Words Alone Have No Meaning

Nowadays, there are various words in colloquial American English. From “what’s up” to “hit the road,” there are various lingos and phrases people have given meaning. When each of these phrases is broken up into words, they have a different meaning. Take for instance the words in a dictionary. These words did not somehow appear with meaning. These words were created by humans, who gave them meaning by creating a definition for each one. Further, these words have evolved into jargon that many people use in their everyday vocabulary. The constant evolution of the meaning of words has generated the following dilemma: How do people communicate effectively?

What is Communication?

Communication occurs in every aspect of a person’s life. People communicate at home with family members and in the workplace with coworkers. Communication can be defined as the transmission and/or reception of signals through some channel(s) that humans interpret based on a probabilistic system that is deeply influenced by context” (Clampitt, 2017, p. 26). Another source by Pruvli (2014) describes communication as a dynamic interpretive process that is shaped by aspects in different parts of the communication process. Communication is a process that is uniquely shaped by context and content. Let’s explore these terms.

 

Context & Content

The context of a conversation refers to the circumstances in a setting that influence the meaning of a message (Clampitt, 2017). Context can come in many forms, whether it’s physical, cultural, or social. Examples of context could be an office-setting, a lifestyle choice, or simply the tone of voice when someone transmits a message. On the other hand, content refers to what was actually said by a sender. Specifically, content refers to the words that were spoken. Context and content work together to deliver a sender’s intended message. Nevertheless, the context and content of each conversation will likely differ due to many circumstances. Commonly-used jargon in one business industry could be foreign in another industry.

 

Jargon in the Healthcare Industry

Take for instance lingo used in the healthcare industry. My workplace is the local hospital in the Admitting Department. My responsibilities include, but are not limited to obtaining demographic and insurance information for outpatient services, acquiring authorizations from insurances for outpatient services, and acting as a patient financial educator when it comes to analyzing insurance plans and how much will be covered. I also have the responsibility of knowing various medical terminology, which makes up most of the commonly-used jargon in my workplace. Some examples of commonly-used jargon include “IV,” “auth,” and “PICC.” If I asked a random person what these terms mean, he or she would most likely be confused and misunderstand the message. There is hardly any appropriate context, and the content – the actual words – do not provide much help. “IV” stands for intravenous. The term “auth” is shortened for authorization, and “PICC” refers to a peripherally inserted central catheter. I, myself, did not know what these words meant before starting my position at the hospital.

 

The jargon in my workplace is used to effectively communicate a message by utilizing the Dance approach. Utilizing the Dance approach gives a person “a more vivid metaphor with which to analyze organizational situations” (Clampitt, 2017, p. 79). People who utilize this approach can predict what others will do, what others will say, and how others will interpret their message. Commonly-used jargon is used to effectively communicate a message by providing the appropriate context and content. Take for example a person who was added on for a procedure in the afternoon. The patient tells me that they are going to be having an atrial fibrillation ablation, also known as an “afib ablation.” Given the context of the medical terminology, I know that I need to call the third floor, the Cardiovascular Procedure Unit (CVPU), to confirm that the patient was an add-on for the day and confirm his or her room number. The context and content provided by the jargon ensures the accuracy and efficiency of a message, which also ensures the safety and wellbeing of the patient.

 

Furthermore, whether one realizes or not, commonly-used jargon creates a cultural and social norm in the workplace. These words establish expectations of how people behave and what people think. Just as each country has different languages, so does each organization in each industry. Although the actual language, English, may be the same across many industries in the United States, each organization may have jargon that is completely unknown to others. This creates somewhat of a “new language,” one that is unfamiliar without the appropriate context and content of the workplace.

 

Accessing Means Enhancing the Brain

Finally, learning new jargon can open up access to your brain, much like learning a new language. According to Magalhães (2019), “[t]he process of learning something has an effect on the brain similar to the one exercising has on the muscles” (p. 1). By giving meaning to words and creating jargon unique to a workplace, one is improving and enhancing the regions of his or her brain. Communication, alone, is such a complex process. By creating new meanings for words, one is stretching his or her mental capacity. It is opening the brain to new possibilities and interpretations. John Koenig (2017) said it best in his Ted Talk, “words are not real. They don’t have meaning. We do.” Humans communicate effectively by using appropriate context and content to give meaning to words.

 

References

Clampitt, P. G. (2017). Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Koenig, J. (2016). Beautiful words to describe obscure emotions [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/john_koenig_beautiful_new_words_to_describe_obscure_emotions/details?referrer=playlist-life_lessons_from_writers

Magalhães, R. (2019, Feb. 19). What happens to your brain when you learn a new language?. Retrieved from https://unbabel.com/blog/brain-language-learning/

Pruvli, E. (2014). Business communication of a persuasive nature. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 35. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1703413081/fulltext/E291501E26D74CC8PQ/1?accountid=27203