Communication - Shorter Version

It is no secret that for a coach to be successful then they must be able to communicate with their staff and players. This article seeks to look at the communication process from sender to receiver and highlight some of the reasons why there are so many misinterpretations.

‘Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood’ – Freeman Teague, Jnr

The Communication Process

There are many different processes outlined in modern texts on this subject but essentially they can be compressed down into 3 stages; Contemplation, Encoding and Decoding.

The Contemplation Stage focuses upon the individual who wishes to send the information.

The Encoding Stage involves the sender placing their message into their desired channel of delivery. This can be verbal or through body language.

The Decoding Stage occurs once the receiver has received incoming message. They analyse the information and interpret what has been conveyed.

Influences and Restrictions

There are many internal and external factors that can critically affect the receiving of a message or the intended interpretation of that message. Influences: At each stage of the process there is a chance for the sender to inadequately send the information they intended. This can be down to;

• The contemplation stage taking too long
• The tone of the message

Restrictions are factors that may interfere and block the message while it is being sent. Some of the obvious restrictions include:

• The weather
• The proximity of those involved
• External noise
• The visual distractions

There may also be some factors that the coach cannot influence or control but still have a very large effect on the final outcome of the player receiving the intended message. These factors may not be fully visible and therefore are often ignored or unseen. They include:

• The cultural bias and background of an individual may determine how they decode and perceive the information being supplied to them. Their own personal beliefs and past experiences may shape their opinions on what is being said.
• The receivers own personal perception of themselves and the sender.
• The overall idea of the communication may be lost if the wording means players focus on that instead of the concept.

Strategies

There are many different strategies that can be employed to convey information from the sender to the receiver. The approaches that can be used include; telling, showing, involving and practice.
Talking as the name suggests involves communication just from the medium of speech. However there are a number of different ways information can be transmitted:

• Talking 
  • Autocratic
  • Guided Discovery
  • Question and Answer
• Showing
• Involving
• Practice

Communicating Praise and Criticism

Communicating instructions is one element of a coaches’ role, but at times they may also have to communicate praise and criticism.

• Praise: Praise is easy to give and great to receive. However too much praise, too often may result in it becoming less meaningful. Also praise should only be used when it is meant and deserved. False praise helps nobody.
• Criticism: Is a lot harder to hand out than praise, because more often than not the person receiving the criticism does not want to hear it.

The ability for a coach to effectively communicate to their players is crucial to their success. Therefore coaches should be fully aware of how the communication process occurs and the ways they can communicate.

Remember: ‘Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood’ – Freeman Teague, Jnr