Communication Skills –

An Introduction
Presented by
Dr Vasudha Avinash
Introduction
Being able to communicate effectively is perhaps the most important
of all life skills
It
enables us to pass information to other people, and to understand
what is said to us.
Communication, at its simplest, is the act of transferring information
from one place to another
It might be done by speaking, writing, gesturing or non-verbally
Understanding Communication
Communication is a two-way process
Communication is not the same as broadcasting, or simply sending out
information
It involves both the sending and receiving of information
Therefore, requires both speaking and listening, and more crucially,
developing a shared understanding of the information being
transmitted and received
The flow is circular
Communication Process
The
Mehrabian
Model
Business Communication
 Communication is a process that enables management to allocate and
supervise the work of employees
 Organization involves people and hence proper coordination and
integration of human effort is imperative
 The people and the activities are inter related and hence
communication plays a key role
Characteristics of Business Communication
 Continuous process
 Short lived process
 Needs proper understanding
 Leads to achievement of the organizational objective
 Dispels misunderstanding
 Business communication moves upwards and downwards
 It is the essence of organizational effectiveness
Business Activities
 Internal – Improving employee morale, policy changes, information
dissemination to various employees and top management
 External – Sales and purchase of goods and services, information
dissemination to various stakeholders and governments
Features of business communication
 Commercial and industrial subjects
 Impartial and objective
 Formal Writing techniques
 Direct, plain, and concise language
 Technical vocabulary and audio visual aids
Effective communication
 Better quality of documents
 Enhanced professional image
 Increased productivity
 Stronger decision making
 Quicker problem solving
 Healthier business relationships
 Improved customer relations
 Increased awareness among employees
 Lesser misunderstanding
4 Functions of Communication
 Information
 Control
 Motivation
 Emotional Expression
The Importance of Communication Skills
Developing your communication skills can help all aspects of your
life, from your professional life to social gatherings
The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as
intended, is a vital life skill
It’snever too late to work on your communication skills and by
doing so, you may well find that you improve your quality of life
Communication skills are needed in almost all aspects of life
The Importance of
Communication Skills
 Communication skills includes -
 Speak appropriately
 Maintaining good eye contact
 Demonstrate a varied vocabulary
 Tailoring your language
 Listening effectively
 Presenting your ideas appropriately
 Writing clearly and concisely
 Working well in a groups

 Manyof these are essential skills that most

employers seek
How does Good Communication help?
As your career progresses, the importance of communication skills increases
The ability to speak, listen, question and write with clarity and conciseness
are essential for most managers and leaders
Over the course of your lifetime, you are likely to have to interact with a
wide range of organizations and institutions, including shops, businesses,
government offices, and schools
Good communication skills can ease these interactions, and ensure that you
are able to get your point across calmly and clearly, and understand the
responses as well
 Message

Channels

Elements of Settings
Communication

Noise

Feedback
 If you are the ‘sender’ of information, this means communicating it
clearly to start with, then asking questions to check your listeners’
understanding. You must also then listen to their replies, and if
necessary, clarify further

If you are the recipient, it means listening carefully to the information,

then checking that you have understood by responding, or asking
questions to ensure that you both have the same understanding of the
Understanding situation

Elements of
Communication
It is, therefore, an active process

There is nothing passive about communication, in either direction

 Language Barrier
Cultural Barrier

Types of Psychological Barrier

Barriers Systemic Barrier
Interpersonal Barrier
Attitudinal Barrier
Common barriers to effective
communication
The use of jargons that are over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical
terms
Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express
their emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo
Taboo or difficult topics may include politics, religion, disabilities (mental
and physical), sexuality, racism and any opinion that may be unpopular
Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver
Common barriers
 Differences in perception and viewpoint
 Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties
 Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues,
gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective
 Phone calls, text messages and other communication methods that rely on technology are
often less effective than face-to-face communication
 Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents
 Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People
often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is said and jump to incorrect
conclusions
 Clear
Concise
Complete

The 8 Cs of Cohesive
communication Comprehensive
Confident
Courteous
Correct
Active Listening
Active listening means fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just
passively ‘hearing’ the message of the speaker
Active listening involves listening with all senses. As well as giving full attention to
the speaker
It is important that the ‘active listener’ is also ‘seen’ to be listening - otherwise the
speaker may conclude that what they are talking about is uninteresting to the listener
Interest can be conveyed to the speaker by using both verbal and non-verbal messages
such as maintaining eye contact, nodding your head and smiling, agreeing by saying
‘Yes’ or simply ‘Mmm hmm’ to encourage them to continue
By providing this 'feedback' the person speaking will usually feel more at ease and
therefore communicate more easily, openly and honestly
Signs of Active Listening
 Non-Verbal Signs of Attentive or Active Listening
 People who are listening are more likely to display some of these signs
 However, these signs may not be appropriate in all situations and across all cultures
 Smile - Small smiles can be used to show that the listener is paying attention to
what is being said or as a way of agreeing or being happy about the messages being
received
 Eye Contact - It is normal and usually encouraging for the listener to look at the
speaker. Eye contact can however be intimidating, especially for more shy speakers
Signs of Active Listening
 Posture – It can tell a lot about the sender and receiver in interpersonal
interactions. The attentive listener tends to lean slightly forward or sideways
whilst sitting. Other signs of active listening may include a slight slant of the
head or resting the head on one hand
 Mirroring - Automatic reflection/mirroring of any facial expressions used by the
speaker can be a sign of attentive listening. These reflective expressions can
help to show sympathy and empathy in more emotional situations
 Distraction - The active listener will not be distracted and therefore will refrain
from fidgeting, looking at a clock or watch, doodling, playing with their hair,
etc.
Communicating in the
Digital-Age Workplace
 Meeting the Challenges of the Information Age Workplace:
1. Rapidly changing communication technologies
2. “Anytime, anywhere” and nonterritorial offices
3. Self-directed work groups and virtual teams
4. Flattened management hierarchies
5. Heightened global competition
6. Renewed emphasis on ethics
Communication Technologies
 1. Telephony: VoIP
 2. Voice Recognition
 3. Voice Conferencing
 4. Open Offices
 5. Presence Technology
 6. Web Conferencing
 7. Videoconferencing
 8. Electronic Presentations
 9. Social Media
 10. Collaboration With Blogs, Podcasts, and Wikis
 11. Smart Mobile Devices and Digital Convergence
Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening
 Physical barriers
 Psychological barriers
 Language problems
 Nonverbal distractions
 Thought speed
 Faking attention
 Grandstanding
Writing
Process
Visual Aids in Communication
 What is Illustration?
 Graphics used in technical communication
 Concepts
 Objects
 Numbers
 Words
Understanding Visual Aids
 When to use?
 Why to use?
 How to use?
 What are the types?
 Note: Prezi Software
Types of Visual Aids
 Illustrations
1. Tables
1. Dependent
2. Independent
3. Phrase
2. Figures
1. Graphs
2. Charts
3. Drawings
4. Photos
5. Maps
Non –Verbal Communication
 Body movements (kinesics)/body language
 Personal appearance
 Posture
 Gesture
 Facial expression
 Eye Contact
 Space (proxemics)
 Vocal (paralinguistic)
 PROXEMICS
 Proxemics is the study of physical space in interpersonal
relations
 Space is related to behavioural norms
 The way people use space says a lot about them
 In a professional setting, space is used to signal power and
status
 For instance, the head of a company has a larger office than
junior employees
 Gestures should be in accordance with the space available
 When there is plenty of space to manoeuvre, one should
move more boldly and expand one’s gestures
 When seated at a table, one should use milder gestures
 One can even subtly reach out over the table to extend one’s
space
 This expresses control and authority
CHRONEMICS
 Chronemics is the study of how human beings communicate through their use of time
 How do we communicate with others? What does time mean to us?
 In order to use time as an effective communication tool, we should understand its impact on the various aspects of our
lives and act accordingly
 We must attempt to use time as effectively as possible
 In the professional world, time is a valuable resource
 When we are late for an appointment, people react negatively
 If we arrive early, we are considered either over-eager or aggressive
 So, we should always be on time
 By valuing someone else’s time, we communicate our professionalism or seriousness both subtly and explicitly
 People have their own time language
 CORRELATING VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
 Two categories: - Conscious & Unintentional
Exploring the Communication Process
 1. Basic Communication Model
 2. Social Communication Model
Basic Communication Model
1. The sender has an idea
2. The sender encodes the idea as a message
3. The sender sends the message using a transmittable medium
4. The sender transmits the message through a channel
5. The audience receive your message
6. The audience decodes the message
7. The receiver responds to the message
8. The receiver provides a feedback
Social Communication Model
Ethical Communication
 Plagiarism
 Omitting essential information
 Selective Misquoting
 Misrepresenting numbers
 Distorting Visuals
 Failing to respect privacy
 Coercing people to right good things about you
 Failing to disclose financially beneficial relationship
Ethical Communication
 Transparency
 Native advertising
 Stealth Marketing
 Sponsored Content
 Ethical Dilemma
 Ethical Lapse
Communication, Culture and Context