with our own.

What is Communication / 10 Questions to Explore

To fully answer the question, What is communication? here are five questions to ask yourself to determine how effectively you are communicating:

1. Am I taking full responsibility for the message I am giving the other person? (Remember, it doesn't matter what you say, it only matters what the other person hears.)

2. Did I respect the other person's point of view? Did I have a reaction to what they were saying that prevented me from listening to their full message?

3. Did the other person feel heard and understood? (Did I acknowledge them?)

4. If I was asking someone to take a specific action, did I make my request clear?

5. Am I speaking in a way the other person can understand? Am I communicating in a way the other person will understand? (i.e., speaking in their communication style.)

Bonus question: If the outcome of the conversation did not meet my expectations, did I learn what I could improve upon to better communicate with that particular person? (Did I open up a new and greater possibility that I didn't notice before?).

Thank you for visiting the What is Communication page. Riverplate is happy to support all of your trucking and fulfillment needs. Please think of us for your shrink wrap, warehousing, trucking, shipping and all your other order fulfillment needs. This leading Southern California Fulfillment and Trucking Facility serves all over the country and some international destinations. These are just a few of the locations your San Fernando Valley Fulfillment House, Riverplate serves:

Chatsworth, Bell Gardens, Malibu, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Adelanto, Antelope Valley, Beverly Hills, Beaumont, Northridge, Bellflower, Anaheim, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Palm Springs, Orange, Baldwin Park, Banning, Barstow, Lakewood, Loma Linda, Lucerne Valley, Monrovia, Manhattan Beach, Maywood, Long Beach, Lompoc, Burbank, Coronado, Blythe, Covina, Costa Mesa, Corona, Compton, Commerce, Colton, Coachella, Claremont, Chula Vista, Chino, Cerritos, and many more.

For more information on communication follow these links:

Cross Cultural Communication

Definition of Business Communication

Definition of Communication

Effective Business Communication

Effective Workplace Communication

History of Communication

How to Improve Communication Skills

Importance of Communication

Nuance Communication

Organizational Communication

Project Management Communication