This document provides information on effective workplace communication. It defines communication and discusses the most common forms: verbal, nonverbal, written, and mediated. It outlines the communication process and describes key aspects like barriers, listening vs hearing, and essential dos and don'ts. Tips are provided on improving existing communication skills through language, pronunciation, body language, reading and interacting with others. Overall, the document emphasizes the importance of communication skills for success in the modern diverse workplace.

1. Employability Module- NVQ 05
T.M. Erandika Thennakoon
Lecturer
Department of Food Technology
SLGTI
EMPM 02
Workplace Communication Management

2. Effective Communication
Skills
Lesson 01

3. What is Communication?
•Communication is the creation or exchange of thoughts, ideas, emotions,
and understanding between sender(s) and receiver(s).
•It is essential to building and maintaining relationships in the workplace.
•Its;
•Occurs between people.
•Involves change in behavior.
•Means to influence others.
•Expression of thoughts and emotions through words & actions.
Tools for controlling and motivating people.
•It is a social and emotional process.

4. Effective Communication

5. What are the most common ways
we communicate?
Written Word

6. The Communication Process
SENDER
(encodes)
RECEIVER
(decodes)
Barrier
Barrier
Medium
Feedback/Response
6

7. Types of Communication
•Verbal communication
• Oral communication
• Written communication
• Mediated communication
•Nonverbal communication

8. Verbal communication
• In which you listen to a person to understand their meaning
• Takes place in real time
• Examples;
• In person (Face to face)
• Speeches
• Presentations
• Announcements
Oral communication

9. Advantages
• Time saving
• Cost saving
• More powerful
• Effectiveness
• Immediate feed back
• More suitable
• A relationship develops
• Flexibility
• Easiness
• Correction of errors
• Informal nature
• Motivation
• Special applications
• Maintaining secrecy

10. Disadvantages
• No record
• Expensive
• Distortion of the word
• Inaccuracy
• Limited use
• Probability of omitting main
subject
• Confused speech
• No legal validity
• Late decision
• Less important
• Lack of secrecy
• Create misunderstanding

11. Written communication
• In which you read their meaning
• Messages which printed on paper, handwritten or appear on the screen
• Can be constructed over a longer period of time
• The Sender can write a Message that the Receiver can read at any time.
• Examples:
• Memos
• Proposals
• e-mails
• Letters
• Training manuals
• Operating policies
• Newspaper

12. • Easy to preserve
• Easy presentation of complex
matter
• Permanent record
• Prevention of wastage of time
and money
• Accurate presentation
• Use as a reference
• Effective communication
• Maintaining image
• Proper information
• No opportunity to misinterpret
• Easy to verify
• Reduction of risk
• Creating confidence
• Legal document
• Clear understanding
• Wide access
• Easy circulation
Advantages

13. • Expensive
• Time consuming
• Take time for approval of a
project
• Useless for illiterate person
• Difficult to maintain secrecy
• Lack of flexibility
• Delay in response
• Delay in decision making
• Cost in record keeping
• Complex words
• Lack of direct relation
• Slowness
• Lack of feedback
Disadvantages

14. Mediated Communication
• Communication carried out by the use of information
communication technology and can be contrasted to face to face
communication
• Both verbal & Nonverbal communication
• Examples
• World Wide Web (Typed text or Video)
• Webcast
• Online interactive media (Facebook/ Twitter)
• Television Broadcast
• Radio Broadcast
• Telephone conversation

15. • Easy for individuals to engage in communication
• Breakdown geographical and time barriers
• Can exchange, store, edit, broadcast and copy any written
document
• Few status and position cues
• Allow individuals with disabilities for the communication
• Minimal stress
• Form relationships more rapidly
Advantages

16. • Problems with access to the technology
• Need some technical expertise to operate
• Transmitting fewer senses
• Time consuming
• Absence of regulating feedback, lack of socio-emotional and
nonverbal cues
• Lack of true human contact
Disadvantages

17. Nonverbal communication
• In which you observe a person and understand meaning
• Examples for nonverbal cues:
• Body Language
• Eye Contact
• Facial Expressions
• Posture
• Space/ Distance

18. Receiver’s comprehension of a Message
• 7%- Sender’s actual words
• 38%- based on paralanguage
(the tone, pace, and volume of
speech)
• 55% - based on nonverbal
cues (body language).

19. • Complementary
• Easy presentation
• Substituting (for oral communication)
• Accenting (Highlighting)
• Repeat
• Help to illiterate people
• Help to handicapped people
• Attractive presentation
• Reducing wastage of time
• Quick expression of message
Advantages

20. • Unclear & inexact
• Continuous (Can’t express where subject will change)
• Multi channel (same time body gesture & eye contact)
• Culture bound
• Long conversations are not possible
• Difficult to understand
• Not everybody prefers
• Lack of formality
• Costly (cinema, power point presentation)
• Distortion of information (Alteration)
Disadvantages

22. Barriers to communication
• Language
• Time
• Too many questions
• Distance
• Noise
• Inappropriate medium
• Assumptions/Misconceptions
• Emotions
• Language differences
• Disability
• Distractions

23. Hearing Vs Listening
Hearing – Physical process,
natural, passive
Listening – Physical as well
as mental process, active,
learned process, a skill
Listening is hard.
You must choose to participate in the process of listening.

24. Value Of Listening
 Good listening reflects good manners.
 Listening carefully to the instructions of superiors improve competence
and performance.
 The result of poor listening skill could be disastrous in business,
employment and social relations.
Good listening can eliminate a number of imaginary grievances of
employees.
Good listening skill can improve social relations and conversation.
Listening is a positive activity rather than a passive or negative activity.

25. Always think ahead about what you are going to say.
Use simple words and phrases that are understood by every body.
Increase your knowledge on all subjects you are required to speak.
Speak clearly and audibly.
Check twice with the listener whether you have been understood accurately or not
In case of an interruption, always do a little recap of what has been already said.
Always pay undivided attention to the speaker while listening.
While listening, always make notes of important points.
Always ask for clarification if you have failed to grasp other’s point of view.
Repeat what the speaker has said to check whether you have understood accurately.
Essentials of communication
Dos

26. Essentials of Communication
Don’ts
Do not instantly react and mutter something in anger.
Do not use technical terms & terminologies not understood by majority of
people.
Do not speak too fast or too slow.
Do not speak in inaudible surroundings, as you won’t be heard.
Do not assume that every body understands you.
While listening do not glance here and there as it might distract the
speaker.
Do not interrupt the speaker.
Do not jump to the conclusion that you have understood every thing.

27. How to Improve Existing Level of Communication?
Improve language.
Improve pronunciation.
Work on voice modulation.
Work on body language.
Read more & Listen more
Avoid reading or watching or listening unwanted literature, gossip, media presentation etc.
Interact with qualitative people.
Practice meditation & good thoughts.
Think and speak.
Do not speak too fast.
Use simple vocabulary.
Do not speak only to impress someone.
Look presentable and confident.

28. Improving Body Language - Tips
• Keep appropriate distance
• Touch only when appropriate
• Take care of your appearance
• Be aware - people may give false cues
• Maintain eye contact
• Smile genuinely

29. …in the new global and diverse
workplace requires
excellent communication skills!
Success for YOU…