Communication Skills: Types, Elements & Barriers

Communication Skills (Unit - 1)

• Communication entails sharing information to promote understanding among individuals or groups.
• Communication enhances clear expression of thoughts, strengthens relationships and teamwork, and is vital for career and professional advancement.

Types of Communication:

• Verbal communication includes face-to-face discussions, phone conversations, and formal presentations, as well as written forms like letters, emails, and reports.
• Non-verbal communication involves body language, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact.
• Visual Communication uses charts, diagrams, signs, symbols, and infographics.

Elements of Communication

• The sender conveys the message.
• The message contains the information being communicated.
• The receiver gets and interprets the message.
• Feedback is the receiver's response.
• The channel is the medium through which the message is sent (e.g., speech, text, images).

Barriers to Communication

• Language barriers arise from using difficult or unfamiliar vocabulary.
• Emotional barriers include fear, anger, or sadness, which can affect clarity.
• Physical barriers involves noise, poor internet connection, and distractions.
• Cultural barriers are differences in the interpretation of words or signs across cultures.

7Cs of Effective Communication

• Clear: Use simple and understandable language.
• Concise: Be brief and to the point.
• Concrete: Use specific facts and examples.
• Correct: Ensure accuracy to avoid grammar and spelling mistakes.
• Coherent: Maintain a logical flow of ideas.
• Complete: Include all necessary details.
• Courteous: Be polite and respectful.

Sentence Types

• Declarative sentences state facts. Example: "I love reading."
• Interrogative sentences ask questions. Example: "Do you like reading?"
• Exclamatory sentences express emotion. Example: "Wow! That's great!"
• Imperative sentences give commands. Example: "Please sit down."

Parts of Speech

• Nouns name persons, places, or things.
• Pronouns replace nouns (e.g., he, she, they).
• Verbs are action words (e.g., run, eat, write).
• Adjectives describe nouns (e.g., big, happy).
• Adverbs describe verbs (e.g., quickly, very).
• Prepositions show position (e.g., on, in, under).
• Conjunctions join words or sentences (e.g., and, but, or).
• Interjections show emotions (e.g., Wow! Oh no!).

Non-verbal Communication

• Facial expressions communicate emotions like happiness (smile) or sadness (frown).
• Body language includes posture, gestures, and hand movements.
• Eye contact shows confidence and engagement.
• Tone and voice involve volume, pitch, and speed of speech.

Assertive Communication & Public Speaking

• Assertive communication means expressing yourself confidently and clearly, listening respectfully, and avoiding aggressive or passive behavior.
• Preparation involves researching the topic.
• Practice involves rehearsing before speaking.
• Perform involves maintaining eye contact and speaking confidently.

Writing & Presentation Skills

• MINTS Method*
• Months (January, February, etc.) should have capitalized first letter
• The word "I" is always capitalized.
• Names of people, places (Ravi, India) should have capitalized first letter
• Titles (Dr., Mr., Mrs.) should have capitalized first letter
• Start of sentences should have capitalized first letter.

Punctuation Rules

• Full stop (.): Marks the end of a sentence.
• Comma (,): Indicates pauses and lists items.
• Question mark (?): Used for asking questions.
• Exclamation mark (!): Expresses emotions.

Paragraph Writing Tips

• Start with a topic sentence.
• Add supporting details.
• End with a conclusion.

Self-Management Skills II

• Self-management skills involve regulating thoughts, desires, emotions, and behaviors.
• Mastering self-management skills is crucial for optimizing career trajectory and effectively handling challenges.

Self Awareness

• Seek candid feedback to gain insights into your personality and professional capabilities
• Reflect on daily interactions to improve skill for improvement.

Importance of Responsibility

• Embracing accountability is a crucial step in self-development.
• Complete ownership for the job is vital whether assigned by a teacher or employer.
• Communicate proactively is necessary if any challenges arise, report delays, and take corrective action promptly.

Time Management

• Prioritize tasks and eliminate unnecessary elements from your workload.
• Develop and stick to to a well-structured timetable for maximized productivity.

Adaptability

• Keeping abreast of industry best practices and continually update your knowledge base with changes.
• Be proactive in preparing for changes and be able to transition seamlessly to face evolving circumstances.

What is Stress?

• Stress encompasses responses to demands or threats, known as stressors. Being near exams while feeling inadequately prepared.
• Coping with the loss of a close family member.
• Feeling concerned about others' perceptions based on your appearance or communication skills.

Stress Management

• Coping with daily pressures involves creating a harmonious balance between life, work, relationships, relaxation, and enjoyment.
• Always bear in mind the ABC of stress management: Adversity, Beliefs, Consequences

Ability to Work Independently

• Capability means to work independently is achieved by fostering a calm composed demeanor:
• Developing self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-correction.
• Understanding the tasks at hand.
• Initiating actions without relying solely on instructions.
• Acknowledging and rectifying mistakes without assigning blame to others.
• Possessing both the ability and the determination to engage in continuous learning.

Management Techniques for Stress

• Time Management: Prioritize tasks to alleviate all stress.
• Physical Exercise and Fresh Air: Engage in activities like yoga or meditation for better blood circulation.
• A Healthy Diet: Maintain a balanced diet, incorporating ingredients for sustained energy and efficiency.
• Positivity: Focus on positive aspects rather than dwelling on negatives by adopting a constructive attitude.
• Adequate Sleep: Getting at least 7 hours of sleep charges the body and mind for optimal functioning.
• Holidays with Family and Friends: Break from routine by spending quality time with family or friends during vacations, providing a refreshing perspective.

Emotional Intelligence

• Emotional intelligence involves recognizing and handling both personal and others' emotions effectively.
• Emotional Awareness: The capability to identify and label one's own emotions.
• Harnessing Emotions: Channeling and utilizing emotions for thinking and problem-solving.
• Managing Emotions: Involves the skill to regulate one’s own emotions as needed and assist others in achieving emotional regulation.

Finding Strengths (Abilities)

• Reflect on consistent successes.
• Consider positive traits others appreciate in you.
• Dedicate time to identify your competencies.

Finding Weaknesses

• Identify challenging areas and tasks.
• Pay attention to feedback from others.
• Embrace feedback openly for self-improvement.

Interests

• Pleasurable activities in free time.
• Curiosity-driven or self-motivated pursuits.
• Future learning or desired activities.

Abilities (Strengths)

• Natural or acquired capacities.
• Proficiency in performing specific tasks or jobs.

Self-Motivation

• Internal drive promoting action, goal achievement, happiness, and quality of life. It's the capacity to act independently without external influence.

Types of Motivation

• Internal Motivation: Driven by personal satisfaction, happiness, and well-being, such as learning a new skill during an annual function.
• External Motivation: Fueled by external rewards like respect, recognition, and appreciation.

ITC Skills II

• Acquiring and developing ICT skills are useful for effective communication in business operations, and maintaining connections with family and friends is crucial.
• Individuals must continually enhance their ICT skills to keep pace with the latest software and applications available.

Computer Components

• Hardware = physical parts that can be seen and touched such as the keyboard, monitor, and CPU.
• Software =intangible components that enable the hardware to function

Operating Systems

• OS serves as an interface between users and computers, directing program processing and controlling operations.
• Supervising hardware by monitoring each device's status and usage.
• Ensuring proper functionality of hardware devices.
• Managing software resources.
• Regulating memory usage by tracking available and utilized memory for each software.
• Organizing files and directories within the computer system.
• Monitoring disk space utilization for specific files.
• Enabling file management operations like creation, copying, moving, and deletion.

Types of Operating Systems

• Single-user, single-task OS: Allows only one user to utilize the computer for a single task at a time.
• Single-user, multi-task OS: Found in desktops and laptops, it enables one user to run multiple programs simultaneously.
• Multi-user OS: Permits multiple users to work on the same computer either at different times or concurrently.
• Real-time OS: Responds to input within specific time constraints, ensuring consistent completion times.
• Distributed OS: Operates across interconnected computers in a network, integrating them into a unified computing and storage environment.
• Interactive (GUI-based) OS: Features a user-friendly graphical interface allowing input through mouse actions like clicking or double-clicking.

Desktop Components in Windows

• Taskbar: Positioned along the bottom of the screen, it provides essential functionality and includes the Start button, while Date/Time is located to the right.
• Recycle Bin: Allows users to restore accidentally removed items.

Creating and Managing Files and Folders

• Files = naming, storing, and retrieving files
• Double-click the Computer icon.
• Select the drive to create the folder, such as Local Disk D
• Click where you wish to create the folder, such as Local Disk D
• A new folder named "New Folder" will be created, with the name highlighted

Renaming Folders and Files:

• Right-click on the file or folder.
• type the new name or edit the existing one, then press Enter.
• Select the file/folder and press the Function key F2.

Deleting Files or Folders:

• Click on the file or folder in question
• Press the Delete key
• Right-click and select the "Delete" option from the shortcut menu as well

Basic Keyboard Shortcuts

• CTRL+ z - undo
• CTRL+ y- redo
• CTRL+ a- select all
• CTRL+ x- cut
• CTRL+ c- copy
• CTRL+ vp- paste
• CTRL+ p- print
• CTRL+ s -save

Computer Care and Maintenance

• Good working order is achieved by routine care and maintenance including installing updates, security, creating backups, and scanning.
• Ensure the computer is free from dust by regular cleaning.
• Avoid consuming food or beverages while using the computer as well
• Keeps hands clean before using the keyboard to maintain cleanliness.
• Handle CDs and DVDs with care to prevent scratches.
• Cover the keyboard when not in use to protect it from dust and debris.

Cleaning Computer Components

• Ensure the computer is powered off before beginning any cleaning process.
• Avoid spraying cleaning fluid directly onto computer components and apply the liquid onto a cloth to wipe the components.
• Use an anti-static wristband to prevent static electricity buildup is recommended.

Cleaning Computer Monitor

• Use a soft lint-free cloth with water or a specialized cleaning liquid.
• Avoid spraying water or cleaning liquid directly onto the monitor to prevent it from seeping through the seams.

Cleaning Computer Keyboard

• Periodically, turn the keyboard upside-down and gently shake it to remove dirt and debris as even dirt and dust can harm the keyboard.

Optical Mouse Cleaning

• Use a clean, lint-free cloth to wipe the bottom of the optical mouse.
• Air or a cotton swab can be used to clean the lens area.

Digital Camera Component Maintenance

• Avoid direct lens-touch. Use a soft lens brush or a dry cloth to remove dust.
• Apply lens cleaner to a cloth and then wipe the stubborn dust.

CDs and DVDs Cleaning

• Store in their proper cases and clean any dirt or fingerprints by lightly rubbing with a clean, lint-free cotton cloth.

Maintaining a Maintenance Schedule

• Main cleanliness; of computer components is important.
• Repalce malfunctioning hardware promptly Avoid food near the computer.
• Organize cables and cords.
• Remove unauthorized software and back up data regularly with intergrity checks.
• Use antivirus scans routinely to keep software updated.
• Ensure vents are clear and avoid excessive overcharging to prevent overheating and always shut down the computer properly.

Virus Safeguarding

• Virus: a program attaching itself to other programs altering their functionality by corrupting or deleting data.

Ways a Computer Can Get a Virus:

• Through infected files, pen drives or CD-ROMs/DVD-ROMs or through infected file attachments in emails.

Computer Virus Cannot

• Interact with CD/DVD and computer hardware that is uneditable

Virus Infections:

• Includes sluggish computer performance, reduced file sizes, multiple, system freezes or and crashes, and unexpected error messages.

Deleting the computer virus

• Install and utilize antivirus software and scan all downloaded files and avoid opening emails and clicking on pop up windows and exercise to caution by allowing unauthorized indivduals.
• Maintain active background operation to keep the antivirus software updated to perform periodic full disk scans.

Removing Temporary Files

• Double-click on the Computer icon located on the desktop.
• Open the Computer window.
• Right-click on Local Disk C: and select Properties from the Shortcut menu.
• The Properties window opens. Click on Disk Cleanup.
• The Disk Cleanup for C: window will appear.
• Click the Check box next to Temporary Files, Temporary Internet files, etc. that
• you want to delete.
• Click OK.
• A confirmation message will appear.
• Click Delete Files.
• Windows will delete all the temporary files on the computer.

Removing Files from the Temporary Folder

• Press the Windows button + R on the keyboard.
• The Run dialog box will appear.
• Type %temp% and press Enter.
• The Temp folder will open. Press Ctrl + A to select all the files in the folder.
• Press the Delete key.
• A message box will appear. Click Yes to confirm the deletion

Firewall

• Computer firewall functions as a network security system as a programmable device.

Cookies:

• When a user visits an internet website, a cookie is stored on their computer to retain personalized information specific to a particular client and website which generated, the cookie can read them as it remains inaccessible to other servers.

Maintenance Schedule:

• Daily : clean out email inbox by deleting emails and attachments into proper folders.
• Weekly: : Dust CPU and printer and back up data to an external drive.
• Monthly:: Transfer pictures and organize them, Run disk cleaner software, virus scan. Yearly:: Clean up contact, update operating system, and renew your expirary.

Ways to Backing up Data:

• Involves saving information from data including CD/DVD drives to ensure data recovery to prevent viruses entering you data to keep your systems up to date.

Ways of Threats

• Theft : Stealling of hardware, using false identies by a hacker assuming your identitiy. Piracy stealing of software.
• Virus: Viruses can be computer porgrams that steal data and informaton on our devices. Worms being virus that replicate into other communication

Threat Prevention Protection

• Use Strong Passwords: Using difficult password that can be easliy guessed, using letters.
• Encrpt Data :Encrytp senditively to banks and companies. Use of Secure Sites. Only provide credit card or bank account details on secure sites.

Enterpreneurship Skill II

• An entrepreneur introduces new ideas
• An entrepreneur identifies customer needs
• An entrepreneur takes risks to earn a profit.
• Innovation is needed to meet customer demands and make profit.

Success values:

• Values must include confidence, beliving in yourself independence, making own descison. Persecerance, not giving up. Open minsness, accepting feeback and learing from taks.

Common Entrepreneurship problem:

• Finding customers, decidign the right product, advertisning, managing money, handling comp.

Entrerneurship skills:

• Creativity, coing uy wit nunique ideas. Innovation- Implementing creativing ideas practical Critcal Think - Analyzing prodlem to

Business Planning

• Planning estimate money needed for investment
• Planning makes sure things are planned correctlly
• Plaanning is a s goal setting too

Ways to grow Business

• Quality improvemnet improvign or offerung better servies add subsitueted selling realted goods.

Green Skills

Definition: Meeting present needs without compromising future. Key Aspects that is crucial Economic Growth, Environmental proctetion , and social well benning.

Importance of Green Skills

• Resource conservations that help with saving natural resources Enviormantal proctetions: Reducing pollution, Internal Gen that ensure to save resources to available for future generations.

Challenges to Sustainable.

• Food Securit- y declinging fetile land. Water Scarcity: Pollutants to water Energy Crise-Over relience on non

Ways for promoting sustianle.

Resouce affcieny reduce excessing conservations Waste management and promoting recylying. Planting trees and restoring back.

Sustainable Developemtn Goals(SDGS)

a set of 17 goals No povety and ensuring healthy lives for all

Green Skill Main

• Enhance more commanication
• Enhance data infrormaity
• Elimenting the usage
• risk offack

Our role in development

Air and water, smoke from industrial

Way too contribute

• Continous learning Practing waste water and sanitation reduce caboin

Digital Documentation (Advanced)

• Introduction to LibreOffice Writer* word processing software for creating, editing, and formatting documents.it allows manual formatting.inserting images, tables, templates, and tracking changes. what to syles- what is a styles,is predefined rules applied document consistent.

Application Form*

• From the style sidebar menu(select) Shortcut key
• F11 working with images in Writer (libireoffice writer allows)

Creating a Table Of Contents

Tables helps organize your document system and helps creatw too. Used for editing collaboration and tracking modification in documents the document fill format is used to apply

Working with Styles

• Helps copy all styles for a define tempalte that document style of what its called that document and saves you lots of timer. In short it all copies into the new document. Sidebar Menu click on style Short cut keys
• Press 11

Importance of Imaging

(Pricuters will be more attirbute to documents). Method into it that images.

How To add

• Select what you need.
• You can dract the picture it will do it You will need to be able drag you files Steps to resie your images

Resiving with in images

Resing with objet Position to text you can all that what an horzion.

Types of Images

If document to help create if document and use what. Template preset layput for creating documents

Track Chamge

• Use For Chamging with edit document, Editing Track can be use it you change, what can be can all be change when you can and see it through

Electornic Sheet Overview

• Used and can perform data in number text
• Excel is one of the used used workbooks

Main Concept

Use of rows to colume cells You add in cells.