communication pauline hall
TRANSCRIPT
Communication
Diploma in Quality Serivce Delivery
Communication
Communication, Consultation and Participation = Ways of involving employees in decision-making processes = commitment!
Therefore employees need to:– Know what they have to do and why.
– Understand the purpose of their work and what it will achieve
– Know how their personal efforts fit into the organisation
– Understand where the organisation’s resources go
Why Communicate?
To inform To persuade To influence To get information To convey knowledge To involve To gain support
Why is Communication So Important? Changing nature of workplace
– Increasing use of teamwork– Emphasis on creativity, innovation,
problem-solving– Increasingly mobile work-force– Flatter, more flexible organisation
structures
Channels of Communication in Organisations Monthly/Quarterly/Annual written reports Letters to personnel Meetings Newsletters or magazines Presentations Telephone Email
Channels of Communication in Organisations We often think first of channels which
are one-way Two-way channels include:
– management walkabouts
– data from staff surveys
– regular briefing sessions
– lunches with personnel
– suggestion schemes
– feedback from employee representatives
Which Channel?
Depends on the purpose of the communication and the complexity of its content
Fear is that improved communication will lead to more and more demands for information
Actually, the more accurate the information the fewer demands arise
Which Channel? Writing - Advantages
– Good for reaching large numbers of people
– Large amounts of information
– Provides reference for future
Writing-Disadvantages– No exchange of views
– Only works if people actually read and understand the material
– May not be suited to the audience
– No interaction - almost always one way
– No opportunity for clarification
Talking - Advantages– Can be tailored to the specific
audience– Allows interaction and
exchange of information– Allows clarification– Allows communication of
emotions/feelings
Talking - Disadvantages– No very effective for large
numbers of people amounts of information
– Time-consuming– May be difficult to get
everyone together at the same time
– May be no reference about what was said or not said - memory!
The Communication Process
Sender Signal ReceiverEncode Decode
Noisee.g. information
overload
The Classic Model of Communication
The Communication Process
We don’t just encode and decode messages but actively select, filter and interpret them and try to make sense of them
For example, if a message is not very interesting or important you may ignore it especially if you have to many to deal with
The Communication Process
Serial Distortion, for example the general who sent the following message:– “Send reinforcements, we’re going to
advance” became “Send three and fourpence, we’re going to a dance”
Serial Distortion Particular points in the message may be given more
importance New information may be added Certain details may be modified to suit either the receiver
or the sender The sequence of events may be altered Gaps may be filled to make sense of the message Distortion may be deliberate but often it is simply that we
decode and interpret and re-code any message that we send.
The more stages the message passes through the more likelihood there is of distortion
Good Communication
Depends on:– the sender knowing clearly what is
intended to be communicated– Using words which allow the receiver to
receive the intended message– Conducting the communication in an open
way so that the receiver has the opportunity to clarify or ask for more information
5 Key Factors in Communication Perception of Self/Others Active Listening, for example:
– Questioning– Summarising– Clarifying– Feeding back
Non-verbal communication, for example:– Body language– Voice– Silence
Checking, not assuming Dealing with emotions
– What is said and what is communicated by non-verbals, is it the same message?
Guidelines for Active Listening
Give people your attention Be ready to paraphrase or “play back” what
they have said If you do not understand, ask Acknowledge the other person’s feelings Encourage Do not react or respond until it is clear the
other person has finished
Benefits of Active Listening
Avoiding misunderstanding Building a relationship Receiving more information Helping articulate
Checking Understanding
“Chunk” your messages and check for understanding after each one
Listen actively to feedback Encourage clarification questions Encourage “reflecting back” what they
have heard to ensure the message you sent is the one received