Communication skills

BY SUSSANA ABANE
LECTURE 1
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO
COMMUNICATION
• Communication can simply be described as the interchange of
information between or amongst two or more persons.

• Communication is not limited to the art of speaking and writing but

also covers body language and personal manners.
DEFINITION AND MEANING OF
COMMUNICATION
• The word “communication” is derived from the Latin word
“communis”, which means ‘common.

• Communication can be defined as “the transfer of ideas, feelings,

plans, messages or information from one person to another”.
Communication will be effective only when it gets the desired action
or response.

• communication is “the interchange of though`t or information to bring

about mutual understanding and confidence or good human relations.”
GOALS OF COMMUNICATION
• (a) improve recipient’s level of understanding
• (b) elicit receiver’s response
• (c) create good relations
• (d) create organisational goodwill
STAGES OF COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
• (a) Conception
• The process starts with the conception of the message. Conception of
the message or an idea may be involuntary and instantaneous; that is,
it may not require any seriously thought out reasoning. Others may
require a more structured reasoning and planning.
• (b) Encoding the message
• c) Selection of suitable channel
• d) Decoding the message
• e) Interpreting the message
• (f) Feedback
THE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
• a) Choice of words
• (b) Clarity of purpose
• c) Listen intelligently
• (d) Selection of suitable media
• (e) Appropriate timing of the communication
• (f) Obtaining feedback
• (g) Standards
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
• (a) Communication skills are essential not only for the efficient discharge of one’s
duties in the formal work place setting, but also to the individual and society at
large
• (b) Communication serves as an intermediary between two parties where the
sender sends a message intended to elicit some specific response and the receiver
reacts by providing that response.
• (c) Good communication skills are required not only for presentations, but more
importantly to keep up the interest of the audience in the subject matter being
discussed whether in a meeting, seminar, workshop or forum situation.
• (d) Communication helps job seekers to obtain the jobs they want.
Communication assists in the design of personal profiles, composition of the
application letter and discharging oneself creditably at the job interview with
confidence.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
• (e) Communication helps in the provision of good and efficient
leadership
• (f) Communication helps to promote positive relations with others
through enhanced ethical communication, concern, compassion and
empathy.
• (g) Individuals may use the information obtained from the media for a
number of purposes including weather, determination of dress code,
means of transport, as well as to update themselves on the happenings
around the globe.
FEATURES OF SUCCESSFUL
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
• 1. Communication is a two-way process by which information is transmitted between
• individuals or organizations. It helps to develop an understanding among them.

• 2. Communication is a continuous process of meaningful interactions among persons in an

organization that results in meanings being perceived and understood in a desired way.

• 3. The role of the receiver and the sender keeps changing in the entire communication activity.

• 4. Communication broadly includes both verbal and no-verbal forms. It includes lip-reading,
finger-spelling, sign language, and body language in face to face communication.

• 5. It is a process which transmits and disseminates important ideas, thoughts, feelings, plans etc.
PURPOSE OF PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNICATION
• Advising
• Counselling
• Giving orders
• Providing instruction
• Marketing
• Persuading
• Giving warnings
• Projecting image
• Making decisions
• Getting feedback
DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

• Communication is generally classified into the following types.

• 1. Verbal communication: it includes:
• a. Oral communication
• b. Written communication
• 2. Non verbal communication
• 3. Intra personal communication
• 4. Inter personal communication
• 5. Extra personal communication
• 6. Mass communication
• 7. Media communication
DIFFERENT FORMS OF
COMMUNICATION
• VERBAL COMMUNICATION
• This is the type of communication that involves the use of words.
• Oral communication - information is transmitted by word of mouth
eg. Interviews, Meetings, The Telephone
• WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
• Written communication is a form of communication in which the
information to be transmitted is documented. It includes letters,
memorandum, fax transmission, electronic mail, and organisational
periodicals
DIFFERENT FORMS OF
COMMUNICATION
• NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
• Non-verbal communication involves the transfer of information from a
transmitter to a receiver through the use of body language, facial
expressions, symbols and pictures. Eg Body language, Facia
expression, Gestures, Movements.
• VISUAL COMMUNICATION
• visual communication refers to the transfer of information through
diagrams, display boards, flip charts and other forms of visual aids.
Visual aids use both sense and sight which assist the human memory
and also assist the business person’s level of understanding
DIFFERENT FORMS OF
COMMUNICATION
• Eg Posters, Diagrams and Charts, Objects and Models, Tables and
Graphs, Strips and Slide Projectors, Video Tapes/Video Cassette
Recorders
• Non-Verbal Communication
• A message that is communicated without words is an example of non-verbal
• communication. This process requires non-verbal cues to be transmitted and
received. It can be
• further categorized into two parts 1) Body language and 2) paralinguistic features.
• 1) Body language eg: Personal appearance, walk, gestures, facial appearances,
posture
• hand movements, eye contacts etc.
• 2) Paralinguistic features eg: person’s voice, volume, pitch, rate, pauses,
articulation,
• modulation etc.
• Interpersonal Communication
• It is the communication that takes place within one’s own self.
Individual reflection, contemplation, meditation etc are some of the
examples of this. This type of communication encompasses
communicating with the divine and with spirit in the form of prayers,
rites and rituals.
• Interpersonal Communication
• This is a direct, written or oral type of communication between two
or more persons. Through conversation between individuals there
occurs maximum interaction through words and gestures.
• Extra personal Communication
• Sometimes we communicate with non human entities like birds
animals etc. we speak to parrots, or cow and our pet dogs, cats etc to
follow our instruction. They respond with happiness by moving
around us or by wagging their tails. This type of communication is
extra personal communication.
• Media Communication
• It is the communication that takes place through electronic media like computer, mobile
• phones, LCD, Video etc. Among these, the computer is one of the most influential media
in every
• official and business world. Today communication has become an inevitable factor in our
daily
• life like breathing, eating and sleeping.
• Communication Network
• Communication is like a tool to measure the success and growth of an organization. The
• success of a business depends on the quantity and quality of information flowing
through its
• personals. Therefore the information should flow as early as possible to the
Patterns of Communication
• FORMAL SYSTEMS – communication that is backed by authority
• THE VERTICAL SYSTEM (upward or downward)
• THE HORIZONTAL SYSTEM
• INFORMAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
• SEMI-FORMAL COMMUNICATION (diagonal)
Types of Barriers to Communication
• [Link] Barriers:
• a)Lack of proper planning
• b) Selection of Wrong Variety of Language
• c) Wrongly Decoded and Badly Encoded Messages.
• d) Semantic Gap
• e) Difference in Perception of a Message
• f)Variation in Language
• Non-Verbal Barriers
• 1. Flashing eyes
• 2. Quick or very slow movements
• 3. Avoiding eye contact
• 4. Raising eye brows constantly indicates the speaker is not convinced about the information that
he is sharing.
Types of Barriers to Communication
• 5. Bulging eyes suggest the speaker is arrogant.
• 6. The presenter keeping his hands or thumbs constantly in the pocket
of his trousers
• indicates that he is snobbish, scared or deceptive to his audience.
• 7. Continuous awkward gestures indicate problems in the smooth flow
of communication
Types of Barriers to Communication
• Listening Barriers
• 1. Making the speaker feel that he is wasting the listener’s time.
• 2. Interruption creating some problems for distraction.
• 3. Getting ahead of the speaker and completing his thoughts
• 4. Topping the speaker’s story with some stories.
• 5. Forgetting what is being discussed.
• 6. Asking too many questions for the sake of probing.
Types of Barriers to Communication
• Emotional reactions:-Emotions such as fear, suspicion, anger, joy, and
sorrow may act as hurdles during communication. As an example, in
retirement meetings, some retiring people fail to communicate
effectively due to uncontrollable emotions

• Rigid attitudes
• During communication both the speakers and the listeners are sharing
and conveying emotions, ideas and attitudes. If there is a stubborn
attitude on the part of the listener or speaker it may lead to the failure
of communication
Types of Barriers to Communication
• Selective Perception
• Information overload
• Noise
• Filtering
• Cultural Differences
• Lack of Feedback
Some Remedies
• (1) Send the data only to the people who require that
• (2) Emphasize the major ideas.
• (3) Delete unwanted details
• (4) Maintain transparency in policy matters.
• (5) Ensure clarity in message and wait for a genuine feed back
• (6) Understand other’s emotions
• (7) Understand other cultures and language variations and use the
appropriate variety of language
• in the context
• (8) Make sure that the information overload does not affect the
communication
Some Remedies
• (9) Be frank and open. Acknowledge that people have different
perceptions and views regarding
• things.
• (10) Encourage innovative ideas and views to avoid unnecessary fears.
• (11) Be patient and attentive while listening
• (12) Speak with clarity and conviction.
• (13) Readiness to share feelings with others and build empathy with
others.
• (14) Understand the listener’s educational back ground, and language
proficiency