Communication Skills and Theory Overview

Communication Skills

• Communication is a learned skill and an ongoing process
• It's essential for personal and professional development
• Efforts are needed to improve communication skills
• Some people struggle with communication and require development
• Communication is crucial for organizations

Communication Theory

• Proposed by S. F. Scudder
• All living things communicate to express feelings, share thoughts, and pass information
• Communication happens through sound, visible changes, body movements, and gestures

Communication Definition

• Exchange of ideas, thoughts, information, and feelings through speech, signals, writing, or behavior.
• Includes the sender transmitting information and the receiver receiving it.

Elements of Communication

• Verbal messages, including speech, conversations, and written texts like newspapers and broadcasts
• Nonverbal messages, such as signs, symbols, colors, expressions, body language, and facial expressions
• Paraverbal messages, which utilize tone, pitch, rhythm, and emphasis, especially impacting written communication

Communication in Organizations

• Communication is vital for organizational health.
• Organizational image depends on the communication skills of management, staff, and workers.
• Strong communication with customers builds trust
• Quality of spoken and written communication is critical for success and recovery from business crisis

Purpose of Communication

• Persuading: Motivating others to act or adopt a specific mindset
• Providing Information: Disseminating facts, figures, and details
• Seeking Information: Acquiring data and insights to gain knowledge
• Expressing Emotions: Sharing feelings, expressing joys, sorrows, or any other emotional state.

Forms of Communication

• Intrapersonal: Communicating with oneself (e.g., thinking, problem-solving, journaling)
• Interpersonal: Communication between two people (e.g., interviews, phone calls, face-to-face conversations)
• Group communication: Communication among groups of people (e.g., family gatherings, committee meetings)
• Mass communication: Communication with a large audience (events, speeches, radio broadcasts)

Models of Communication

• Linear model: One-way communication (e.g., a president's address)
• Interactive model: Two-way communication with feedback (e.g., job interviews)
• Transactional model: More than two communicators in a dynamic environment where understanding, feedback, and exchange are involved (includes all forms)

Communication Levels of Meaning

• Content level: Facts, figures, ideas, and opinions conveyed
• Relational level: Feelings and thoughts about the other person, conveyed through body language, tone, and choice of words

Communication Levels of Noise Barriers

• Semantic noise: Discrepancies in understanding due to cultural differences or language interpretations
• Cognitive noise: Discrepancies in thought process among individuals.
• Behavioral noise: discrepancies in behavior, like one person being too aggressive for the situation and another person being too passive, resulting in misunderstanding between individuals.
• Personal noise: Discrepancies in experiences, beliefs, and expectations between people.
• Physical noise: Environmental disruptions that interfere with communication (e.g., noisy surroundings, poor acoustics)

Relationship Escalation Model

• Initiation: A formal introduction to a person or group, setting the stage for interactions with them
• Experimenting: Learning more about the other person's or group's background and perspectives through dialogue and questioning.
• Intensifying: Moving closer, including friendly conversation and casual interactions
• Integrating: Becoming close friends or forming romantic/close relationships, encompassing activities together (e.g., dating, living together)
• Bonding: Formally expressing the nature of the relationship as a declaration (e.g., marriage, best friend announcement)

Perception

• Perception is the process of becoming aware of objects, events, and people through senses.
• It's a process influenced by personal needs, desires, and prior experiences.
• Perception impacts communication choices and how one perceives interactions

Self-Awareness

• Self-awareness is crucial for understanding one's own traits, strengths, weaknesses, feelings, and behaviors.
• The Johari Window is a tool for examining these aspects of the self
• Includes the Open Self (known to self and others), the Hidden Self (known to self, unknown to others), the Blind Self (unknown to self, known to others), and the Unknown Self (unknown to self and others)

Self-Disclosure

• Self-disclosure is a form of communication involving sharing one's secrets
• It can lead to risks such as rejection, negative impressions, or diminished relational satisfaction.

Types of Communication

• Written communication: Information and ideas are transmitted through written documents like letters and emails
• Oral communication: Transmitting information and ideas via spoken words

Written Communication Advantages

• Time-saving: Allows for efficient information dissemination
• Cost-saving: Eliminates the need for in-person meetings or transportation
• More powerful: Enables delivery through a stronger voice and tone, thus increasing effectiveness and motivation and creating a more positive impact or persuasive influence
• Immediate feedback : Allows for faster feedback on conveyed message and the ability to quickly correct any potential errors
• Permanent record: Creates a lasting record of the conveyed information/message

Written Communication Disadvantages

• Time-consuming, not suitable for urgent matters
• Limited use, unsuitable for lengthy reports
• No immediate feedback, making corrections and adjustments challenging
• No legal validity, not legally binding
• Can be easily denied if there is a conflict

Academic Papers

• Brainstorming, doing research, structuring the paper with introduction, body, and conclusion
• Editing for spelling, grammar, and avoiding plagiarism: Citations and references are essential

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism is the use of another's words/ ideas without giving credit; it's a form of academic dishonesty.
• Different types of plagiarism include directly copying text or paraphrasing without attribution.
• Quotations are used for specific wording and paraphrasing is used when altering language.

Teamwork

• Teams collaborate to achieve a common goal
• Key team roles include a leader, a challenger, a doer, a thinker, and a supporter.

Team Roles

• Leader: Sets direction, prioritizes tasks and objectives, focused on time management, and realistic targets
• Challenger: Questions effectiveness and looks for alternate solutions, presenting ideas, and supporting decisions
• Doer: Encourages progress, practical worker, proactive information seeker
• Thinker: Suggests and develops ideas, solutions, step-by-step actions.
• Supporter: Supports ideas, addresses tensions, respects others, respects opinions

Teams Stages

• Forming: Getting to know each other's traits and creating a sense of belonging
• Storming: Addressing issues, including conflicts that arise and how to resolve them.
• Norming: Establishing trust, mutual respect, and communication channels in the group.
• Performing: Achieving shared success by working together

Nonverbal Communication

• Emphasize or contradict: Convey emotion through gestures or facial expression
• Regulate or substitute: Control a conversation or convey an idea without words (e.g., pointing instead of explaining location)
• Functions: Body movement, eye contact, touch, space, smell

Nonverbal Communication - Body Language and Voice

• Body: Smile: Mouth to eyes, real vs fake; eyes, body adjustment, and position
• Voice: Pitch, pauses, pacing, and power; tone changes during communication; tone of voice is critical.

Explore the fundamentals of communication skills, including their importance for personal and professional development. This quiz also covers communication theory, definitions, and the essential elements that constitute effective communication, from verbal to nonverbal cues.