Methods of Communication

Methods of Communication

• Face-to-face communication includes meetings, interviews, and conversations, offering immediacy.
• Oral communication, like telephone calls, is also immediate.
• Written communication (letters, reports) provides a permanent record.
• Electronic communication (intranet, internet, email) offers 24/7 availability and speed.
• Visual communication (charts, pictures, films) uses images.
• Oral communication is faster and cheaper than using technology, allows two-way discussion and instant feedback, but lacks a permanent record and structure.
• Written communication provides a permanent, structured record that can be reviewed at convenience but lacks flexibility and immediate feedback.
• Face-to-face communication allows direct and quick information exchange and facilitates expressing feelings but lacks a record and can be prone to distractions.
• Visual communication is easy to remember and transcends language barriers but struggles with detailed information.
• Electronic communication allows constant communication and instant information delivery, reducing costs but may be seen as informal and requires compatible software.
• Speed, range of methods, internal or external nature, confidentiality needs, and available ICT equipment are factors that affect the method of communication chosen.

Barriers to Communication

• Noise, distortion, differences in age/perception/culture/education, jumping to conclusions, lack of interest, information overload, bias, and lack of feedback are barriers.
• Solutions include time limits for meetings, microphones for presenters, equipment testing, translators, concise meetings, and clarifying points.
• Information should be accurate, complete, user-targeted, cost-effective, relevant, and timely.
• Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, errors, frustration, stress, low morale, poor decision-making, decreased productivity, and strained relationships.

Time and Task Management

• Skills required include organization, prioritization, delegation, assertiveness, control, evaluation, and resource management.
• A Gantt chart contains key dates and shows achieved dates via bar charts and color-coding.
• A To-do list is used to remind individuals of daily tasks, often ordered by urgency to remain focused.
• Priorities list is written in order of most important and ticks off tasks once complete.
• An e-diary is an online diary visible to everyone that sends automatic invites and reminders.
• Action plans help plan long-term projects with tasks in order showing who is responsible with deadlines.
• Personal Development plans are for staff to record achievements and future learning objectives.
• SMART targets should be specific, measurable, agreed, realistic, and timed.
• Unforeseen circumstances, staff absences, network crashes, additional tasks, or lack of support can alter priorities.
• Random checks, double checks, buddy systems, mentoring systems, and appraisals are used to monitor and evaluate progress.
• Time stealers include phone interruptions, excessive workload, procrastination, visits from colleagues, overrunning meetings, lost papers, and unnecessary journeys.
• Solutions involve scheduling calls, assertiveness, priorities lists, do not disturb signs, time limits, filing systems, and videoconferencing.
• Improved productivity, quality of work, relationships, customer relations, reduced stress, and increased job satisfaction are benefits.
• Stress, absenteeism, low productivity, poor quality of work, low morale, poor job satisfaction, and increased costs are consequences.

Effective Teams

• Shared goals, interdependence, time, team size, attitude to risk, and a positive environment are features.
• Team formation stages include forming, storming, norming, and performing.
• Ongoing conflict can lead to poor staff relations, wasted time, and decreased productivity.
• Leaders motivate, possess skills, listen, build trust, discuss conflicts, delegate, and set clear goals.
• Team members deal with conflict, communicate, persuade, and delegate.
• Belbin's team roles: ideas person, motivator, organizer, implementer, checker, go-getter, team player, specialist, and finisher.
• Increased morale, shared knowledge, promotional opportunities, risk-taking, and belonging are benefits to individuals.
• Flexibility, reduced supervision, delayering, higher productivity, risk-taking, and shared goals benefit organizations.

Legislation

• Employers must provide safe workplaces, equipment, information, health and safety policies, risk assessments, and safety representatives.
• Employees must take care for safety, report faults, follow procedures, and use safety equipment.
• RIDDOR requires notification of incidents to the Health and Safety Executive.
• Employers must have an appointed person, qualified first aiders, accident records, and a first aid box.

Workplace Regulations

• Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 mandate reduced brightness, adjustable chairs, breaks, eye tests, and training.
• Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 require risk assessments, fire detection equipment, escape routes, training, and firefighting equipment.
• UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) emphasizes accuracy, lawfulness, security, relevance, and purpose limitation.
• Individuals have rights to access, erasure, portability, information, correction, notification, restriction, and objection.
• Compliance strategies include ICO registration, locked cabinets, access control, and staff training.
• The Computer Misuse Act 1990 criminalizes unauthorized access, modification, or deletion of information.
• The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides public access to information held by public authorities within 20 working days.
• The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 protects the rights to publish, copy, distribute, and sell creations.
• Communicating health and safety legislation done through induction training, ongoing training, notices, demonstrations, intranet, and representatives.
• Breaching health and safety legislation can lead to legal penalties, damaged reputation, and prosecutions.
• Breaching GDPR can result in fines, legal fees, loss of customer confidence, and negative publicity.

Impact of ICT on Working Practices

• Cellular workplaces offer privacy and personalization but waste space and isolate staff.
• Open plan layouts promote teamwork and communication but lack privacy and can be distracting.
• Ergonomics reduces 'sick-building syndrome', improves morale, productivity, workflow, health, safety, and reduces costs.
• Ergonomic features includes adjustable furniture, wall colors, lighting, heating, ventilation, noise control, and protective equipment.
• Flexible working can reduce premises costs and increase productivity but may hinder communication, supervision, and team spirit.
• Other flexible working practices include job sharing, flexitime, and condensed hours.
• Hot desking and touch-down areas are part of flexible office layouts.
• Wellbeing initiatives, counseling services, and grievance procedures support employee morale.
• File location, file management, version control, and housekeeping procedures are part of data management.
• Security of information requires physical and data protection, access rights, passwords, firewalls, and antivirus software.
• File locations, file names, backup procedures, restricted access, and maintenance are essential for file management.

Customer Care

• Customer service policies: mission statement, customer care statement, customer care standards, service level agreements, and complaints procedure.
• Mission statements inspire and persuade excellent service.
• Customer care statements outline the customer experience.
• Customer service standards guide staff in dealing with customers.
• Loyalty schemes reward customer loyalty.
• Service level agreements define promises and expectations.
• Customer complaints procedures ensure logging, training, allocation of staff, acknowledgement, communication, and review processes.
• Good customer service leads to satisfied customers, motivated employees, and a good reputation.
• Bad customer service results in demotivated staff, dissatisfied customers, and a poor reputation.
• Desk research and field research are methods to monitor and evaluate customer care.
• Customer focus groups, written surveys, telephone surveys, comment cards, and mystery shoppers are monitoring tools.
• Mystery shoppers evaluate customer experiences.
• Customer satisfaction surveys include personal interviews, telephone interviews, postal surveys, comment cards, and online feedback surveys.

Admin Assistant

• Duties for admin assistants include filing documents, creating databases, word processing, answering calls and emails, and using spreadsheets.
• Senior admin assistants plan, organize, supervise, delegate, decide, and evaluate.
• Qualities for admin assistants include initiative, reliability, ICT skills, communication, and teamwork.
• Senior admin assistant qualities include problem-solving, discretion, high-level ICT skills, prioritizing, and leadership.

Meetings

• Purposes of meetings: discuss ideas, consult on issues, problem-solve, motivate, build teams, set targets/objectives, plan, and make decisions.
• Poorly planned meetings can waste time and cause frustration.
• Before meetings, the admin assistant books venue, orders refreshments, informs reception, notifies members, and prepares copies.
• On the day of the meeting, the admin assistant checks the room, ensures directions, places signs, prepares the register, and greets attendees.
• During the meeting, the admin assistant assists the chairperson, reads minutes, takes notes, and distributes expense forms.
• After the meeting, the admin assistant tidies the room, drafts minutes, and follows up on action points.
• The chairperson compiles the agenda, ensures a quorum, starts and ends on time, controls the meeting, ensures fairness, confirms minutes, explains issues, decides when to vote, declares results, and makes decisions.
• Documentation includes notice of meeting, agenda, chairperson's agenda, formal minutes, and action minutes.
• ICT tools used in meetings include audio conferencing, video conferencing, electronic diaries, email, interactive whiteboards, intranet, video, and mobile phones.
• Electronic diaries allow quick scheduling and reminders. Improves efficiency by sending quick notices, eliminating paper, and digital references.
• The Intranet stores policies, forms, templates, and meeting minutes.
• Video conferencing enables long-distance communication, saves travel time, and allows visual aids.
• Interactive Whiteboards are a digital substitute for a flipchart that saves and shares notes.