imudu idumu

Imudu idumu.

Translation: manage it to make it last long.

Mudu - manage, handle, afford.

Mudu is an anagram of dumu.

Dumu – last a long time, be permanent.

Dumu is the state of permanence while Mudu is the action that goes into ensuring permanence, that is, management.

For something to last long, it has to be protected from destructive forces. Key to this protection are communication and management. Communication involves coding, processing, distribution, decoding and feedback of information, goods and services. There are nuances within each stage. Management on the other hand involves communication, delegation, and containment. Key to containment is communication and delegation which have nuances within themselves. Though these processes are interwoven, they can be separated due to the fact that communication doesn’t always originate from management and that management doesn’t always control communication.

According to David Berlo (1960), the communication process is divided into four basic components: 1. Source, 2. Message, 3. Channel, 4. Receiver.

1.     Source

This involves the origin of communication. Source is related to credibility of the communication. This has various factors characteristic to it such as social system & authority, culture, knowledge (competence and priviness), attitudes (prejudices and power relations).

2.     Message

This involves the information or package being communicated. A message is measured in relation to its content (relevance, impact), its elements (contexts, gestures, analogies), its presentation (official, casual, open, sealed), its structure (introduction, core and conclusion, including punchlines and hot takes), its code (script type for texts, language, audio/video).

3.     Channel/port

This involves the medium of the message delivery. It relates to means of perception. In order for a message to be received, it must be perceived by one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste. Most often, messages are conveyed through sight and sound but the other senses also convey meaning like with chefs and diplomats.

4.     Receiver

This is the person or group that is the destination and decoder of the message, and often, from whom feedback is expected. The receiver is measured in relation to their: attitudes (prejudices, power relations), culture, knowledge (competence and priviness), social system & authority.

Process communication model PCM

PCM is a managerial communication model that is based on behavioural assessments for effective communication. That is for the purpose of individually tailoring “connection” and “motivation”, to build trust and rapport between the messenger and the recipient. Connection is the first and base immanent stage while motivation is a consequent transitory element used for transcendent stages.

PCM is based on profiling individuals or groups in categories according to how they are assessed to: 1. Perceive the world; 2. Ways in which they communicate; 3. Ways in which they learn; 4. How they are motivated; 5. How they behave when in distress. This model presents the communicator with tools to deal with questions of “so what?”, “now what?” from the recipient.

Profiling categories are labelled “personality types”. Tools to handle communication with these “personality types are applied in a range of contexts including sales, business, education, medicine, recruitment, politics, religion, parenting, and personal relationships. The most dominant personality type expressing itself in an individual is taken as the basic level for communication. And it is from this basic level that the most appropriate channels and perceptions are used to “connect” with that person or group. The immanent personality state is the point of connection.

Once this connection is achieved, other less dominant personality types (transcendent personality states) expressing themselves in the individual or group may be utilized in a transitory manner. This is the concept of what and how to motivate a person or group. Tools to handle this are applied with the aim of satisfying the psychological needs and desires of the person or group.

The main aim of PCM is to prevent distress in the recipient of the communication. Distress is a factor in the unpredictability of behaviour. To maintain permanence, management utilizes tools that maintain predictability by first connecting, then controlling the often-ephemeral motivation states.

 

References

Berlo, D.K. (1960). The process of communication; an introduction to theory and practice.

TUKI (2001), Kamusi Ya Kiswahili-Kiingereza; Swahili-English Dictionary. Published by Taasisi ya Uchunguzi wa Kiswahili (TUKI), Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.