Communication

Skills
By
Maryam Mehmood

Contents
Communication
Importance and Benefits of

Communication
Communication Skills
Types of Communication
Communication Process
Barriers in Communication
Effective ways to Improve Communication

Communication
The

word communication originates from

Latin word communis means common

It

is an act by which a person shares the

knowledge, feelings, ideas, information etc.,
that each gains a common understanding
of the meaning, interest, and the message

Communication
In broadest sense communication includes

all methods of conveying any kind of

thought or feeling to other people or of
receiving expressions of thought or feeling
from others
Howard H. Dean

Communication
Communication is a two-way process of

giving and receiving information through

any number of channels
It is a process of transmitting and receiving

messages. It is a two way process of

exchanging ideas or information. It is
considered effective when it achieves the
desired response from the receiver

History of Communication
Ability to communicate is the most valued skill
Human communication was revolutionized

with

speech about 200,000 years ago

Symbols were developed about 30,000 years ago,
and writing about 7,000 years
The Egyptians created a picture language
Oldest record of writing is in China on bones
Chinese began using paper and ink 105 A.D.
Oral tradition dominated during Roman and Greek Era
which
persisted
even
during
Medieval
and
Renaissance Period
Written communication has been the outcome of
bureaucratic tradition after French Revolution
Merchants first developed writing symbols

Importance and Benefits

Important

factor in achieving
satisfaction and success

personal

You will be more persuasive

You will have enhanced relationships with

whom you interact in both business &

social conversation

Importance and Benefits

Professional reputation and promotion

depends on communication

Communication a valuable job requirement

Communication helps build and promote

good will

It is one of the most important aspects of

business leadership

Importance and Benefits

Maturity in individuals and societies tend

towards
complex
communication
techniques, and become dependent on
them
You

will be able to handle difficult

communication situations with ease

Types of Communication
Verbal Communication
Non-Verbal Communication

What are the most common ways

we communicate?

en W
Spok

ord

Written Word

ages
m
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l
Visua

Bod
y

Lan
gua
ge

Verbal Communication
Communication by means of language i.e.,

words

Non-verbal Communication
Communication by means other than words
Signals and gestures
Important Factors
Appearance
Body Language
Silence, Time, and Space

All communication methods are

important in training but our emphasis
will be upon the spoken word... since
70 % or all our communication efforts
are:
misunderstood, misinterpreted,
rejected, disliked, distorted, or not
heard (in the same language, same
culture)!

The Communication Skills

The language learning involves four

skills
Listening Skills Passive Skills
Speaking Skills Active Skills
Reading Skills - Passive Skill
Writing Skills Active Skills

Difference Between Oral and

Written Communication
Immediate feedback
Shorter sentences/words

Delayed feedback
Longer sentences

Conversational

More formal
Focus on content

Focus on interpersonal

relations
Prompt actions by
speaker
Less detailed technical
information
More personal pronouns
Simpler constructions
More interrogative and
explanatory sentences

Delayed action
More detailed technical

information
Fewer personal pronouns
Complex constructions
Useful for record keeping
Possibility of review

The Goals of Communication

To change behavior

To get and give

Information

To persuade

To get action

To ensure understanding

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July 23, 2003

Communication Process
Environment
Message
ENCODE CHANNEL DECODE

Message

SENDER >

DECODE

CHANNEL

ENCODE
<

FEED BACK

Communication is the process of sending

and receiving information among people
Feedback

receiver

SENDER

sender

RECEIVER

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July 23, 2003

Communication Process
In

linguistic communication, it is a
process of conveying thought and feelings
by writing or speaking through language
symbols. The process flows as follows:

Communication- A Social Process

Purpose of
Speaker or Writer

Ideas and
Emotions

Language
Symbols

Reaction of
Reader or Listener

Communication Process
The

sender has the responsibility for the

message

The sender's message travels to the receiver

through one or more channels chosen by

sender

Communication Process
Purpose of Communication
What reactions he/she wants to elicit from the

receiver
He/she thus determines what to write and how to

write
Intelligent listener or speaker is aware what he/she

hopes to hear or read and analyze from it

Communication Process
Ideas and Emotions

Ideas and feelings are the fundamental factors in

communication
Purpose is achieved by expressing ideas and

emotions
Without putting the ideas effectively the purpose

is not achieved

Communication Process
Language Symbols
Ideas

and feelings cannot

effectively without symbols

be

expressed

Words

are the basic symbols in language

communication but non-verbal elements also
play an important part E.g., Vocal quality,
appearance, and action of speaker

Choice of words and use of punctuation marks

are the symbols used by writer

Communication Process
Reaction of Reader or Listener
The

communication is complete
message is received at the other end

when

the

After sending the message, the sender becomes

receiver and the receiver becomes a sender

through the process of feedback - turn taking

The channel for feedback may be quite different

from the original channel

The reaction of the receiver is dependant on how

the writer/speaker has put the ideas and presented

them
symbolically
keeping
in
view
the
expectations of the reader/listener

All messages do not reach the

receiver due to distortion
Feedback

Receiver

Sender

Distortion
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July 23, 2003

What causes distortion or the barriers

to understanding/listening?

Perceptions

Environment noise

Language

Preconceived

Semantics
Personal Interests
Emotions
Inflections

notions/expectations
Wordiness
Attention span
Physical hearing problem
Speed of thought
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July 23, 2003

Barriers in Effective
Communication
Semantic

Environmental

Physical
Non-verbal

Psychological

Physical Barriers in
Communication
Environment:
Noise causes distraction & distorts or obscures the
meaning.
Heat, cold, ventilation, interruptions are other barriers.

Non-verbal Communication:
Inability to understand Facial expression, Gestures,
Appearance, Intonation, distance, etc.

Semantic Barriers in
Communication

Words

mean different things to different

people

Age,

cultural background & education also

influence language of a person

Limited

vocabulary, accent, verbal noises

are also the barriers in communication
process

Semantic Barriers in
Communication
Language
Words are not reality. Words as the sender understands them

are combined with the perceptions of those words by the

receiver. Language represents only part of the whole. We fill in
the rest with perceptions

Being "foreign" is not limited to the language of another country.

It can be the language of another social group

The Silver Fish

The green goose may be a trailer painted red long after it was given the

name green goose

A brassy day may say much about temperature and little about color

Semantic Barriers in
Communication
Muddled Messages
Contrast these two messages:
"Please be here about 7:00 tomorrow morning."
"Please be here at 7:00 tomorrow morning."
The one word difference makes the first message

muddled and the second message clear

Clarifying messages is the responsibility of the sender
The sender hoping the receiver will figure out the
message does little to remove this barrier to
communication

Psychological Barriers in
Communication
Sometimes we see only what we want to see
If we like people, we accept what they say
Other

barriers include the opposite gender,

shyness, lack of confidence, and state of mind

Psychological Barriers in
Communication
People as individuals. No two people are the

same

There may be variation in cultural background

There may be variation in educational background

Factors affecting Communication

Conventions of meaning
Perception of reality
Values, attitudes, and opinions

Psychological Barriers in
Communication
Wrong Channel
Variation of channels helps the receiver understand the nature

and importance of a message

Immediacy of action to be taken from the message

A written disciplinary warning for tardiness emphasizes to the

employee that the problem is serious

A birthday card to an employee is more effective than to say

"Happy Birthday"

In choice of a channel, the sender needs to be sensitive to such

things as the complexity of the message

good morning versus a construction contract

instructions for this morning's work versus a plan of work for

1994

Psychological Barriers in
Communication
Lack of Feedback
Without feedback, communication is one-way
Feedback may be as subtle as a stare, a

puzzled look, a nod, or failure to ask any

questions after complicated instructions have
been given

Feedback should be helpful rather than hurtful

Psychological Barriers in
Communication
Poor Listening Skills
A typical speaker says about 125 words per minute. The

typical listener can receive 400-600 words per minute.

Thus, about 75% of listening time is free time which
sidetracks the listener.

One important listening skill is to be prepared to listen.

Search for meaning in what the person is saying.

Providing feedback is the most important active listening

skill. Ask questions, nod in agreement, look the person

straight in the eye, lean forward, etc.

Getting angry with an angry person only assures that there

are now two people not listening to what the other is

saying.

Useful Tips on Effective

Communication
Learn

to analyze the purpose of

communication and how to adapt it to a
particular audience on a specific occasion

Learn

to develop your ideas more

effectively by using sound thinking in
supporting ideas and arranging them

Practice what you have learned to increase

the ease and effectiveness of expression

Useful Tips on Effective

Communication
Develop right attitude
Prepare Adequately
Careful and sound judgment of ideas
Appropriate use of language
Knowledge of cultural conventions

audience

of

your

Communications should be clear, complete,

concise, concrete, correct, coherent, and

courteous.

Assignment
Analyze the content of a small article, news,

advertisement or any other communication, as

follows:
What is the authors purpose?
Write a sentence stating the central thought of

the article.
Is there any material included in the text which
does not help the author achieve the purpose
Comment weather or not the author or source
of material is consistently unprejudiced and
honest.

Thank you