The document discusses the basics of technical communication, including the objectives, constituents, levels, and flow of communication in an organization. It also covers formal and informal communication networks, as well as the use of visual aids to complement written technical communication.

1. Chapter 3
Basics of Technical
Communication

2. Objectives of the Lesson
• The purpose/objectives and characteristics of
Technical Communication. (TC)
• The Constituents/components of TC.
• Levels of TC
• Flow of Communication in an organization
• Communication Network modules and their
functions/role
• Use of audio- visual aids in Communication

3. General Vs Technical
• General Technical
General message Technical Message
Informal in style Formal Style
No set pattern A set formal pattern
Mostly Oral Mostly written
No specific audience For a specific audience
No technical words Jargons used

4. Process of Communication
The transmission and interchange of ideas, facts,
feelings or courses of action is known as the process
of communication.
All the activities an organization undertake have
communication at their centre.
An employee should have good communication skills
along with the subject knowledge

5. Objectives of the TC
• To provide organized information that aids in
quick decision- making.
• To make the working smooth.
• To invite corporate joint ventures.
• To share knowledge in oral & written forms.

6. Characteristics of TC
• Technical communication has to be
correct, accurate, clear, appropriate
and to the point.
• Correct information is objective
information.

7. Communication Environment (CE)
Communication Environment includes:
1.Sender
2.Receiver
3)Message
4) Barriers
5) In short a well defined Set -up

8. Communication Cycle
1. Formulation: wherein the sender forms the
content of the message to be sent. ( the content
once formed, is called the message.)
2. Encoding: Sender encodes the message.
3. Transmission: After proper encoding message is
delivered through appropriate channel /s

9. Communication Cycle cont…
. Decoding: Receiver decodes the message and act on it.
5. Noise : Breakdown or interference in the message is called
Noise. It affects the decoding part of the communication.
6. Feedback: The receiver's response to the sender is called
feedback.
The communication cycle is complete and effective only when
there is a desired responses from the receiver

10. Effective communication
• Effective communication takes place in a well-defined
set-up. This is called communication environment . The
essentials of effective communication are:
• A well-defined communication environment
• Cooperation between sender and the receiver
• Selection of an appropriate channel
• Correct encoding and decoding of the message
• Feedback

11. Levels of Communication
• Extra-personal: Communication between
human beings and non-human entities is
extra personal, where only the human side
transmits the msg. Human to animals.
• Intrapersonal: within an individual
analysing, weighing, planning etc.

12. Levels of Communication cont…
• Interpersonal: Between and among humans – face to face
so there’s an immediate feedback.
• Organizational:
- Internal-operational: Takes place in the process/ functions of
organization.
- External-operational: Work-related communication with
people outside the organization

13. Levels of Communication cont…
• Mass-communication: Meant for large audiences/masses.
No particular audience. Transmitted through mass media
such as news papers, TV, Radio etc. Ma
- Large reach: reach audience scattered over a wide
geographical area., without the constraints of time.
- Impersonality: Largely impersonal, the sender and receiver
are not know to each other a great challenge to be effective
• - Gate Keeper – A watch keeper for mass communication.

14. Communication Flow
• Formal :
- hierarchy -Vertical ( up, down)
- Horizontal
-Diagonal
• Informal : Grapevine
• - Single strand
• - Gossip
• - Probability
• - Cluster

15. Vertical Communication
Downward & Upward
• Vertical: follows each hierarchical levels of
command. Bureaucratic
• Downward Communication: From superiors to
subordinates - Instructions, new policies,
procedures, clarifications, feedback)
• Upward Communication: Subordinates to superiors
( submission of information, reports, input.

16. Flow of Communication cont…
• Horizontal Communication: sharing info with the
peers bypassing the vertical chain, informal, verbal
• Diagonal Communication (DC): flows in all
directions and cuts across the various levels in an
organization. Ex: A marketing guy directly
communicating the marketing need to a reporter not
an editor. Increased use of E-mails promotes DC

17. Hierarchical V/s other types
Formal Informal
Mails, Memos, Oral
Centraized Decentralized
Full proof Gaps likelky
Time taking Quick
Held up, delayed Immediate
Information in one information shared
hand

18. Communication Networks
• A variety of patterns emerge when vertical, horizontal
and diagonal channels combine
• . These patterns are termed as communication networks.
• Formal Network Models:
In formal communication five common communication
networks exists – chain, Y, wheel, circle and all-channel.

19. Communication network cont…
• Chain Network: A vertical hierarchy in which communication can
flow only in upward or downward.
• Y Network : A multi-level hierarchy and a combination of
horizontal and vertical flow of communication.
• Wheel Network: Several subordinates reporting to a superior. This
is a combination of horizontal and diagonal flow of communication.
• Circle Network: Employees interact with adjacent members but no
further.

20. Communication Network cont…
• All Channel Network: Least structured, enables each
employee to communicate freely with all the others.
For effective use of communication networks, we need to
remember the following :
 No single network is suitable for all occasions.
 The wheel and all-channel networks are preferred if speed of
communication is a priority.
 The chain, Y, and wheel networks serve best when accuracy is
crucial.

21. Informal Network Models
Grapevine : This type of communication is very active in
almost every organization.
Patterns :
 Single Stand: The message is passed from one person to
another along a single stand.
 Gossip: One person passes information to all others.
 Probability: Each person tells others at random.
 Cluster: Some people tells something to a select few.

22. Grapevine cont…
• Effective use of grapevine
• Not ignore information received through the
grapevine.
• Use this channel to supplement the formal channel.
• Identify but not threaten the main sources of
information.
• Try to understand the human relationships involved in
grapevine.
• MBWA – Management by walking around adopted by
Walt Disney’s Chairman Michael Eisner for improving
the performance.

23. Merits and Demerits of Grapevine
communication
• Merits Demerits
• Quick, interesting, Damaging at times
• Resolution without Not authentic
• conflict Not reliable
• Self – motivating Irresponsible
• A gateway to Thrives on opinion
• Anxieties, anger not facts
• Mirror of reality Colours the facts

24. Visual Aids In Technical
Communication
• Visual aids complement verbal communication.
• Concepts: Depicts conceptual things using boxes and circles
connected with lines.
• Objects: Photographs, drawings, diagrams, and schematics are
the types of graphics that show objects.
• Numbers: Used for presenting data and statistics in the form of
bar charts, pie charts, or line graphs.
• Words: Graphics are also used to depict words like when, why
and how.

25. Types of Visual aids
• Tables: Systematic arrangement of numbers, words, or
phrases in row an columns, used to depict original
numerical data as well as deserved statistics.
• Graphs:
 Axis Labels: in bar graphs and line graphs indicate the
categories and values, respectively, represented by the x
and y axis.
 Legend: Bar graphs, and pie graphs often use special
colour, shading or line style.

26. Types of Visual Aids cont….
 Graph title: a numbered title.
 Cross-reference: Brief explanation of what is going on
in the graphic, how to interpret it, what its basic
trends are and so on.
 Documentation: Source of any information that is
borrowed in order to create a graphic must be cited
along with the graphic. The standard format should
be used to indicate the source.

27.  Graph title: a numbered title.
 Cross-reference: Brief explanation of what is going
on in the graphic, how to interpret it, what its
basic trends are and so on.
 Documentation: Source of any information that is
borrowed in order to create a graphic must be
cited along with the graphic.

28.  Pictograms/pictorial graphs: similar to bar
graphs, with figures or small pictures plotted
instead of bars.
 Area graphs: show how something changes
over time. The x axis represents the time
period and the y axis represents the variable
being measured.

29. Charts
• Organizational charts: used to illustrate the various
positions or functions of an organization. It is also
used to depict instructions given to subordinates or
for different decisions.
• Flow Charts: present sequence of activities from
start to finish. Used to illustrate processes,
procedures and relationships.

30. Drawings and Diagrams
Used to depict the objects, processes, circuits etc that
are being described & to show the normal,
sectional, or cut-away view of an object.
Photographs: used in feasibility, recommendation
and evaluation reports.
Maps: represent spatial relationships on plsnr
surface. -------------X---------------