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10 views7 pagesCommunication Skills
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DEFINTION OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS
‘This the abity to EXCHANGE or TRANSFER INFORMATION from a SENDER toa RECEIVER, with
the INFORMATION being understood by the recelver who reacts or responds by sending
FEEDBACK. Communication i therefore a TWO WAY PROCESS, whereby the sender, who Is the
Intator of the communication process, has to ensure that there is SHARED MEANING between
him and the receiver, meaning is NOT SHARED, then the resut Is COMMUNICATION
‘BREAKDOWN.
‘CHARACTERISTICS/FEATURES OF COMMUNICATION
= tie done witha purpose
= Mostly involves two people
tis ereversibe especialy verbal communication
> Wisacyde
= Itisrationa thats involves understanding
‘TERMS AND CONCEPTS USED IN COMMUNICATION
EXCHANGE: give out and get information back
TRANSFER: to move information from the media especial mass media
“TWO WAY PROCESS- two persons involved Le sender and receiver
‘SHARED MEANING ~ matching understanding between the sender and receiver
= COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN- not successfully completing the communication
process by not getting the desired feedback.
SKILL-abity to do something
[ELEMENTS/COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION
41. THE SENDER: Also refered to as the ENCODER. Ths isthe person who has a thought,
message or fformation to share with the receiver. The sender isthe initiator ofthe
‘communication process, and he encodes the message ina way that canbe understood by
the receiver. The sender considers the age, education level, the means/channel and the
‘background ofthe receiver before sending the message. The sender has to have the sill,
to speak or write, Encoding ls therefore a process that begins as an ide inthe mind of
the encoder, then puting that idea into a message or information that appropriate to
the sender, receiver and the anticipated outcome. The sender has to ensure that there
‘no detortion ofthe message by carefully encoding the information.
2. THE RECEIVER: Also known as the DECODER, This ls the person who receives the
Information from the sender, interprets, interalizes then responds by sending feedback,
Both the sender and the receiver must attach the same meaning tothe message symbol
{or communication to be effective. The recipient has to understand the language and
vocabulary othe sender. The receiver has to have the silt listen and ead, The receiver
does the decoding. This Is » process of receiving, interpreting and internaliing the
‘message and changing the encoded message into a language that canbe understood and
finaly sending feedback. The receiver must decode the message correctly to avoid
distortion ofthe message. For communication to be effective, the recipient's decoding
‘must match the sender's intended message,
3. THEMESSAGE: This isthe thought information/idea r expression thatthe sender passes
tothe receiver
“4. THE CHANNEL/MEDIUM: The channel s the method used by the sender to pass the
Information, These methods canbe written, verbl/oral, non-verbal, visual or audio-
‘visual, The MEDIUM isthe MEANS by which the information is send. For instance ifthe
‘sender chooses the written channel, then that channel has diferent means eg. writing 2
letter, an sms, a memo, a report ee. fora channel s chosen, then the means can be
‘making 2 phone cal, face to face, lstening to the radia, et. If non-verbal channel is
chosen, then the means can be gestures, facial expressions, dressing, body posture, body
‘movement etc. f visual channels chosen, then the means can be use of pictures, photos,
diagrams, blboards, etc audio-visual ls chosen, then the means can be televisions,
video conferencing, vdeo calls tc.
‘5. FEEDBACK: This isthe answer/ response/reaction ofthe receiver towards the sender's
message. IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK IN COMMUNICATION
“Feedback links the sender and the receiver inthe communication process
= Iteompletes the communication process
= Enables the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of their communication
= Indicates how well the message was understood
~ In organizations, feedback motivates workers through promotions, congratulatory
messages ete
= Feedback indicates how good or bad an organization is performing.
(CHARACTERISTICS OF FEEDBACK IN ORGANIZATIONS.
= Itshould focus on behavior rather than personality. When dealing with seniors, juniors
Cor fellow employees, don't call them lars lazy ly bad, Instead, comment on specitic
behavior eg, you dont retuen phone calls and this makes us not be able to complete
tasks on time.
Feeback should focus on description rather than judgement. Description tes what
happened while judgement evaluates what happened. if as a supervisor you get an
Incomplete report from a junior, don't tell the junior that the reports incomplete,
rnondense of lousy rather focus en the missing information that needs tobe included
Inthe report. I asa supervisor you need some files or equipment arranged, describe
‘how you want them arranged.
= Feedback should be specific rather than general. i something goes wrong in a
particular department in the organization, asthe boss don't generalize by blaming all
the departmental members, rather be specific on where the problem originated and
those involved.
Feedback should consider the needs and ablities of the receiver. Incase of any
disabilities, use a channel and means that are sutable so as to get the desired
feedback e . visual channel forthe hearing impaired, verbal channel for those that
cannot see, accompanying verbal and non verbal for those who can see and hear so
‘sto reinforce the message,
IMPORTANCE/PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS
Coordination of departments. Organizations have many departments eg. registry, sales,
‘purchasing transportation, finance, human resource department, electrical, automotive
etc. Changes in one department are communicated to other departments that have a
direc bearing to these changes.
Enhance/improve customer services. Effective communication helps in reducing errors,
‘ving timely feedback tothe customers and handling enquiries more efficiently
To pve and obtain information. For an organization to run smoothly, proper flow of
Information internally and externally should be observed.
To make ciarfications of arsing issues eg, Incase of confusing and inaccurate information
concerning the organization, effective communication clears any doubts. Duties and
‘responsibilities are also clarified to avoid duplication.
|. Enhance public relations, Effective communication enables an organization to create a
positive image inthe minds of ts potential customers,
Giving instructions: the managers are able to get work done by giving guidelines and
procedures. This helps the organization to meet its goals.
New ideas. in an ever changing world, organizations need to get new ideas and make
plans to implement them. This is made possible by effective communication,
3. Getting feedback. Proper communication enables timely feedback which in turn
‘motivates the employers and employees.
Effective communication is a tool of management. tis the ie blood of every
‘organization. Blood gives life to the body. Consequently effective communication gives
lie to the organizations.
[BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1
2
Increased productivity
‘Timely decision mating and problem solving. | clear and mere treamined werow
4 Enhanced professional image
5. Better business and interpersonal relationships
ESSENTIALS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.
“The aim of communicating fr one tobe vndestond nd to understand the other person. The
following essentials are tobe considered:
Proper understanding ofthe subject Le. understand what you are communicating
Estabish rapport Le. havea good relationship with the audlence
Use the most appropriate channel forthe communication
‘ove a good presertaton ofthe message
{Estabish a two-way communication process Le ensure that timely feedbacks obtained,
THE ROLE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGYIICT) IN COMMUNICATION
Communication has become versatile, ts able to combine numerous media ©. one
dget canbe used to teat, call video et.
Communication has become intracve eg skype, Weo conferencing
(Communication has become very fst/real time
Communication has become widespread, one can reach so many people thus the
world has become a lol village.
Na: TRAINEES TO DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH IC.
‘TOPIC TWO: THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The communication process syle that stated by the sender, who conceives an idea in is
rind, changes the idea into a message, rams the message through an appropriate channel
‘and medium tothe receiver, who In turn receives, interprets, iteralizes then responds by
‘sending feedback. This process has fe tages/ohases;
| The Message anand
Te Racer Reacts / The Receiver Gets the
Responds by Ging or Message
Sending Feedback
TRAINEES TO LABEL THE DIAGRAM IN TERMS OF NUMERALS REPRESENTING THE
A fr ma vil
vill,
L
Confidentiality: This ako refers to secrecy of the message. if one is sending a secret
Message, werbal channel and face to face is the best,
Security: The aim of the sender when communicating is to ensure that the message
gets to the receiver securely, Encrypting or sending information theaugh a registered
parcel ensures the security of the message.
Uraserg Wee ears being send ls ery egert, then a phone cel or:an erway
cee ‘This is the distance between the sender and the receiver, I! both are in the
same locality then face to face oF phone calls are ideal
Time of the day: For official communication, most offices have stipulated working
hours, One should also consider the different timelines in different parts of the
world.
Future Reference or Permanent Records: Written communication, visual, audio:
‘visual and recorded audios provide future reference.
Availability of the Resource: resources should be available to both the sender and
the recebver. For instance, if the sender wishes to use written channel and especially
an email, then the receiver should have an email address which is accessible.
The Recipient: Before a sender sends.a message, he or she should consider the
receiver in terms of their age, educational level and their background,
SITUATIONS WHEN ORAL CHANNELS ARE IDEAL
+ When the message bs fairly simple
> When no permanent records are required
- When immaciate feedback is required
When you would like to communicate feelings
When you would lite to read the recipient's body language
When you would lite to hear the tone of the recipient
When communicating bad or sad news
SITUATIONS WHEN WRITTEN COMMUNICATION [5 IDEAL
When the message is detailed and complicated
‘When feedback is not required immediately
When a permanent record is needed
When the receivers are many and widespread
When the receiver prefers written communication
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Principles are rules that are taken into account when communicating. They include!
CLARITY: This refers to the state of being clear. The words and symbols used should be
lear in their meaning. There should be clarity of thought and expression, {LARIY OF THOUGHT: The communication proces starts with an dein the mind of
‘the sender. To ensure thatthe entire communication proces is successful the sender
shouldbe clear on;
= The objective/aim of communication why)
~ The message tobe communiatedwhat)
‘The channel/medium of communsaton(how)
For instance, ia manager conceives an idea to prevent smoking nis fice, his objective
would be to probit smoking in his fie, the message to be communicated would be na
‘smoking’ and the most suitable channel would be visual communication Le. a poster showing»
ecgarette with acrossmarkon &
‘CARTY OF EXPRESSION: The recipient gts to know the ea Inthe senders mind
‘through the decoded mesage. The sender should therefore
2. CONCISENESS: This means hing lot f information in ery few words or be as bie as
‘Possible but without compromising on cat, completeness, corectnest and
‘2epropriateness. Ta achieve cncienes,the sender shoul,
Include ony relevant facts
‘id repetition
‘Avoid wordy expressions by beng economical with words
‘Organising the message well
3. COMPLETENESS: Incomplete communication riates the receive and may bring
‘maunderstandings and misnterpretation. Organize the mesage in 3 way thatthe
receiver has no doubts about.
44 CORRECTNESS: Ensure that only correct information is communicated, Corecess
‘shouldbe considered in terms of timing and style. Outdated information of no use
and the sty should be compatible wit the rece
5. OBIECTIVITY: Have an open min when you communicate, Avoid being subjective and
1ugng before istening Be sure tisten to others opnons
'5. COURTESY Courtesy demands being considerate towards the receiver. To achieve
courtesy, the sender should:
‘Ont tating expressions
‘Anco for mistakes or omisions
= Thank generouty for any help and assistance offered
Respect everyone
Empathize with your customers, colleagues et
Be professional in resing ad language
1. ORDER The masage shoul be very well orgaized oat save tine. canbe
‘oreanzed in terms of portance oF pronty ascending of descending order.
8. CONSISTENCY: This means not shifting one's stand 5 at eliminate doubt.
9. CONCRETENESS: This means that facts and ures presented shouldbe speci o38 to
void beng vague eg hen talking about time dot say tomorrow or the dy after
Instead tak about the specie day and dat.
[Aart n communication any factor that distracts, impedes a interferes with he exchange
information between the sender andthe receiver, Some ofthe most common barriers are.
NOISE There are four types of noise: Physical, semantic, physlogcl and
poychologcal
PYSICAL NOSE: This 's oie nthe surrounding and whose source canbe seen eg wallog
people, moving as, ete
SEMANTIC NOISE: This noise caused by ack of comprehension or understanding of 2
pariae subject mater
PHYSIOLOGICAL NOISE: This noe brought about by deatness.
PSYCHOLOGICAL NOISE: This is noise in our minds that makes us unable to concentrate 0
dayareaming stress caused by personal problems, trednes, drugged, eatonshps et
WRONG CHOICE OF MEDIUM OR CHANNEL
Depending onthe information tobe send and he receer 8 zender sould choot the most
“1 ry mM = WRONG CHOICE OF MEDIUM OR CHANNEL
Depending on the information to be send and the receiver, a sender should choose the most
suitable channel e.g. a written message to a receiver who can read.
= LANGUAGE BARRIER
‘This refers to use of words that have different meanings, choice of language and coded
messages.
= POOR LISTENING
‘This may be due to lack of attention, distractions in the enviconment, poor listening skils oF
pre-judgement.
= POORLY EXPRESSED MESSAGES.
‘The sender may have a very good idea in thelr mind but f their expression in terms of choice of
‘words is poor then the message cannot be effective. Omissions, lack of coherence, unnecessary
Jargon and poor sentence construction all lead to ineffective communication.
= CLOSED MIND
‘This refers to.a receiver who is not ready to listen or change their mind. They are not ready to
take any suggestions.
+ DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS
Differences between the sender and the receiver in terms of age, education level, culture,
‘religion, socal status and political affilations may interfere with communication.
~ PHYSICAL BARRIERS
‘This is what can be seen, touched or experienced and which may interfere with transfer of
Information. Distractions such as noise, poor lighting a place that is too hot or cold, a large
‘working area, outdated equipment and staff shortages all impede the communication process.
= EMOTIONAL BARRIERS
‘These comprises of fear, threats, mistrust and suspicion at the work place.
~ ATTITUDE BARRIERS
Poor management in Organizations may bring about a bad attitude between the employer and
‘employee. Examples of poor management are lack of consultation of motivation and resistance
to change all affect communication.
+ SYSTEM DESIGN
‘This refers to the way the organization is structured in terms ofthe chain of command or
‘vertical communication. Unclear organizational structure brings confusion among the workers,
‘and a long chain of command brings communication breakdown,
= PERSONAL UNGUISTIC ABILITY
‘This refers to one’s ability to pronounce and their accent which may interfere with
‘communication
= INFORMATION OVERLOAD
a SaveNairieiMoney “all “wl! Ob @ 952% 15:40
1. Senor of messages must be darn their mines what they want to communicate
2 Gletvecommuniationrequles that encoding and decding be dane sing symbos
that are familar to the sender ad the receiver
3. Thezenderstould ensure that the tore of wc, choieof language andthe elation,
between hat ai and note ad iauences the reactan ofthe rele
4 Thesencer should ensure thatthe ctentof the message fs the eclets ev of
snowed
5, Thesencershoud aways ative tc feedbeck
{ecw commncation sot ony the respensty ofthe sender bit ao the receiver
lao atalliton tfectuely,
IMPROVING COMMURECATION IN ORGANTZATIONS
Commmuncation inthe ergezation can be de fective by
1. ear definition ofthe chan of command
2 ecg feats ar procedures in communication by Beng empivees great
aceste her seria
Aeduing the eng ofthe cnn of command
Initing on fedbucky superiors
Serior should shay pve feedback and py atartion tothe inloysemsee
[ETNCAL SSUES COMMUNICATION
hiss the su of values Le the god norms ths prove a framework or aude for
‘recomizng an assessing avaible are acceptable cotoes ant for diferentiting between
‘ccepiobie and unacceptable behavior in any given situation, The tery Ethel Communication
‘has dferent meanings depencing on he concer. This means some cormmuniaton gudeines
_meorly acceptable and sppicabie 1 ome or cain ustions ewe some communication
ould be understood seta ethers could be uretial
1 Unen when otter speak
2. Speaknon damental
3. Seok to understand other andta be undertoad
44 Respect personal boundaries
5. Aw thers tore the ews
‘GENEUAL GUIDELINES FOR ETHICAL COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS
1 Gxarsa wuthfunes or honesty, Dan bo your customers. Busnes commision
soul proect he pubicrom harm. Tes nurs that customer can have tot nthe
‘rmaniation Any factor tht mates acastomer doubt mn organuation's serves
products istered toasrcae, [hcl commusintion should eine tiene.
2, Exercie moral dacernment. Tis means Gury ro cae by havi 9 dear censcence
‘towards others. Sterectypes shoul be avoided at al times he ortanzation
2. Confident. Semeergarzation require that employees n't share seative
‘information concersing the oranzaton.
| Pratcethe goin ule dourtoathers.s you woul ave ther da unto yu. Consier
the oveomes of any conrruniation score you cormmurcate. communteation ay
‘use har, then should be noid.
[ADVANTAGES OF ETHICAL COMMURECATION
1. Promtes long termbusness sucess
2. Atvactscompetent employees
| Eure perpetunion oF continuation of ethical behavor
44 Promotes public elatins andestomers are
|, Strengthens nterperanalrelatioshisinthe egenaaten.
‘TOPIC THREE: LASSINEATION OF COMMUNICATION
isan ato be referred to astypes of communion They ince orm inarnalineral
‘ternal lnterperiona ietrapersonal and mass communication, The formal methods canbe
Internal enteral
Serralrraths are te ofl channels or mets of communication
formal metocs are the aro hanne’s oF metho of pasing nortan
Irewnal methads are way ol cammuricating whi mie the orzanizton
‘Eten methods are ways of communicating ovtide the organization wth the
‘astomers and ater staklders
~ teerpersoal communication | commurication that invates more han one person
