Unit I
Unit I
COMMUNICATIO
N SKILLS
UNIT ONE: FOUNDATION OF
COMMUNICATION
• WE BEGIN DEVELOPING
IMPRESSIONS OF HIS ABILITIES AND
ATTITUDES BASED ON THE NON-
VERBAL SIGNALS HE SENDS.
POSTURE AND GESTURE
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
• VOLUME
• RATE (120 WPM TO 150 WPM)
• PITCH (RISE AND FALL OF VOICE)
• PRONOUNCIATION
• PAUSES
SILENCE
45
46
•VISUAL COMMUNICATION: VISUAL COMMUNICATION RELIES ON VISUAL
ELEMENTS TO CONVEY INFORMATION. THIS INCLUDES IMAGES, CHARTS, GRAPHS,
VIDEOS, AND OTHER VISUAL AIDS USED IN PRESENTATIONS, ADVERTISING, AND
DESIGN.
•WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ENCOMPASSES ANY
FORM OF WRITTEN MESSAGES, SUCH AS REPORTS, MEMOS, LETTERS, EMAILS,
TEXTS, AND LITERATURE. IT'S A VITAL MEANS FOR DOCUMENTING AND
CONVEYING DETAILED INFORMATION.
•INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: THIS OCCURS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS OR IN
SMALL GROUPS AND IS ESSENTIAL FOR BUILDING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. IT
INCLUDES CASUAL CONVERSATIONS, DISCUSSIONS, AND INTERACTIONS WITH
FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COLLEAGUES.
•GROUP COMMUNICATION: GROUP COMMUNICATION INVOLVES
INTERACTIONS WITHIN LARGER GROUPS OR TEAMS, FACILITATING
DISCUSSIONS, BRAINSTORMING, AND DECISION-MAKING AMONG
MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS.
•MASS COMMUNICATION: MASS COMMUNICATION TARGETS LARGE
AUDIENCES AND INCLUDES MEDIA CHANNELS LIKE TELEVISION,
RADIO, NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, AND THE INTERNET. IT'S USED FOR
PUBLIC INFORMATION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND ADVERTISING.
•DIGITAL COMMUNICATION: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION
ENCOMPASSES COMMUNICATION THROUGH ELECTRONIC DEVICES
AND PLATFORMS, INCLUDING EMAILS, SOCIAL MEDIA, INSTANT
MESSAGING, AND VIDEO CONFERENCING.
•FORMAL COMMUNICATION: THIS TYPE OF COMMUNICATION
FOLLOWS ESTABLISHED PROTOCOLS AND HIERARCHIES WITHIN
ORGANIZATIONS. EXAMPLES INCLUDE OFFICIAL MEMOS, REPORTS,
AND COMPANY POLICIES.
•INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
OCCURS OUTSIDE OF FORMAL CHANNELS AND OFTEN INVOLVES
CASUAL CONVERSATIONS AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN THE
WORKPLACE OR PERSONAL LIFE.
•CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION: THIS TYPE FOCUSES ON
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS FROM DIFFERENT
CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS, ADDRESSING POTENTIAL DIFFERENCES IN
LANGUAGE, CUSTOMS, AND VALUES.
•MARKETING AND ADVERTISING COMMUNICATION: MARKETING
COMMUNICATION AIMS TO PROMOTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES TO
CONSUMERS, USING VARIOUS STRATEGIES LIKE ADVERTISEMENTS,
BRANDING, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.
•HEALTH COMMUNICATION: IN THE FIELD OF HEALTHCARE,
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND
PATIENTS IS CRUCIAL FOR DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PATIENT
EDUCATION.
•CRISIS COMMUNICATION: THIS TYPE OF COMMUNICATION INVOLVES
MANAGING AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION DURING CRISES OR
EMERGENCIES TO INFORM AND REASSURE THE PUBLIC.
•MEDIA COMMUNICATION: THIS ENCOMPASSES THE MESSAGES
CONVEYED THROUGH VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDIA, INCLUDING NEWS
REPORTING, ENTERTAINMENT, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORTS.
• - PHYSICAL TOUCH
VISUAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS:
• - VISUAL AIDS IN PRESENTATIONS (SLIDES, CHARTS, GRAPHS)
• - INFOGRAPHICS
• - PHOTOGRAPHY
• - VIDEOS AND FILMS
• - GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ART
•MASS COMMUNICATION
•INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:
•NOISE: ENVIRONMENTAL, PHYSICAL, OR PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
THAT DISRUPT THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS, SUCH AS LOUD
NOISES, DISTRACTIONS, OR PERSONAL STRESS.
•LANGUAGE BARRIERS: DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE, DIALECTS, OR
JARGON CAN LEAD TO MISUNDERSTANDINGS, ESPECIALLY IN CROSS-
CULTURAL COMMUNICATION.
•LACK OF CLARITY: UNCLEAR OR VAGUE MESSAGES, INCLUDING THE
USE OF AMBIGUOUS WORDS OR INCOMPLETE SENTENCES, CAN LEAD
TO MISINTERPRETATION.
•EMOTIONAL BARRIERS: EMOTIONS SUCH AS ANGER, FEAR,
OR ANXIETY CAN AFFECT A PERSON'S ABILITY TO CONVEY OR
INTERPRET MESSAGES ACCURATELY.
•CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: DIFFERENT CULTURAL NORMS
AND VALUES CAN LEAD TO MISINTERPRETATION, AS
GESTURES, EXPRESSIONS, AND BEHAVIORS MAY BE
INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY.
•PHYSICAL BARRIERS: PHYSICAL SEPARATION OR DISTANCE BETWEEN
COMMUNICATORS, AS WELL AS DISABILITIES AFFECTING HEARING OR VISION,
CAN IMPEDE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION.
•SEMANTIC BARRIERS: DIFFERENCES IN THE INTERPRETATION OF WORDS AND
MEANINGS, LEADING TO MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
•ASSUMPTIONS AND STEREOTYPES: PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS AND STEREOTYPES
ABOUT OTHERS CAN AFFECT THE INTERPRETATION OF MESSAGES AND LEAD TO
BIAS.
•INFORMATION OVERLOAD: WHEN INDIVIDUALS ARE BOMBARDED WITH
EXCESSIVE INFORMATION, THEY MAY STRUGGLE TO PROCESS AND UNDERSTAND
ALL OF IT.
•INEFFECTIVE LISTENING: POOR LISTENING SKILLS, SUCH AS INTERRUPTING, NOT
PAYING ATTENTION, OR FORMING RESPONSES BEFORE FULLY UNDERSTANDING
THE MESSAGE, CAN HINDER COMMUNICATION.
•FEEDBACK ISSUES: LACK OF OR UNCLEAR FEEDBACK CAN PREVENT
COMMUNICATORS FROM CONFIRMING THAT THE MESSAGE WAS UNDERSTOOD
AS INTENDED.
•PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS: PERSONAL BELIEFS, ATTITUDES, AND VALUES MAY
AFFECT HOW INDIVIDUALS RECEIVE AND INTERPRET MESSAGES.
•ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS: INEFFICIENCIES OR PROBLEMS WITHIN AN
ORGANIZATION, LIKE POOR COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES, CAN HINDER
COMMUNICATION FLOW.
•TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS: TECHNICAL ISSUES, SUCH AS POOR INTERNET
CONNECTIONS OR MALFUNCTIONING EQUIPMENT, CAN DISRUPT DIGITAL
COMMUNICATION.
•POWER DYNAMICS: HIERARCHIES AND POWER IMBALANCES WITHIN
ORGANIZATIONS OR SOCIAL GROUPS CAN HINDER OPEN AND HONEST
COMMUNICATION.
RECOGNIZING AND ADDRESSING THESE BARRIERS IS
ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. STRATEGIES TO
OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS MAY INCLUDE ACTIVE
LISTENING, PROVIDING CLEAR AND CONCISE MESSAGES,
BEING CULTURALLY SENSITIVE, AND USING APPROPRIATE
CHANNELS FOR COMMUNICATION.
MITIGATING BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
•ACTIVE LISTENING: PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SPEAKER, ASK
CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO ENSURE YOU'VE
UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE CORRECTLY.
•CLARITY IN MESSAGE: BE CLEAR AND CONCISE WHEN CONVEYING
YOUR MESSAGE. AVOID JARGON AND USE SIMPLE,
STRAIGHTFORWARD LANGUAGE.
•FEEDBACK: ENCOURAGE FEEDBACK FROM THE RECIPIENT TO
CONFIRM THEIR UNDERSTANDING. THIS TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
HELPS ENSURE CLARITY.
•NONVERBAL CUES: PAY ATTENTION TO BODY LANGUAGE
AND TONE OF VOICE, AS THEY CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
CONTEXT AND MEANING TO THE MESSAGE.
•CULTURAL SENSITIVITY: WHEN COMMUNICATING ACROSS
CULTURES, LEARN ABOUT CULTURAL NORMS, AND BE
RESPECTFUL OF DIFFERENCES IN CUSTOMS AND VALUES.
•USE MULTIPLE CHANNELS: EMPLOY VARIOUS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS,
SUCH AS WRITTEN AND VERBAL, TO CATER TO DIFFERENT PREFERENCES AND
NEEDS.
•EMPATHY: CONSIDER THE EMOTIONAL STATE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE OTHER
PERSON, WHICH CAN HELP BUILD RAPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING.
•AVOID ASSUMPTIONS: DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE OTHER
PERSON KNOWS OR MEANS. ASK FOR CLARIFICATION WHEN IN DOUBT.
•REDUCE INFORMATION OVERLOAD: PRIORITIZE IMPORTANT INFORMATION,
AND BREAK DOWN COMPLEX MESSAGES INTO SMALLER, MORE MANAGEABLE
PARTS.
•ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT: ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD ESTABLISH CLEAR
COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES AND ENCOURAGE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT
COMMUNICATION PRACTICES.
•IMPROVE TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES: ENSURE THAT TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
AND PLATFORMS USED FOR COMMUNICATION ARE RELIABLE AND ACCESSIBLE,
MINIMIZING TECHNICAL BARRIERS.
•POWER BALANCING: CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL INDIVIDUALS FEEL
COMFORTABLE EXPRESSING THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR
POSITION WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION.
•CONFLICT RESOLUTION: ADDRESS CONFLICTS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS
PROMPTLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY TO PREVENT THEM FROM BECOMING
BARRIERS TO FUTURE COMMUNICATION.
•TRAINING AND EDUCATION: PROVIDE COMMUNICATION TRAINING FOR
INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS TO ENHANCE THEIR COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND
AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL BARRIERS.
•TIME MANAGEMENT: ALLOCATE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR IMPORTANT
COMMUNICATION TASKS, PREVENTING RUSHED OR INCOMPLETE MESSAGES.
•VISUAL AIDS: WHEN CONVEYING COMPLEX INFORMATION, USE VISUAL
AIDS LIKE CHARTS, GRAPHS, OR DIAGRAMS TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING.
•REDUCE EMOTIONAL BARRIERS: ENCOURAGE A SUPPORTIVE AND
EMPATHETIC ENVIRONMENT WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN EXPRESS THEIR
EMOTIONS AND CONCERNS FREELY.