Module 14 - Receive & Respond To Workplace Communication
Module 14 - Receive & Respond To Workplace Communication
Learning Guide #1
Unit of Competence:
Receive & Respond to Workplace Communication
Module Title:
Receiving & Responding to Workplace Communication
Learning Guide #1
Instruction
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics –
Communication
Different forms of Communication
Importance of effective communication
Communication process
Barriers to good communication
Following routine spoken messages
Gathering and interpreting information
Recording instruction
Responding to instructions
Seeking clarification
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –
Define communication
List different forms of Communication
Explain the importance of effective communication in the workplace
describe the communication process
List barriers to good communication
Follow routine spoken messages
Gathering and interpreting information
Recording instruction
Responding to instructions
Seeking clarification
Learning Activities
4. Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
8. Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
Note:
1. You can ask the assistance of your trainer/instructor to show you and explain further
the topic you can’t understand.
2. You can check your answer in self-check by using the answer key
What is communication?
Communication is not just about talking to someone
Circle the items in the list below that you think are examples of communication
talking listening
If you circled all of them you are right. Communication is any verbal or non-verbal behavior
which gives people an opportunity to send their thoughts and feelings, and to have these
thoughts and feelings received by someone else.
Communication includes elements that you may not consciously think about. For example:
listening
seeking clarification
body language
blocking and barriers
general attitude
INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
At any workplace where people are able to communicate clearly tends to be a more efficient
working environment.
clear instructions so people know exactly what they are expected to do and do it
properly
people feeling involved because they are well informed
higher morale and job satisfaction
people working better as a team
time and effort saved as people are clear on what to do
You communicate with people at work for several reasons, for example, to:
take a part in friendly conversations
assist customers
receive or pass on information and instructions
discuss problems
ask for information or ask questions
get help
It is important that you communicate with both groups in a professional and efficient manner.
People do not work in isolation, no matter what your job is, good communication is vital.
Barriers to good communication can make things difficult and cause misunderstandings.
Good communication is affected when the sender and the receiver do not understand the
message in the same way.
Non verbal communication which sends the opposite message to what is being said.
Remember that what we see is different to what we hear; the non-verbal
communication always delivers the strongest message. For example, if you tell your
supervisor that you are happy to work late and then spend the whole time looking at
your watch, he or she will believe the non-verbal message which is saying that you
are not happy at all.
Poor listening. This is so important it is included as a separate topic in the next Unit
of module.
Use of slang and jargon. People who work in a particular area often talk to each other
in technical jargon or slang they have developed for their own use. This is fine for all
who speak the language, but it makes it hard for newcomers.
Ambiguity. This refers to the fact that some messages have more than one meaning.
Unless the message means the same thing to both the sender and the receiver,
People who think they know everything and don’t listen. They neither give or ask for
feedback and then complain that others send confusing messages.
Poor expression. This means speech or writing that is not clear. Thoughts and
feelings which are presented in illogical order or incorrect spelling, grammar, and
punctuation.
Answer the following Questions. Get the answer sheet from your trainer/instructor.
Satisfactory
Questions
Response
The trainee should answer the following questions YES NO
Answer Key
1. To send and receive messages
2. Accidents
Wastage
Accidents
Time being lost
Poor quality service or product
People feeling “left out”
Mistakes being made
4. To assist customers
Receive or pass messages/instructions
Discuss problems
Ask for information
Get help
5. Barriers to communication
Cut and paste pictures on the boxes that will give samples of communication. Give the
specifics of the pictures that will identify what is being done or emphasized.
Picture 1: Talking
Picture 2: Poster
Picture 3: Listening
List five (5) different communication methods that you observed at school, at work or at any
public place, even at home.
1.
3.
4.
5.
Consider a situation in which you experienced poor communication. That is, where the
thoughts or feelings sent by one person were not received in the way they were meant. For
example, you arranged to meet your friends at Robinson’s to go the movies. You were
Consider a situation in which you experienced good communication. What happened? How
did you feel?
Now that you know a little bit more about barriers to communication, what should you do
when:
Sending a message?
Receiving a message?
In order to gather information and follow instructions correctly, you need to practice effective
listening.
Unless people have a physical disability they are able to hear. At any one time, a person is
able to hear many different sounds. Hearing is something which just happens.
Processing Sounds
Listening involves far more than hearing all these sounds. It requires you to translate them, to
make sense out of them, to sort out what is important from what is irrelevant.
Listening requires effort and attention. If someone is explaining to you how to complete a
task and you are distracted you may hear what is said but you may not have listened. In order
to listen, you need to focus on the person, try to understand what is said. Check that you have
understood and ask questions – it actually takes effort.
A great many things can interfere with effective listening. They include:
Improving Listening
While there are many things which can interfere with listening it is important to understand
that listening is a skill which can be learnt and that people can work toward improving their
listening skills.
Listening is an active process you need to make a real effort to not only hear the words said,
but to listen for the message being sent.
not to allow yourself to be distracted by anything or anybody else, always give your
full attention.
show that you are listening by using positive body language such as:
- looking at the speaker
- sitting up straight
- slightly leaning towards the speaker
- nodding as the speaker talks
- responding with appropriate facial expressions – if you look keen and
interested, the speaker will be encouraged to talk.
don’t think about what you want to say while the speaker is speaking – listen first
try not to interrupt the speaker and start talking yourself – concentrate on listening
give the speaker feedback so they know that you are listening, for example:
- you may ask questions to get more information
- you may ask questions to check that you have understood
try to keep an open mind about what the speaker is saying – you do not need to agree
with everything but it is important to listen first and then make decisions.
empathize with the speaker – this means trying to see the situation from their point of
view.
Questioning
closed questions
open questions
Closed Questions
Closed questions are used to find out quite particular information. They are questions which
can be answered with a simple yes, no or one word. Such questions do not need a long and
detailed response. They are very useful if you need to find out simple information or need to
check specific details.
Open Questions
Open questions are used to find out detailed information. These questions encourage the
receiver to explain a longer answer. Open questions start with words like “What, When,
Where, Why, and How”. They are used to open up a discussion or conversation. You cannot
give one word answer to these questions.
You will always need to ask questions to clarify information and check instructions.
Remember you have a responsibility to make sure you have understood the information
correctly.
It is much better to ask questions to make sure you are doing the job right than to muddle on
and make a mistake. You will feel upset if you make a mistake, especially if it could have
been avoided by asking a simple question.
Someone who is giving you some information or instructions may not do it very well because
they:
think you already know more about the subject than you actually do now
assume that you understand their abbreviations and jargons
have not planned the instructions or thought about how to give you the information or
instructions
are too rushed or hurried, they may leave out important pieces of detail
If a person is giving you information or instructions and you are not clear what they mean,
always ask questions:
Sometimes the instructions you are being given are quite long. In this situation you might
need to interrupt to seek clarification before the speaker moves onto the next instruction. For
example:
Sometimes people give vague instructions that you may want to clarify:
When you ask a question, it is often a good idea to repeat back the answer to make sure you
have heard it correctly.
To check that you have heard and interpreted the message properly, put the message into your
own words and ask whether that is what they meant. For example:
Answer the following Questions. Get the answer sheet from your trainer/instructor.
Satisfactory
Questions
Response
The trainee should answer the following questions YES NO
Answer Key
1. Listening
2. Barriers
3. Listening
4. Ask questions
5. Asking Questions
Stop for a minute. What sounds do you hear? Write down all the sound you can hear.
Read the following description of Eddie and Alfonzo communicating in the car plant
assembly line. Look back at the list of things that can interfere with listening, and see if you
can find five things that are making listening difficult in this situation.
There was a problem at the conveyor belt and Eddie had been trying to speak to
Alfonzo all day. The belt was moving very slowly and making a strange noise.
Eddie was becoming frustrated because the parts for assembly were still coming
at the usual speed and now there was quite a backlog of work. When he saw
Alfonzo coming towards him, Eddie asked for a quick word. Alfonzo was late for a
meeting and kept looking at his watch. He was becoming impatient as Eddie tried
to explain the problem.
As they were talking, the strange noise became so loud that they could hardly
hear each other. In the middle of all this, Ruel walked up and started telling both
men about the problem with one of the company vehicles. Alfonzo said that the
vehicles had nothing to do with him and that he didn’t really want to hear about
the problem with the conveyor belt either. He told Eddie and Ruel to take care of
it themselves, looked at his watch again, and rushed on to the meeting.
List down the barriers to listening that you found. The first one has been given.
1. Attitude towards the speaker. Alfonzo doesn’t like what he is hearing from Eddie so
he just turned out.
2. ____________________________________________________________________
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3. ____________________________________________________________________
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5. ____________________________________________________________________
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1.
2.
3.
Find out exactly what is the system of disposing and condemning of used supplies and
materials in TWC,(ask some Personnel or Trainers about it) and list them below.
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What questions did you ask in order to make sure you got all the detail?
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Learning Guide #2
Unit of Competence:
Receive & Respond To Workplace Communication
Module Title:
Receiving & Responding To Workplace
Communication
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –
Explain what you should do when receiving information
Follow verbal instruction
Follow written instructions/procedures
Seek clarification from workplace supervisor/trainer when any instruction/procedure
is not understood
Providing feedback
Learning Activities
10. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
If you do not carry out the instructions correctly, it will be your mistake. You have a
responsibility to make sure that you have understood correctly. Mistakes are often made
because:
Following Instructions
In our everyday lives we constantly need to follow instructions. These may be written – how
to use a new DVD player/recorder or spoken – where to meet a friend. In a work
environment you may find that a considerable amount of your time involves following
letters
memos
informal notes
faxes
emails
text messages
workplace signs
instruction manuals
The following points should help you to follow written instructions in a more effective way.
Read through all the instructions or steps before beginning the task. This will give a
clear picture of what the whole tasks involves
If diagrams are provided take the time to look at them carefully. As you work through
the task check the diagrams to make sure that your work matches the example given.
If you are not sure of the meaning of any words or terms take the time to find out the
correct meaning. Ask your workplace supervisor if you guess correctly you may find
that you cannot complete the task or that the finished task is not done properly
Avoid the temptation to try to complete the task before reading all the instructions.
Although the job may take a little longer, it will save time in the long run as you may
avoid mistakes.
Spoken instructions are generally received face to face or via the telephone. The following
points should help you follow spoken instructions in a more effective way.
When following spoken instructions, it is absolutely essential that you listen. Avoid
jumping to conclusions or assuming that you know how to complete the task. Use all
your listening skills to ensure that you receive the message accurately.
Ask questions if you are uncertain about particular steps. Sometimes people are afraid
to ask questions because they think they will look stupid. Remember questioning
shows that you are keen and interested and it is always better to ask questions rather
than make a mistake.
Be sure that you understand all he words or terms being used.
If you are receiving instructions over the telephone, always write down the
information accurately.
Answer the following Questions. Get the answer sheet from your trainer/instructor.
Satisfactory
Questions
Response
The trainee should answer the following questions YES NO
________________ ___________________
Answer Key
3. Spoken Instructions
4. Spoken Instructions
Written Instructions
5. Letters
Memos
Informal Notes
Faxes
Emails
Text Messages
Workplace Signs
Instruction manuals
Draw a sketch or make a collage that displays the skills of being able to receive instructions.
In your sketch or collage, pay attention how they stand, how they demonstrate understanding.
Describe in words or pictures what else is happening around this person to assist them in
receiving information.
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Observe or think about a worker or a person who has difficulty following instructions.
Under each of the headings, list the things that stop him or her from easily following
instructions.
Listening Skills
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Environment
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