Communication Basics PDF

COMMUNICATION Tuğçe AYDIN  COMMUNICATION Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between parties Basic Model Of Communication  THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATION 1-Senders and Receivers 2-Transmitters and Receptor 3-Messages and Channels 4-Decoding, Meaning,...

COMMUNICATION Tuğçe AYDIN  COMMUNICATION Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between parties Basic Model Of Communication  THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATION 1-Senders and Receivers 2-Transmitters and Receptor 3-Messages and Channels 4-Decoding, Meaning, and Encoding 5-Feedback  Senders & Receivers Each have goals and objectives The sender may want to change the receiver’s mind The receiver may not want to have his mind changed  Messages and Channels are the vehicles by which information is communicated. direct expressions symbolic representations  Decoding, Meaning, and Encoding Decoding is the process of translating messages from their symbolic form into interpretations that can be understood. Meanings are the facts, ideas, feelings, reactions, or thoughts that exist whitin individuals, and act as a set of “filters” through which the decoded messages are interpreted. Encoding is the process by which messages are put into symbolic form  Feedback is the process by which the receiver “reacts” to the sender’s message It is necessary to let the sender know that the message was (a) actually received, (b) encoded, (c) ascribed with the same meaning that the sender intended  BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION It is impossible to avoid communicating Communication is largely nonverbal Context affects communication Meanings are in people, not in words  BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION (cont’d) Communication is irreversible Noise affects communication Communication is circular Creating common goal is essential Communication has effects  VERBAL AND NONVERBAL MESSAGES Basic ways in which people send and receive messages  Verbal Messages Messages sent verbally are messsages expressed in words The science of semantics  Nonverbal Messages About 65 percent of the meanings people get from a communication Voice Physical Movements Space “your lips tell me ‘no,no’ but there is ‘yes,yes’ in your eyes”  ADAPTING MESSSAGES TO PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE increase the probabilty that communication will be successful Language Format Style  Language Appropriate language is the language that has been adapted to the receiver while retaining a naturalness with respect to the sender  Format Depends on the receiver (audience) and on the purpose.  Style Formal/informal, Simple/complex, Natural/flamboyant  Chapter 2 Breaking barriers: communication in practice www.kwary. net  Identifying barriers Communication is about overcoming barriers. State all the barriers that you can think of that impact on your day-to-day communication.  Common barriers to communication: Apparent ‘cause’ Practical Example Physiological Message in an internal report not received due to blindness. Psychological Message from external stakeholder ignored due to ‘groupthink’ Cultural Message from organisation misinterpreted by members of a particular group Political Message from internal stakeholder not sent because individual is marginalised Economic Message not available to a public sector organisation due to lack of resources Technological Message not delivered due to technical failure Physical Message cannot be heard and visual aids cannot be seen by some members of the audience Table 2.1 Common barriers to communication: probing for ‘causes’  Today’s Topics 1. Physiological barriers; 2. Social barriers; 3. Cultural barriers; 4. Ethical barriers; 5. Overcoming the barriers.  Physiological Barriers Physiological barriers to communication are those that result from the performance characteristics and limitations of the human body and the human mind.  Perception – object recognition Figure 2.2 Perception – object recognition What’s your perception? Optical illusion (1)  Optical illusion (2) Port 1010 building in the Docklands region of Melbourne, Australia. 1010 LaTrobe Street, Docklands, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 3008 Human memory processes Figure 2.4 Human memory processes: a three-stage model  Cultural barriers Cultures shape the way we think and behave. They can be seen as both shaping and being shaped by our established patterns of communication. Nations, occupations, organisations, teams and other social groupings, all share a tendency to develop distinctive cultures. The iceberg metaphor for culture Figure 2.5 The iceberg metaphor for culture Source: http://www.indoindians.com/lifestyle/culture.htm  Culture and environment Robert Laws, a Scottish missionary working in Malawi, Africa, in the late 1800s: “The influence of culture and environment can have an effect on our visual perception. What you see will largely depend on where you live in the world.” Where are they? What is above the woman's head?  Overcoming Bias in Example Language Unacceptable Preferable Gender bias Salesman Salesperson; Sales representative Manpower Workforce; Workers Man-made Artificial; Manufactured Ethnic bias Jim Wong is an Jim Wong is very tall unusually tall Asian Disability Crippled workers Workers with physical bias face many barriers disabilities face many on the job barriers on the job Overcoming the barriers Taking the receiver more seriously Thinking more clearly about the message Delivering messages skilfully – Focusing on the receiver – Using multiple channels and encoding – Securing appropriate feedback  Summary Communication failures are endemic, often resulting in significant costs and harm to the organisation and its stakeholders. It is important to understand the underlying causes of communication failures, which may involve a range of factors: physiological, psychological, cultural, political, economic, technological and  Summary (continued) Communicators need a basic understanding of physiological processes including differences in alertness, selective attention, powers of perception and memory, and their potential impact on communication. It is also important to consider social and cultural barriers, including a tendency towards excessive conformity in social groups Summary (continued)  In more general terms, barriers can be overcome by taking the receiver more seriously, and by thinking more clearly about the content, format and delivery of messages, including the use of multiple channels and forms of encoding. BARRIER S FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Ayşe Bilge ÇAKIR  Tangible Differences Gender Age Race National or Cultural Origin Socioeconomic Class Education Level Urban or Rural Residence  GENDER Major influence on the way we communicate with others. When men and women work together in a group, men tend to be more assertive and self-confident. Women are more likely than men to express their emotions, to reveal how they feel about a situation.  AGE Young people and old people communicate in different ways. We do tend to judge a statement by different standards if we know the speaker’s age. A person’s age or gender is not important in judging the truth or wisdom of what that person says. Their maturity, their educational back grounds, and the different eras in which they grew up make a Generation Gap inevitable.  Intangible Differences Perception Motivation Tunnel Vision Ego Defensiveness Negative Emotions  PERCEPTION Our physical limitations are a screen through which we perceive things that exist in our environment. Our perception is also limited by psychological screens that we have developed. Choosing from among the many things within our range of perception those that we will notice, and block out the rest is called “Selective Perception” Mother: Will you straighten up your room? Teenager: Why? What’s messy?  Selective Perception Allows us not only to block out things that are there, but also to see more things than are there. Leads us to make our own reality! Most clearly seen in the human tendency to stereotype others.  MOTIVATION A Motive is a Reason For Action! The most strongest motivations are those that are most personal. We are motivated by money, fame, power, love, status, security, skill, ambition...etc It can be both positive or negative.  TUNNEL VISION A closed way of thinking, especially about abstract topics, such as religion and politics. The person with tunnel vision is one who has firmly fixed ideas The opposite side is open-mindedness Person with tunnel vision has attitude seems to say; “I’ve already made up my mind, Don’t confuse me with the facts!!!”  EGO DEFENSIVENESS A response pattern in which a person who follows this pattern sees a disagreement as a personal attact. A self-centered communication More than just being selfish  NEGATIVE EMOTIONS Almost always obstacles to good communication! Especially true if the emotion is uncontrolled, unfocused, or misdirected.  DISTORTION BARRIER S 1. Distractions 2. Semantic Problems 3. Absence Of Feedback 4. Climate 5. Status And Power Differences Distractions It occurs where people are constantly coming in and leaving for one reason or another, and experinced the frustration that is created by this distracting traffic flow.  Semantic Problems Distortion in communication comes from semantics- the use of words or expressions which have a different meaning for the sender or receiver. Created when communicators use technical jargon- usage common to a particular field or specialization.  Status And Power Differences Differences in communications are likely to parallel the differences in power. Imbalance or asymmetry in negotiating power leads the high power party to perform significantly better than the low power party.  GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE Be Exact COMMUNICATION Use the word “is” carefully Avoid Overgeneralization Be sensitive to connotative meaning Do not to overuse you or your Count from 1 to 10  GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Recognize that you don’t know all the answers to all questions Always remember that what others may not mean the way we think they mean it Focus on common interests rather than differences Think positive  NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIO N THINGS THAT YOU DON’T REALLY SAY; BUT THEY SAY A LOT ABOUT YOU  AGENDA WHAT IS NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION? CHARACTERISTICS OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION TYPES OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION COLOUR AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES  WHAT IS NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION? Nonverbal communication has been defined as communication without words. It includes apparent behaviors such as facial expressions, eyes, touching, and tone of voice, as well as less obvious messages such as dress, posture and spatial distance between two or more people. A communication where action speaks louder than words.  According to the social anthropologist, Edward T. Hall, in a normal conversation between two persons, less than 35% of the social meanings is actually transmitted by words. So, at least 65% of it is conveyed through the body (non-verbal channel).  Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication Intentional or unintentional Ambiguous Primary Continuous Multi-channeled  Types of Nonverbal Communication Kinesics Paralanguage Vocal interferences Spatial Usage Self- presentation cues  Kinesics Eye Contact Facial expressions Gesture Posture Touch  EYE CONTACT Staring- challenges Glances - socially acceptable timing Appraisal- may indicate interest  FACIAL EXPRSSION Facial expressions reflect emotion, feelings and attitudes.  GESTURES GESTURES of a person include attitude or movements. For example, when a boy is sad he may droop his head and walk slowly. Or, if a girl is happy, she might run and jump or stand up straight and put her hands in the air.  POSTURE Reactions to an invasion of your space Getting defensive Becoming aggressive Retaliation  TOUCH Touching and being touched are essential to a healthy life Touch can communicate power, empathy, understanding  PARALANGUAGE Pitch Volume Rate Quality Intonation  VOCAL INTERFERENCES Extraneous sounds or words that interrupt fluent speech – “uh,” “um” Filler  SPATIAL USAGE Proxemics – Intimate distance – Personal distance – Social distance – Public Distance Territory  SELF-PRESENTATION CUES Physical Appearance Time (Chronemics) Olfactory Communication SOME OTHER ELEMENTS OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION Personal space at work Your office Your desk A table in the cafeteria that you sit at regularly  Color Influences Communication Yellow cheers Red excites Blue comforts and and and elevates moods stimulates soothes In some In some cultures cultures black suggests white suggests mourning purity CULTURAL INFLUENCES Non verbal signals vary form culture to culture  In the United States it is a symbol for good job In Germany the number one In Japan the number five In Ghana an insult In Malaysia the thumb is used to point rather than a finger  Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills When sending messages – Be conscious of nonverbal behavior – Be purposeful in use of non- verbals – Make sure non-verbals are not distracting – Match verbal and nonverbal communication – Adapt to the situation  When receiving messages – Don’t automatically assume – Consider gender, culture and individual differences – Pay attention to all aspects of nonverbal communication – Use perception checking THANK YOU!  How to Write a Business Letter Please have out the following materials: 1. Your organization's address 2. Business Letter worksheet  Remember, you are writing a formal letter to your organization. What is TONE? the overall attitude a writer projects toward the reader and the subject matter. How do we create a FORMAL tone? Sentence structure, formality and specificity of vocabulary, and neatness all contribute to a letter's tone. Formal versus Informal: Purpose – why are you writing this letter? Your purpose is to ask your organization for information about your career. Business Letter in Block Style (notice that you don’t indent at all in a block style business letter) 1. Margins: the space around your letter. 1. Go to “File.” 2. Scroll down to “Page Set-Up” 3. On the “Margins” Tab, Put “1-Inch” for the top, bottom, left, and right margins.  2. You need your own address. This part goes in the “heading” section. Underneath your address, put the date. Skip four lines.  3. Put your organization’s address in the “inside address” section. Double space. 4. Salutation/Greeting Dear Ms. Smith (or whoever is the head of your organization) Use Ladies and Gentlemen when name is unknown Double space.  5. Body: State your purpose for writing this letter. Be formal and polite; the organization is doing YOU a favor by sending you the information. You may or may not have more than one paragraph. If you do, between each paragraph, be sure to double space. 6. Closing: Yours Sincerely Four spaces after the closing Then your name. In between the closing and your name, that is where you would sign your name.  conclusion  The basic skills of business communication can be mastered.  Politeness should be the foundation of all communication.