ENG101: Purposive Communication Module 5 PDF

ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Haze...

ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos MODULE 5 COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES Brief Introduction or Description This lesson discusses the benefits of effective communication in the workplace, functions and roles of communication in various fields, and the significance of communication in promoting a healthy work environment. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the module, you should be able to: 1. Familiarize oneself with different authentic communication materials and immerse in various communicative situations in workplaces 2. Present ideas persuasively using appropriate language registers, tone, facial expressions, and gestures Pre-Activity - Before Reading Questions 1. What makes a working environment healthy? 2. How does communication help in carrying out tasks in the workplace? 3. Is communication significant only in specific fields or specializations? Lesson 5 Benefits of Effective Communication in a Workplace (by Rose Johnson) Effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills are valuable in the workplace. Some companies spend a lot of money to train their employees on how to effectively communicate. Good communication skills go beyond conversations, but employees must know how to communicate well in written reports and emails. Understanding the benefits of effective communication helps companies place a focus on developing a workforce that is able to communicate within the firm and with customers, vendors and international business partners. Here are the benefits that can be derived from effective workplace communication. 1. Helps with Diversity Effective workplace communication is important in companies with workplace diversity. Good communication skills help to reduce the barriers erected because of language and cultural differences. Companies that provide communication training to domestic and international employees reap the benefits of effective workplace communication. Companies can avoid cultural confusion and miscommunication by training international employers early in their careers and on a regular basis. Effective communication causes productivity to increase, errors to decrease and operations to run smoother. 2. Global Business Transaction Increases With global business transactions continually increasing, the need for effective communication to meet global demands is also increasing. Managers and employees must know how to effectively communicate with the company's international counterparts. The difference in cultures requires managers to understand terms commonly used in a country that another culture finds offensive. Page 1 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Companies that prepare workers to excel with verbal and nonverbal communication skills find it easier to enter into global marketplaces than companies that do not prepare their employees. Effective communication is important for businesses looking to expand beyond their domestic borders. 3. Team Building Effective communication in the workplace helps employees and managers form highly efficient teams. Employees are able to trust each other and management. Effective communication reduces unnecessary competition within departments and helps employees work together harmoniously. The result of a team that works together is high productivity, integrity and responsibility. Employees know their roles on the team and know they are valued. Managers are able to correct employees' mistakes without creating a hostile work environment. A manager who openly communicates with his subordinates can foster positive relationships that benefit the company as a whole. 4. Employee Morale An improvement in employee morale can result from effective communication. Although pay is a concern for many workers, it is not their only concern. Employees appreciate good communication coming from management. It produces a healthy work environment. When employees are satisfied with their jobs, they are able to efficiently perform their duties with a positive attitude. Failing to communicate effectively in a workplace leads to frustration and confusion among employees. However, managers can alleviate such problems by keeping the lines of communication open. According to Jennifer Lombardo, a workplace communication or communication in a workplace is the transmitting of information between one person or group and another person or group in an organization. It can include communication in emails, text messages, voicemails, notes and other social media. Workplace communication is very important to companies because it allows companies to be productive and operate effectively. Employees can experience an increase in morale, productivity, and commitment if they are able to communicate up and down the communication chain in an organization. Lombardo added that communication in a workplace is vital to an organization's ability to be productive and operate smoothly, in three (3) ways: 1. Workplace communication improves workers productivity. Research has shown that effective lateral and work group communication leads to an improvement in overall company performance. It has also been discovered that employees who were graded as highest in production had received the most effective communication from their superiors. For example, Gertrude works in engineering, and her prototypes of toys receive accolades. She is an effective communicator about her designs and how they will be played with in real life by kids. In addition, she receives specific guidance from her superiors, allowing her to create designs quickly and efficiently. 2. Workplace communication can increase employee job satisfaction. Employees feel empowered if they are able to have upward communication. This type of communication is when information flows upward in an organization and usually consists of feedback. If bosses or managers are able to listen to employees and respond, this leads to an increase in employee job satisfaction. In addition, employees are also happy if there is intense downward communication, which is information flowing down from superiors or managers to direct reports. Gertrude recently sent an email to her boss recommending that her department upgrade its design software. Page 2 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Her upward communication feedback was not just acknowledged but also acted upon, resulting in a very happy design team. 3. Workplace communication can also have a positive effect on absenteeism and turnover rates. Communication flow is very important to workers. Employees have to feel secure that they are receiving truthful and updated information from superiors. They also want to have the ability to share ideas, thoughts and concerns within the company. Studies have shown that even after a layoff, companies that have excellent communication are able to retain the surviving employees. What Makes Workplace Communication Effective? By Jesus Perry L. Caudilla Essential to business success is effective communication in the workplace. Workplace communication is simply described as the process of sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages among members of a business organization. Its main purpose is to increase efficiency and profitability through clear and effective communication that unifies actions of employees toward attaining company objectives. In general, effective workplace communication improves relationships among employees and between companies and clients. On the other hand, poor workplace communication is damaging to the business. In fact, US research firm Gartner as cited in the webpage of University of Auckland (2017), reported that 70% of business mistakes are due to poor communication. This statistic substantiates the need that more emphasis should be put on improving communication in the workplace to prevent business losses. Here are some ways of making workplace communication effective. 1. Build an atmosphere of trust. Gaining trust in the workplace is a difficult but rewarding feat. It is difficult to trust managers when they talk the talk but never walk the walk, i.e. they do not act in the way that agrees with what they say, and everything is just theatrical. To do things consistent with what one claims is "a key pillar for building trust in the workplace and, ultimately, for an organization's success. We often find employees say that what leaders say and do has the most impact on their perception of an organization. When there is a disconnect between a leader's words and actions, employees are less likely to become engaged and committed to the organization" (Grossman, 2019). Management can function effectively by creating two-way trust. When management and employees trust each other, communication works best toward easily breaking down individual and departmental peripheries, promoting cohesive and collaborative actions, and building strong workplace partnerships. 2. Handle conflicts professionally. Conflicts at work are inevitable. You may have the most intelligent and skillful people hired for particular jobs, but they certainly possess different personalities. At a conference table, they may have clashes of opinions. They may show disagreeable ways of carrying out business processes and performing their tasks. All these may arise to minor or even major squabbles, and even worse result in legal battle. To avoid trivial argument to turn into major scuffle, management should show openness and create a pleasant venue to make employees see and feel that they out their disappointments in a safe and neutral ground. Listen without being prejudicial, i.e. listen with an open mind to what the disputants feel and think about their conflict. can voice Help them reach a resolution that is amenable to everyone. Finally, whatever transpires in the office should remain entirely restricted. Page 3 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos 3. Engage in face-to-face conversation whenever possible. Because of the tremendous advancement in technology, communication in the workplace has taken advantage of blogs, instant messaging and even social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Undeniably, however, email has become the default method of business communication around the world. It is most efficient in ensuring that employees are kept cognizant about company information. Emails can be an effective way of connecting with clients and colleagues. Even for internal communication such as simple announcements or reminders, employees rely heavily on emails. But many times, emails are misconstrued because of the absence of nonverbal cues. Has everyone forgotten about the art of conversation because of excessive dependency on technology? Notice how the meaning of the message changes when you take away gesture, facial expression, posture, eye contact, etc. especially when the manager lacks writing skills. Truly, it never hurts and in fact helpful when managers get out of their office, pay brief visits to employees and hold short face-to-face conversations with them whenever possible. Employees would like not only to read their managers' emails but to see their body language as well. 4. Respect cultural differences. As previously discussed, the world has become a global village and so has the workplace. Nowadays, business firms comprise of local and foreign employees with different cultural backgrounds. Aside from interacting with co employees in the same workplace, they also work with colleagues abroad. Apparently, this diversity can cause communication barriers. In this case, companies need to be culturally sensitive towards their employees. Thus, they should create a work environment that respects their employees' food choices, religious practices, ethnicity, generational differences, work styles, communication styles, disabilities, etc. Conducting seminars and workshops about cultural sensitivity can significantly help companies in this regard. 5. Give good feedback. Every manager and employee knows how important feedback is. When done with good intentions, feedback can help enhance the quality of employees' work and may even help increase business productivity and profitability. According to David Hassell (2019), employee feedback should be task-focused, crystal clear, and to the point. He further explained that general comments like "Your work needs to be improved" or "I wasn't very impressed with those reports: you have to do better than that" will leave your employees confused and in the dark as to what aspect of their work needs to be corrected. Don't just walk away after giving the feedback. Afford the employee the opportunity to respond to feedback to determine if the message is well understood. Offer solution if there is a problem. Remember to give positive feedback, too. Cited in Kramer (2019), certified career coach Hallie Crawford stated that feedback "doesn't always mean correcting mistakes it could be commending someone for a job well done." Employees feel important and motivated further when they are praised and recognized. A simple admiring remark such as "You did a great job in that presentation. Good work." will encourage employees to consistently perform even better. Finally, end the feedback on a positive note. Managers should let their employees know how much they appreciate them. This, in turn, can lead to open communication. 6. Keep personal information to yourself. There is no better way to understand this than the explanation found in the webpage of Fremont College (n.d.): "Be aware of disclosing too much personal information to the people you work with. Aim to be friendly, yet professional. If you become too personal with co-workers, you'll risk the likelihood of being perceived as less credible when communicating about something important. Controlling your emotions is also very important. Your co- workers don't need to witness your hysteria over an argument with your significant other; behaving this way will give them a negative impression and cause them to avoid talking to you." Indeed, it is not a good idea to talk (too often) about your personal life with everybody at work like you are selling fish or vegetable to everyone in the market. Page 4 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos If you keep on doing this, you will eventually realize that your life is not worthy to know about anymore because it has turned into something like a rotten commodity which nobody is interested in buying. 7. Avoid passing on rumors and talking about controversial issues. In a person's work life, there is that one co-employee who has the propensity of spreading rumors about others in the workplace. If that co-worker prattle gossips to you, simply listen and smile, and dismiss what you've heard by getting back immediately to what you are doing. Rumor mongering gives employees negative impression of you. It also destroys employee relationships and defeats the purpose of workplace communication. Remember that credibility is believability and can never be equated with gossiping. Related to gossiping is engaging in thought-exchange about controversial topics. Talking about contentious issues such as politics and religion is a big "NO" in the workplace because it can lead to heated argument and offend co-workers. It is good to engage in informal chats with others and get to know them better, but it is still best to keep the topic of conversation in the workplace bias-free. Achieving effective workplace communication is something that does not happen overnight. It requires whole-hearted commitment and strong collaboration of management and employees to make it a part of their business culture. Ways to Communicate in the Workplace There is an age-old aphorism that goes this way: "It is not what you say, but how you say it." According to Valentine Belonwu (2013), communication is what separates a poor leader from an exceptional one. Having effective communication is the key to good leadership. When you communicate well with your team, it helps eliminate misunderstandings and can encourage a healthy and peaceful work environment. Efficient communication with your team will also let you get work done quickly and professionally. The moment you get the lines of communication open with your team, the process of carrying out tasks and projects will most likely go by smoothly. Plus, you will be surprised how meeting targets will become a whole lot easier. Below enumerates twenty (20) ways on how to communicate effectively in a workplace: 1. Open Meeting It is easier to communicate your passion and how you feel to your team via open meetings. In this kind of forum, they will not only hear what you are saying, they will also see and feel it. This approach still remains one of the best approaches to communicate effectively with a team. 2. Emails In official settings, communication via email remains potent. It will enable you to pass messages to members of your team without pulling them out of their work stations. 3. One on One Experts have been able to prove that some people understand better when you take them aside and talk to them on a one-on-one basis. Ensure that you maintain eye contact with them to enable the message to sink in. Page 5 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos 4. Use Presentations Some people grasp messages easily when pictures and sounds are involved. Using presentations like Microsoft Power Point to communicate with your team will give them the opportunity to refer back to it if they aren't clear about certain things. 5. Communication via Training Your training should be tailored towards communicating certain information to your team members. Most employees take training seriously, especially when it is part of their appraisal. 6. Display Confidence and Seriousness Ensure that you display confidence and seriousness to ensure that you will not be taken for granted. When your team members notice any uncertainty and lack of seriousness when you are communicating with them, they are likely to treat the information with disdain or disregard. 7. Use Simple Words The truth is that everybody cannot be on the same page when it comes to vocabulary. Therefore, to be effective in your communications with your team members, use words that can be easily understood. When ambiguous words are used, you can be misunderstood and/or waste precious time having to explain yourself. 8. Use Visuals Place visuals at strategic positions around the work stations of your team. They should not just hear the message, they should also see it. This gives room for better comprehension. 9. Listen to Your Team Members Communication is intended to be a two-way street. Don't just talk because you are the leader without listening to anyone else. Encourage them to open up so you can be well guided when communicating in the future with them. You have two ears and one mouth -so you must listen more than you talk. 10. Use Body Language Your body language will pass your message faster and better. Master the art of using body language when communicating with your team. Stand/sit up straight, use smiles, handshakes, eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, etc. 11. Act Out Your Message Someone once said, "Tell me what you want me to do and I might forget it but do it in front of me and I will never forget it." Acting out your message is a very potent way of communicating with your team. Let them see you do what you want them to do, and watch their excuses disappear. 12. Use the Appropriate Tone of Voice One word can mean a different thing when said in a different tone of voice. Make sure you use the appropriate tone of voice to communicate you message to your team so that you won't be misunderstood and discourage or demotivate members or cause them to shut down completely out of fear. Page 6 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos 13. Avoid Unnecessary Repetition If you want your team members to take you seriously, never sound like broken record and don't beat a dead horse. Tell your team members what you want them to know or do and ask them if they are clear about it. If they are not, only then do you repeat what you have said. 14. Create a Receptive Atmosphere To effectively communicate with your team, you must create a receptive atmosphere. Avoid a tense environment at all costs because when you communicate in an overly intense manner, the message you are trying to share might not be well understood or retained. 15. Be Humorous Using friendly jokes. when communicating with your team members will help pass your message along in a more relaxed way. This method of communication has been proven to be a highly effective way of dousing tension. When the atmosphere is unfriendly and intense, being humorous does the trick. If you must use jokes, please don't overdo it. If possible, avoid "green" jokes and "sexy" jokes. Remember, you are not a stand-up comedian. 16. Be Articulate Communication is indeed a skill that must be learned by all, especially if you want to lead any group of people. Being articulate when you communicate to your team members makes it easier for them to understand your message. 17. Avoid Mumbling Your team members should be able to hear you clearly. When communicating with them, try as much as possible to speak clearly and not mumble words. When you mumble words or speak too quickly, you may assume that they are clear on the subject. But the truth is, they might not be. It also shows a lack of confidence on your part. 18. Encourage Feedback Don't just talk and walk away. Give room for feedback so that you can measure the effectiveness of your style of communication. It will also afford you the privilege of knowing if your message was well understood. 19. Gesticulate Use your hands to demonstrate your message. Make hand motions and signals to establish the seriousness of your subject matter when communicating with your team members or to any target audience. This shows that you understand what you are trying to relay to them. Just don't let your body movement become too exaggerated and intense. 20. Be Appreciative After every communication session, via whatever means you have decided, always remember to thank your listeners for their time. It will cost you nothing and it is a simple courtesy. Page 7 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Communication in Healthcare Communication in a healthcare setting is one of the most important tools we have for providing great patient care and improving patient satisfaction. However, lines of communication can frequently be crossed and lead to lower patient satisfaction scores, illnesses or worse. According to information shared in a research finding that more than a quarter of hospital readmissions could have been avoided with better communication among healthcare teams and between providers and patients. Research evidence indicates that there are strong positive relationships between a healthcare team member's communication skills and a patient's capacity to follow through with medical recommendations, self-manage a chronic medical condition, and adopt preventive health behaviors. Studies conducted during the past three decades show that the clinician's ability to explain, listen and empathize can have a profound effect on biological and functional health outcomes as well as patient satisfaction and experience of care. Patients' perceptions of the quality of the healthcare they received are highly dependent on the quality of their interactions with their healthcare clinician and team. The Department of Health (DOH) called upon health educators and health professionals to strengthen their healthcare communication skills- such as open- ended inquiry, use of proper tone and facial expression, reflective listening and empathy, as a way to respond to the unique needs, values and preference of individual patients. Important Things Concerning Patient Satisfactory and Safety with Regards to Communication 1. There is patient satisfaction by promoting an opportunity for the patient to tell the story of his/her illness. 2. Patient satisfaction increases when members of the healthcare team took the problem seriously explained information clearly, and tried to understand the patient's expressions and provided viable options. 3. Patient satisfaction is improved when patients are encouraged to express their ideas, concerns, and expectations. 4. Patients satisfaction increased when the importance of their social and mental functioning was acknowledged through communication. 5. Patient satisfaction increases when health care team members communicate effectively. COMMUNICATION IN EDUCATION David Andrade (2015) stressed the importance of communication in education. Communication is paramount in education, Whether it is a teacher to student, student to student, teacher to teacher, teacher to parent, teacher to admin or admin to parent, or vice versa, communication is needed to make sure our students are successful. Communication is something that doesn't always happen. Sometimes it is a lack of time, a lack of resources, a lack of knowing how to get the point across or a language barrier. Technology can help improve communication in education: Page 8 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Email - connect with staff, teachers, students and parents through email. Websites - post relevant information and resources on district, school, and classroom websites. Include a parent section. Google Classroom, Edmodo, etc. - use these systems to share assignments and announcements with students and parents. Phone blasts – there are a lot of automated systems that will robo-call phone numbers with information. Social Media - use social media at all levels to connect and communicate with teachers, parents, students and the community. Translation tools - Google Translate and other translation tools can help parents and students access the communication that you share with them. This exists for websites, email, social media and even the phone blast systems. This is huge in the district where there is a large student population and even larger parent population. Variety of media - technology allows you to provide communications in a variety of formats - written, images, audio, and even video to help everyone access and understand the communications. Reaching students who are absent - online resources, video recordings of classes, video conferencing, and more can make home or hospital bound students part of the class and keep them engaged. In addition, these resources can help connect parents and schools. Technology can also help educators research topics, find resources, and connect with other educators to learn and share from each other. At any stage of teaching process, things may go wrong, making the communication less effective For instance, the sender may not express what she wants to say clearly; or the room may be noisy; or the receiver may not understand the words the sender is using. Written Communication: Handouts A handout is not a photocopy of a journal article but a document which the teacher writes him/herself. It may be a summary of important points to be learned; or a guide to students on work they have to do, or references they have to look up. Interaction and Communication by Teachers The most important component of education is a student. Teacher’s interactions, ways of communication and non-verbal behaviors, class management and activities affect not only students’ behaviors but also the teaching system directly (Acikgoz 1996). Today, the importance of communication increasingly rises because it is the fundamental tool of information transfer. That is why this era is called the Information Era. Individuals can form shared common areas through knowledge, technology and interaction. When the concepts of education, teaching and teacher are of concern, forming shared common areas is compulsory. ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS The term business communication is used for all messages that we send and receive for official purpose like running a business, managing an organization, conducting the formal affairs of a voluntary organization and so on. Business communication is marked by formality as against personal and social communication. Page 9 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos The success of any business to a large extent depends on efficient and effective communication. It takes place among business entities, in market and marketplaces, within organizations and between various group of employees, owners and employees, buyers and sellers, service providers and customers, salespersons and prospects and also between people within the organization and the press persons. All such communication impacts business. Done with care, such communication can promote business interests. Otherwise, it will portray the organization in poor light and may adversely affect the business interest. Communication is the life blood of any organization and its main purpose is to effect change to influence action. In any organization the main problem is of maintaining effective communication process. The management problem generally results in poor communication. Serious mistakes are made because orders are misunderstood. The basic problem in communication is that the meaning which is actually understood may not be what the other intended to send. It must be realized that the speaker and the listener are two separate individuals having their own limitations and number of things may happen to distort the message that pass between them. When people within the organization communicate with each other, it is internal communication. They do so to work as a team and realize the common goals. It could be official or unofficial. Modes of internal communication include face-to-face and written communication, Memos, reports, office order, circular, fax, video conferencing, meeting etc., are the examples of internal communication. When people in the organization communicate with anyone outside the organization it is called external communication. These people may be clients or customers, dealers or distributors, media, government, general public etc. are the examples of external communication. COMMUNICATION IN law Good communication skills are vital to a successful, rewarding practice. You need to communicate well with your clients, staff, partners, associates, other lawyers, and vendors. Improving your communication skills will let you express yourself with more confidence; more confidence will help you attract more clients and influence your peers and referral sources. Master good communication, and your practice will be more enjoyable, because if you are communicating well with people they will trust and like you, and that will make it easier to like - and enjoy helping - them. Your practice will also be more profitable, because clients will be more likely to pay your bill. Great legal communicators excel at seven key skills. Verbal Communication Skill Don't grow too dependent on email. Some things are best handled by picking up the phone. Bad news should be given by phone or in person, rather than by email. Negotiations are more likely to be successful when handled by phone. Discussing a problem verbally with a client gives you the forum to engage in the other six communication skills which will help you in maintaining the client's trust. Page 10 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Calls that you might be tempted to avoid making include letting a client know that a matter will not be completed by the promised date. As soon as you know the matter won't be completed on time, pick up the phone and talk to the client. The sign of a confident, competent lawyer is one that handles problems through honest, prompt communication with clients. It is important to balance talking with not talking too much. If you dominate the conversation by talking too much, you do not leave room for listening, learning, or understanding. On the other hand, if you're quiet or introverted, you need to be sure that you don't talk too little. Good Listening Skill Good listening skills are crucial for effective legal communication. When clients are listened to, they feel understood and are more trusting of you. To connect with your clients and others, and to have them experience you as an effective lawyer, polish your listening skills. Since lawyers are smart, we often anticipate what is going to be said, and don't feel the need to listen carefully. But when we really listen to a client, we can hear levels of communication that may deepen our understanding of the client's problem. To improve your listening Be careful not to interrupt. Avoid rehearsing answers while the other person is talking. Look for the feelings that underlie the person's comments. Don't worry about controlling the conversation — or demonstrating your intelligence — by giving an answer before you have fully heard the question. Let go of being uncomfortable with listening to your client's feelings. Good listening skills include silence and intuition. Sound Counsel Skill You've earned the trust of your clients, and they come to you for your opinion on what they should do. Don't hold back on giving advice — business as well as legal. You want to help your clients take action on their problem, and you make this easier for them if you tell them what you think about their situation. Openness to Clients Skill Let go of making assumptions. Be open to the possibility that you do not have a complete grasp on the problem before it's been stated, that you do not know what the person is going to tell you. It's important that you understand where the person is really coming from before you start to help them. Being open also includes being able to come up with many different ways to look at a problem. Creatively consider different options, ideas, strategies, and courses of action. Curiosity Skill When we ask questions, we convey our interest. Being curious about someone helps us engage and validate that person. Questions also give us the opportunity to really understand what is going on with the person — a crucial factor in delivering sound legal advice. Asking powerful questions may also deepen the individual's awareness of his or her problem, an added bonus in helping a client that has come to you for help. Page 11 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Powerful questions are ones that are thought-provoking. They are open-ended and not leading questions. They use "what" or "how" rather than "why." An example of a powerful, thought-provoking question is: "What do you think of that?" It's important not to help clients by giving them the answer you think appropriate; wait to hear what they come up with. The originality of their answers may surprise you. Value the Client Skill Since most lawyers bill their time, it is critical that their time spent communicating be valuable. Be sure that what you have taken the time to say has value to the person with whom you are communicating. Be sure that your message is clear, succinct and understood. Consider the result you want to get out of the conversation, and the value of that result. Then, plan what you are going to say. If possible, rehearse out loud; having a script can also be helpful. But remember that conversations do not often go as planned and anticipate problems and prepare to address them. Persuasion Skill To be successful, a lawyer must be persuasive. Persuasion is important when negotiating, arguing before judges and juries, hiring outstanding staff, and responding to client requests for a proposal. To be persuasive, you need to be inquisitive and open, so that you understand your audience's thoughts and beliefs and can align your arguments accordingly. When you can, conduct your important discussions when you are feeling most confident. Be calm, prepared, and detached. Do not let uncontrolled emotions run the conversation. Good Communication Skills The practice of law is highly dependent on good communication skills, especially persuasive verbal skills. Mastering these seven keys will allow you to connect with your clients in a more meaningful way and solve problems more effectively. You will have more successful presentations and depositions. Even interactions with your staff will be improved. Full text from Irene Leonard (lawyer coach) retrieved from https://www.coachingforchange.com/communication-skills-for-lawyers.html COMMUNICATION IN media and science and technology Social Impact of Communication in Media Media technology has made viewing increasingly easier as time has passed throughout history. Children today are encouraged to use media tools in school and are expected to have a general understanding of the various technologies available. The internet is arguably one of the most effective tools in media for communication tools such as e-mail, Skype, and Facebook have brought people closer together and created new online communities. However, some may argue that certain types of media can hinder face-to-face and can result in complications like identity fraud. In a large consumer-driven society, electronic media (such as television) and print media (such as newspapers) are important for distributing advertisement media. More technologically advanced societies have access to goods and services through newer media than less technologically advanced societies. Page 12 of 13  ENG101: PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education Prepared by: Jeric Z. Romero | Angela Khaye Llanares | Hazel Barcelos Although there are benefits obtained from media, at times, there are wrongdoings communicated through the media. Some of these are cybersex, cyberbullying, fake news, business and trade fraud, cyber libel, video pornography, and many more. These have made people worried about the advantages of media communication. Communication in Science Technology Do you like science? Do you also like to write, to explain things to people -to communicate? Many careers may be open to you that combine these two interests. From broadcast to print journalism to law to medicine, there is a great demand tor people who understand science, engineering and technology and can translate it so that all can understand. The public needs to know more about science and technology. But once they complete their high school science, many rely on the media and on science professionals to keep them up to date with advances in research that affect their daily lives. Too many researchers, however, have difficulty in talking about their work in a way that people who are not scientists can understand. To solve this problem, society needs people with special bridging skills who can provide a link between science, technology and the public. Science communicators in all careers at the interface between the laboratory and the public must have a firm understanding of the language of science as well as the ability to communicate. Activity - After Reading Questions/Discussion Questions 1. As a prospective professional, what can you do to promote a healthy working environment in terms of communication? 2. What common problems in the workplace are attributed to poor communication or lack thereof? Learning Tasks: 1. Objective quizzes 2. Graded Recitation 3. Viewing/presentation of videos illustrating the significance of communication in the workplace Reflection Discussion of reflection from the activity will be done in class/synchronous session. References: Ariola, Mariano M. (2018). Purposive communication. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Inc., Intramuros, Manila Bisen, Vikram and Priya. (2009). Business communication. New Age International Limited Publishers Caudilla, J.P. & Cansancio, J. (2019). Purposive communication. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp. Mandaluyong City Page 13 of 13