Communication: It's What You Make It - Hospital Supervision - Volume 8 - Number 18

Sep 21, 2026

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Communication is framed as a practical, skill-based process that succeeds only when the speaker knows the message, expresses meaning accurately, and the listener shares the same connotations and can infer intent. For healthcare leaders, poor communication undermines coordination and quality care, while supervisors must foster understanding, listening, and clear instruction. The text outlines common roadblocks—attention competition, limitations of the human mind, missing background, negative emotions, and semantics—and gives strategies to overcome them through timing, preparation, emotional awareness, and precise definitions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Communication: It's What You Make It

Acquiring skills

Overcoming roadblocks

Competition for attention

The human mind

Failure to provide background

Negative emotions

Semantics

Testing effective communication

C OMMUNICATION.Why do so many "ex-perts”try to make such a big deal out ofsomething so basic?If you have something tosay,simply say it-right?Well,communica-tion can be simple-if(a)you know whatyou want to say;(b)you say what you mean;(c)the listener listens;(d)the listener has thesame connotations as yours for the words youhave chosen;and(e)the listener can discernwhy you said what you said.Actually,com-municating with another person seems simple,in retrospect,only when you have succeeded.At other times,communication seems to beutterly impossible. Acquiring skills No supervisor can “make do”with poorcommunication skills.This is especially trueamong healthcare personnel,who must co-operate and work closely with one another toachieve quality care.There is no room for ahead nurse who can't make herself under-stood,a social service director who doesn'tlisten,or an admitting officer who refuses tolisten for a patient's meaning-and puts hisown interpretation on what is said.Under-standing others and being understood byothers-the essence of communication-areessential skills that must be acquired. Volume 8,Number 18 September 21,1975 HOSPITAL SUPERVISION # Communication:It's What You Make It Overcoming roadblocks The most basic skills you need are thoseinvolved in overcoming roadblocks to com-munication,of which several common onesfollow: 1.Competition for the other person's at-tention.If the administrative dietitian wantsto sound out the cafeteria manager about achange in ordering food,for example,he orshe should not choose the noon hour to ap-proach the manager.Obviously,the cafeteriamanager will have many details on his mind atthat time and will be only half-listening atbest.Choosing the best time and place for ef-fective communication is one way around thisroadblock.It also helps to know and use theother person's interests.Does the manager fre-quently express concern about storage prob-lems or spoilage?If so,the administrativedietitian should approach a change in theordering process by explaining how the newmethod or system would at least partially al-leviate the storage and spoilage problems. 2.The human mind.The reason for thisroadblock is that most people can take in onlyhalf of what they hear.Even very bright peo-ple cannot immediately grasp every idea theyhear.Knowing this,you should communicate new ideas over a period of time so that thereceiver has a chance to order and sift in-formation and grasp your idea fully.If achange in procedures is being discussed by theadministration,prepare your subordinates byinforming them of possible changes and ex-plaining what problems in the present systemhave to be solved.That way,when a sweepingchange is approved,your subordinates will bemore eager to hear how the change will solveproblems and will listen more closely.Yourfirst communication should lay the ground-work for further communication.Effectivecommunication is seldom an informationblitz. 3.Failure to provide the background re-quired to receive the message.Surprisingly,su-pervisors are often oblivious to this roadblock.Suppose,for example,that a housekeeping su-pervisor has just returned from a workshop onaseptic techniques for the OR.If she beginsdiscussing these techniques with a group ofaides without referring to the workshop or ex-plaining that she is talking about OR,theaides may assume that her ideas concern thegeneral cleaning of hallways,waiting rooms,and so forth -and react negatively or juststop listening.Always try to fill in enoughbackground information to prepare listenersto receive your ideas. 4.Negative emotions.How do you feelabout the people with whom you are speak-ing?And how do they feel about you?Ifanger,resentment,or jealousy is involved,youhave the poorest possible climate for com-munication.Communication will also behindered if you or anyone with whom youwant to communicate is preoccupied with apersonal problem.While you can't keep trackof every detail of each subordinate's life,yo

FAQs

Why are communication skills essential in healthcare supervision?

Poor communication prevents effective cooperation among staff and can compromise quality care. The text emphasizes that healthcare roles must be able to work closely, be understood, and listen for meaning.

What roadblocks commonly hinder effective communication?

Common roadblocks include competition for the listener’s attention, the human mind’s limited ability to process information at once, missing background required to receive the message, negative emotions, and semantics differences between what words mean to different individuals.

How can supervisors improve the clarity and effectiveness of instructions?

They should provide sufficient background, choose the best time and place, communicate new ideas over time instead of as an information blitz, address emotional issues, and be as precise as possible. Testing effectiveness by asking the listener to repeat or explain instructions helps correct misunderstandings early.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Oliver