The main objectives of communication are to be understood, gain understanding, gain acceptance, and produce action. Communicating allows others to understand what is being said, helps the communicator understand others, gains acceptance for ideas and values, and explains what should be done. Effective communication in the workplace improves morale, involvement, understanding, teamwork, and saves time, effort, and money. Perceptions are influenced by background and experiences and can differ between individuals, impacting communication.

2. Objectives of Communication
The main 4 objectives of communication are:
1. to be understood
we communicate so that others will understand
what we are saying.
2. to gain understanding
we communicate so that we can understand what
someone else is saying.
3. to gain acceptance
we communicate to gain acceptance for our
ideas, our values and our observations
4. produce action
we communicate to explain what must or should
be done.
2

3. ACTIVITY
 Write down three reasons why
people communicate and
provide an example for each
reason.
 Eg to obtain permission –
asking your supervisor if you
can go to lunch early.
3

4. Are there BENEFITS of
Communication
yes, there are lots of benefits to having efficient
communication, especially in the workplace.
Here are 7
1. improve morale – if you feel your opinion is asked
for and listened too, then your self esteem rises,
doesn’t it?
2. provide a sense of involvement – workers are
more willing to follow instructions or orders if they
were able to participate in developing them.
3. help gain understanding – good communication
ensures that everyone understands the situation
exactly.
4

5. 4. promotes better teamwork – when workers feel
that they can contribute to the business
communication, they are more inclined to be
involved in their work and to cooperate with other
workers.
5. save time – if a job only has to be done once to be
done properly, then it has saved time having to fix
up mistakes because people did not understand
what they were meant to do.
6. save effort – by doing the job correctly the first
time, there is no wasted effort fixing up mistakes.
7. save money – the saying “time is money” means
that wages are being paid as time ticks by, whether
the worker is spending that time on new tasks or on
re-doing mistakes.
REMEMBER – money is also lost if poor
communication means that merchandise is sold at
the wrong price or merchandise and/or equipment
are wasted or ruined.
5

6. 3 LEVELS OF
COMMUNICATION
1. SMALL TALK – safe and unemotional
-often between strangers, new
acquaintances.
2. INFORMATIONAL/INSTRUCTIONAL –
involves giving and receiving factual
information – unemotional and rational
(pass on instructions)
a. what can be the side effects of only
having #2 level at work?
b. buddy up and create a roll play for
each level
3. ATTITUDE/VALUES – involves emotions
– usually commitment to the communication
because it involves people sharing their
personal ideas, attitudes and feelings
6

7. a. what can be the
TO DO side effects of only
having #2 level at
work?
b. buddy up and
create a roll play
for each level
c. Write down the best
method you have
found for getting what
you want at home.
7

8. PERCEPTIONS - ?
We are all affected by what we have
seen and done in the past:
 family situations and upbringing
 school experiences
 successes & failures in life
 how others have treated us
 what society we live in
8

9. We communicate and accept
communication according to our
perception – how we detect and
interpret other people and
circumstances.
Communication specialists may call
perception by other names to help us
visualise the experience.
A cage through which we evaluate
outside experiences.
or
A screen through which we sift outside
experiences.
9

10. We are all affected differently by
* what we
* what we do and
* what we participate in
because we have all come from
different backgrounds and
experiences in our lives that have
affected us individually.
10

11. Write 1 opinion each for 3
different things and explain what
experiences/backgrounds that
have influenced you in
developing your own
perceptions.
Swap your list with someone else
and write your opinion of their
things and then discuss each
others list.
CONSIDER: do similar
backgrounds and/or experiences
necessarily mean that people will
end up with the same
perceptions?
Why? OR Why not?
11

12. 12

13. Perceptions we
have are a
reflection of our
society and our
upbringing 13

14. eg.
Bob and Jenny work together in a store
where Bob is a fairly new employee.
Jenny has been employed there for
several years.
Each employee have opinions on:
 HOW WELL THEY ARE GOING AT WORK
 HOW THE OTHER PERSON IS GOING AT WORK
 HOW THEY THINK THE OTHER PERSON FEELS
ABOUT THEM
 HOW THE OTHER PERSON REALLY FEELS
ABOUT THEM.
14

15. BOB
1. thinks he is very good at his job
2. admires how quickly Jenny gets
her work done
3. thinks Jenny is jealous of his
expertise
4. is too slow getting his job finished
JENNY
1. thinks she is alright at her job
2. thinks Bob is very slow at work
3. thinks Bob admires her expertise
4. could be even better at her job
since she has been there so long.
15

16. 1. think of some situation where you
and another person had different
perceptions about something.
Write it down.
2. What are the implications for a
workplace when people have
different perceptions about
themselves and other people.
Write an example of this situation.
16

17. ## Messages
##*
**# sent using decode
encode # ##* different
# #
%* CHANNELS
#$*
$
Feedback
starts the communication
the person or persons
process to others
to whom the message
is sent
extra communication from the
# receiver to the sender to help with
#
decode #
understanding the message ####
***## encode 17
# #*#
** %*#

18. The mix of people in the work
force means that they bring a
variety of perceptions with them
about:
 Themselves
 others
 what they THINK others think of them
 what others REALLY think of them.
18

19. RESPONSIBILITIES
SENDER RECEIVER
Think out message before Stay tuned to whole message
beginning
¥ put information into ¥ evaluate what you really
logical order hear, not what you think
you are hearing
¥ arouse receiver interest ¥ show sender that you are
in what is to be interested
communicated
¥ use words that the ¥ use eyes as well as ears
receiver will understand
¥ do not use jargon or ¥ ask questions if not sure
technical language for about anything the sender
no reason says
¥ encourage feedback ¥ take notes if necessary
from the receiver
¥ watch for non-verbal
cues
19

20. ingredient
SENDER
s CHANNELS
MESSAGE RECEIVER
Communication Skills Elements Visual Communication Skills
Attitudes Structure Audio Attitudes
Knowledge Content Touch Knowledge
Social System Treatment Smell Social System
Culture Code Taste Culture
20
FEEDBACK SETTING INTERFERENCE/noise

21. SENDER  RECEIVER  CHANNELS MESSAGE
CHANNELS
1. Written = visual
letter memo facsimile (fax)
2. SPOKEN = audio
• face 2 face
• telephone
• poem
3. NON VERBAL = eg touch
taste
smell
21

22. SENDER  RECEIVER  CHANNELS  MESSAGE
MESSAGE
 ELEMENTS – parts of the message.
 STRUCTURE – how it is built to achieve meaning.
 CONTENT – what is in the message.
 TREATMENT – the particular way of handling the
message.
 CODE – A system – morse, sign, Braille, words,
music, painting, sport, dance. (Aussie Rules has
distinctive patterns of play.
22

23. Intra-personal - This is the individual’s
process of thinking and feeling. It lets
you communicate with yourself. This
style creates the persons SELF
CONCEPT. Think, plan, and interpret
ideas and messages. Allow time to
absorb new ideas and plan actions.
Inter-personal - Involves
interactions between two people or
in small groups. Skills such as
questioning, speaking and listening
are important in this type
communication. Examples of this
style are staff briefings, feedback or
instructions and customer relations. 23

24. Public communication - Originates
from one source and takes place when
the organization communicates with a
number of receivers. It can be to
receivers within the organization (staff
newsletter), or to those outside the
organization (company report).
Mass communication
Usually through electronic or
print media to contact the
organization’s publics.
Examples could be public
relation exercises, annual
reports or advertising.
24

25. VERBAL COMMUNICATION
4 ADVANTAGES 4 DISADVANTAGES
 immediate opportunity for
 no written copy for either
feedback when in direct
sender or recover to refer too
communication with the receiver
 immediate opportunity to  if message has to be passed on
discover if the time is appropriate to a third party, the initial
for communication to take place message may become distorted
 immediate opportunity to
 message may not be clearly
discover if place is appropriate for
explained
communication to take place
 opportunity to revise the initial
 sender or receiver may have a
message if feedback shows that
hearing problem
there are any problems 25

26. Semiotics and communication through signs
Semiotics and communication through signs
(Semiotics is the science of signs)
(Semiotics is the science of signs)
Signs are made up of:
 Icons, which resemble the object it
signifies such as photographs,
statues, drawings and road signs.
 Symbols, used more loosely to
mean a sign that is related to it’s
object. You cannot know it
instinctively, it must be learned. It
can also be symbolism such as is
used in literature to suggest ideas.
“cold = loneliness”
 The Index, is casually connected to
the object it signifies. eg. coughing
(an index of illness), smoke (an index
of fire). 26

27. Signs often have visual features, but can also
be smells, tastes and textures.
Features of signs are:
Colour
Size
Space
Contrast
Shape
Communication is not only about words
27

28. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
6 ADVANTAGES 6 DISADVANTAGES
 Sender can keep a copy  time delay between sending and
for further reference receiving message
 receiver can keep a copy  literacy of sender or receiver is
for future use not sufficient
 complicated information  sender can not be absolutely
might be easier to sure that receiver got the
understand in writing message at all
 receiver/sender are not together
 receiver does not have at the same time, so non-verbal
to memorise information communication can not be
observed
 receiver can go through  sender can not be absolutely
information later at a sure that the receiver read and
more convenient time understood the message
 sender may write it
down in a more logical  fewer and slower opportunities to
format than if speaking give and receive feedback 28
information

29. FORMAL COMMUNICATION
ORGANISATIONAL
NETWORKS
Communication networks are
patterns of communication that are
established among employees who
work closely together as against those
existing in a larger organisation. While
the direction that communication flows
in an organisation affects its format
and effectiveness, consideration must
also be given to the impact of the
detailed communication network that is
established.
29

30. Y NETWORK
Y NETWORK
This is really an
upside down Y. It
traditionally
represents two,
three or more
levels where the
employees at the
lowest level report
to a supervisor
who then reports
further up the
organisation to a
manager.
30

31. CIRCLE NETWORK is a three level
hierarchy of supervision with the lowest
level of employees communicating with
each other and directly with the person
on the next level. That level then reports
directly to a higher level.
Communication also occurs downwards
between the levels.
CIRCLE NETWORK
31

32. CHAIN NETWORK
CHAIN NETWORK
Information is
passed from one
person in a line
of authority to
the next
employee above
or below that
person
32

33. WHEEL NETWORK
Exists when there is a supervisor with a
number of subordinates reporting directly to
them without consultation or links with each
other. The spokes of the wheel are not
really connected.
WHEEL NETWORK
33

34. to Communication
Barriers are anything that prevents
communication from taking place.
They can be:
PHYSICAL (Distance, Obstacles, Presentation) eg.
the other end of the store or a fixture between the
sender and receiver. Poor layout and presentation.
Even non-verbal communication that does not
support the words.
ENVIRONMENTAL (Temperature, Pollution,
Noise) eg. store air conditioning does not
work, dust floating around from road-
works and noise from traffic or machinery.
34

35. PHYSIOLOGICAL (Ability impairment, Health
problems) sight or recovering from an illness.
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL (Discrimination or bias,
Attitude) Racist against another worker or do not care
about the work or job. Lack of courtesy by sender or
receiver AND/or receiver inattention. Inadequate
feedback.
INAPPROPRIATE CHOICE OF: words /
channel / message / timing
35

36. ACTIVITY 4 U 2 DO
IN PAIRS:
a. Collect 4 pictures and explain what message you get
from two of them.
b. Find two advertisements for clothes and explain what
they are communicating to the reader.
c. Write an example and the meaning of, verbal, non-
verbal and graphic communication.
d. Why is effective communication important in business?
ALONE:
1. How does “noise” affect communication breakdown?
2. “Feedback is important to both the sender and the
receiver”. Explain why this sentence is correct
3. Explain why one can be highly educated and yet a
poor communicator.
4. Find a method of sharing some information with your
classmates, WITHOUT SPEAKING OR WRITING IT
36
DOWN.

37.  TYPES – 7 main areas
 1. body motion or kinesics
 2. physical characteristics
 3. touching behaviours
 4. vocal qualities or
paralanguage
 5. use of space or proximity
 6. artefacts
 7. environmental factors 37

38. Loosely broken down to
these three main areas
 FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
 BODY LANGUAGE
 VOICE
38

39. 1.BODY MOTION OR KINESICS
The word kinetic implies
movement.
Movements of the body, limbs,
hands, head, feet or legs, posture,
eye behaviour (eg blinking) and
facial expressions such as
smiles,
frowns.
39

40. BODY MOTION OR KINESICS (Continued)
 non-verbal acts learnt through
imitation can become common
to a group or people or culture.
(eg. “OK”)
 non-verbal acts that relate to
and illustrate the spoken word
or phrase. (eg. “Over there…..”
with a nod as well)
40

41. BODY MOTION OR KINESICS (Continued)
 gesture & posture = “functional
and dysfunctional” bodily cues
that communicate a sense of
openness and confidence are
preferred.
 Nervous gestures are often
unintentional and are used to
mask our nervousness. 41

42. BODY MOTION OR KINESICS (Continued)
BODY LANGUAGE
The use of our body and their
closeness to one another are both
deliberate and unconscious signals
that indicate our feelings.
Some types of body language signals:
•Use of body = gestures, stance, dress code
42

43. BODY MOTION OR KINESICS (Continued)
Some types of body language signals (continued)
 facial expression = provides
information about emotion. This can
be qualified (you add another facial
expression to the original to modify the
impact),
 modulated (intensity is changed)
and falsification (showing emotion
when no emotion is felt or masking
emotion with a blank expression).
 eye contact = culturally and socially
modified.
43

44. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
 A face provides an accurate reflection of a person’s
feelings, or at least gives clues as to how they are
feeling.
Some types of facial non-verbal communications
signals:
 Discolouration or pale complexion when ill or scared
 Blushing when embarrassed
 Perspiring when tense
 Smiles and frowns of happiness or displeasure
 Raised eye brows of disbelief or amazement
 Eye contact or lack of it to show commitment
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45. 45