This document provides an introduction to communication skills. It defines communication as the sending and exchanging of information and ideas, which can be done verbally through language as well as non-verbally through body language, facial expressions, and appearance. The document outlines the communication process, including barriers to effective communication, types of communication, and best practices for improving communication skills, such as active listening, voice modulation, and body language. It provides tips for effective communication, including being clear, concise, and courteous, as well as things to avoid like selective listening and interrupting.
3. Definition
•Sending, giving or exchanging information and ideas.
•Often expressed verbally and non verbally.
•Non-verbal communication include facial gestures, body language and
your appearance.
5. Types of Communication
In this communication
message is exchanged by
language using oral or
written form. Language is
the most important in this
Communication. This
communication is used in
face to face conversation,
discussion, interview,
calls, letters, notes,
emails etc.
In this communication
language is not used unlike
in verbal communication and
message is passed using body
movements, facial
expressions, and postures.
It is totally a wordless and
unintentional even people
don’t aware of it that they
are sending a message.
In this communication
picture is used to
convey a message as “a
picture is worth a
thousand words”. The
message is communicated
using visual aids such
as signs, drawings,
presentation etc.
6. Communication Cycle
When we share message, the message passes through many stages, and eventually reaches to the receiver.
In communication every stage is equally important as communication is a two way process.
7. Seven C’s of Communication
•Clarity - Begin every message by asking the question, “What is the purpose of this communication?”
•Concise - Make your message brief and to the point.
•Concrete - Concrete communication is about being specific and clear rather than vague, obscure, and general.
•Correct - Incorrect information doesn’t help anyone and it does your credibility no good. Ensure that
•Coherent - Does your message make sense? Does it flow logically from one sentence to the next?
•Complete - Your message must contain all the necessary information to achieve the desired response.
•Courteous - Be polite. You’re more likely to get what you want from your communication if you are courteous,
as courtesy builds goodwill.
8. Barriers to Communication
•Language Barrier
•Cultural Barrier
•Individual Barrier
•Organizational Barrier
•Interpersonal Barrier
•Attitudinal Barrier
•Channel Barrier
9. Improving level of communication
•Improve Pronunciation
•Work on voice modulation
•Work on body language
•Interact with qualitative people
•Improve on your topic of discussion
•Think and speak
•Do not speak too fast
•Use simple Vocabulary
10. Improving body language
•Keep appropriate distance
•Take care of your appearance
•Maintain eye contact
•Smile genuinely
•Proper use of hand gestures
•Proper Clothing gives you self
confidence
11. Do’s for an Effective
Communication
•Express your expectations to others.
•Use less of absolute words such as "never", "always", "forever", etc.
•Be a good, attentive and active listener.
•Filter the information correctly before passing on to someone else.
•Try to establish one communication channel and eliminate the
intermediaries.
•Use specific and accurate words which audiences can easily understand.
•Try and view the situations through the eyes of the speaker.
•The "you" attitude must be used on all occasions.
•Maintain eye contact with the speaker and make him comfortable.
12. Do’s Cont.…
•Write the instructions if the information is very detailed.
•Oral communication must be clear and not heavily accented.
•Avoid miscommunication of words and semantic noise.
•Ask for clarifications, repetition where necessary.
•Make the organizational structure more flexible, dynamic and transparent.
•Foster congenial relationship which strengths coordination between superior and
subordinate.
•Focus on purposeful and well focused communication.
•The message of communication should be clear and practical.
•Get Proper Feedback.
13. Don’ts for an Effective
Communication
•Be a Selective Listener, this is when a person hears another but
selects not to hear what is being said by choice or desire to hear
some other message.
•Be a "Fixer", a fixer is a person that tries to find other person's
fault.
•Be a daydreamer.
•Use long chain of command for communication.
•Use too many technical jargons.
•Jump to conclusions immediately.
•Interrupt the speakers and distract him by asking too many
irrelevant questions
Editor's Notes
1) Source: In communication cycle source is the starting point from where communication starts. He is the speaker who gives message using any communication method like verbal, non-verbal or visual.
2) Message: The message is the thought that is expressed using a communication method.
3) Encoding: This is the process in which message is transformed into a verbal, non-verbal or visual form so that it can go to the receiver. Before encoding message you should keep in your mind the audience’s culture and their background.
4) Channel: The channel is the media through which message is transmitted from sender to a receiver. In communication different channels have different strength and weakness. There could be any communication channel:
Verbal: Speech, Face-to-Face Meeting, Telephone, Video conference, Interview, E-mail, Letter, Report
Non-Verbal: Body Movement, Face Expression, Gesture
Visual: Video, Picture, Chart
5) Decoding: In encoding message was transformed into a form so that receiver can understand the message. On the other hand in decoding a receiver reads the message and translates its meaning. There could be errors if the receiver doesn’t have the enough knowledge to translate the message.
6) Receiver: A receiver could be a person or a audience to whom the message has been delivered by the speaker. Sender is the one end of the thread. On the other hand a receiver is the second end of the thread. The communication is only successful when message is delivered correctly to the receiver.
7) Feedback: Feedback is the reaction that can be verbal or non-verbal. The audience will give a feedback after understanding the message. The speaker should give attention to the feedback, as it can give assurance that audience has understood the message.
There are two types of feedback:i) Positive feedback tells that message was delivered correctly and it motivates to do better.ii) Negative feedback tells where needs improvement, so next time perform better.