Transcript forms of workplace communication

WORK PLACE COMMUNICATIONS
(CHAPTER 11)
Photocopy pp 118 – 123
Student workbook pp 79 – 88
Effective communication is essential in all workplaces.
Rarely is communication in the work place as good as everyone
would hope
Everyone in the workplace has to play some part in making
communication effective
Communication serves countless purposes and takes many different
forms
Communication is above all else a give and take process if a
message has not been received there is no communication
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To say ‘I have emailed them” does not mean you have
communicated
There could be many reasons why people have not received your
message
I didn’t read my emails today
The server was down
There was a power outage in my building
I left my laptop at home
When emailing you need to attach a send receipt so that the sender
knows who has read the email and who is yet to receive
communications
A person needs to respond via receipt or verbal interaction to say
they understand what is being communicated at any given time
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Communication has two important roles in the workplace
the transmission of information
the maintenance of good personal relationships
These two roles of communication are important whether
communication is internal (in the workplace) or external (dealing
with customers, suppliers or general public)
Effective communication is absolutely essential in any situation
requiring teamwork: members of a team have to know what is
going on and have to be able to express their ideas to other
members of the team.
Communication is also vital to maintain good relationships between
team members
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PURPOSES OF WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Effective communication in a work place is needed for:
Covey and follow instructions about work to be done
Explain and learn how to do particular tasks
Organise the supply of inputs and other production needs
Convey and discuss information about matters such as
occupational health and safety, social functions, training and
professional development
Organise work teams
Respond to various workplace documents, such as travel
allowance claims, tax forms and personal information forms
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PURPOSES OF WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION (cont)
Design forms or other systems to collect information needed in the
workplace
Locate and store information
Ask questions when instructions are not understood
Make suggestions for improvements
Do business with customers
Promote products
Express desires image or culture of the organisation
Participate in a work group or team
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FORMS OF WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Page 80 of your work book shows a model of workplace communications
which you should be familiar with
However there are two forms which will be defined further
INFORMAL NETWORKS
This takes place in the staff rooms and other social domains of the
workplace or external social settings
“Workmates” frequently offer assistance or advice to each other
They share information and views on workplace issues
This type of communication is referred to as the “GRAPEVINE”
The grapevine can carry both reliable and unreliable information and gossip
Smart employees’ double-check information obtained through informal
networks
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E-MAIL
During the last few years e-mail has boosted the informal network
of communication
E-mails are the most widely used aspect of the internet
You can communicate internally or globally
In order to use the internet you need to have:
A computer linked to the internet
An ISP account
An e-mail address
E-mail software
Fairly basic and you all should know this
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LANGUAGE SKILLS
(See diagram page 80 of your work)
Language skills are central to all forms of communication
Clear, energetic and courteous speech is of paramount importance to an
employee
Not only do these things convey the message but demonstrate intelligence
and dynamism
Verbal communication needs to be appropriate to the work place
Your voice needs to be heard and understood
And you need to understand what is being said
Your English must be clear, straightforward and comprehensible
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Many people believe that written English is not important unless
you are in a high position or need to create some kind of
documentation
This is to some extent true but most employers’ demand a
functional level of literacy
They obtain you literacy standards from job applications, interviews
and portfolios
Some employers require you to fill out forms when you arrive for
an interview
These forms primarily your ability to understand and respond to
clear statements
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Regardless of where you work you will be forwarded some
form of written documentation that requires you to act
A process worker may receive
A request to prepare work for checking by quality assurance
officers
Notification of a fire drill and procedures to follow
A request to fill out tax details or personal information forms
A persons working life inevitably involves a great deal of
form filling to enable efficient administration
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If your job is in the service sector, where you are dealing with
customers, then a professional manner of speech must be used
Customers expect respect and to have their business discussed in
an intelligent, informative fashion
It is not appropriate to use slang or offensive language
An important skill for you to develop is observation
When you enter a workplace you should make you self aware of
what is going on around you
Observe the language used and be sensitive to those indicators
By doing this you can avoid unacceptable speech and behaviour
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BODY LANGUAGE
(See diagram page 80 of your work)
Communication is not only in words
Many messages are conveyed by signals other than spoken
English
This is called BODY LANGUAGE
For example, consider your job interview
The first impression you make can greatly affect your chances at
getting a job
The first impression is formed in the first 10 seconds of you walking
in to a prospective job
Even before you open your mouth
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POWERFUL BODY LANGUAGE INDICATORS
Body contact – when people touch, shake hands or brush up
against each other
Important messages about relationships are conveyed
The place, time, manner and person are all part of the message
Proximity – we send messages according to how closely we
approach someone.
Standing within a meter is considered intimate
Within 2 meters personal
Over three meters public
Actual distances vary between cultures, in Arab cultures the
difference between intimate and personal can be as little as
half a meter
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POWERFUL BODY LANGUAGE INDICATORS (cont)
Orientation – how we position our selves when we
communicate
Facing someone can indicate either intimacy or aggression
Being at a 90-dregree angle indicates co-operation
Moving away indicates lessening interest
Facial expression and gestures – the hands, arms, head and feet
are the main transmitters of gestures. They are closely coordinated with speech and facial expression to supplement
verbal communication
Intermittent up and down gestures of the hand indicate
an attempt to dominate
More fluid circular hand gestures attempt to win
sympathy or explain events
Apart from these there are specific hand gestures such
as the victory sign which
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POWERFUL BODY LANGUAGE INDICATORS (cont)
Appearance – sends messages about personality, social status
and, in particular, conformity. Appearance can be divided into two
categories
Voluntary control – hair, skin, bodily paint and adornment
Less controllable – height, weight
Posture – they way we sit, walk and stand can communicate an
interesting range of meanings. Frequently concern3ed with
interpersonal attitudes of friendliness, hostility, superiority or
inferiority. Posture can also indicate you emotional state: degree of
tension or relaxation. Your face may hide how you feel but your
body posture can give you away
Eye movement and contact – when and how long we meet our
eyes during communication is an important relationship indicator,
especially in submissive and dominating roles
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PRESENTATIONS
As you progress in the workplace you may be called upon to
give presentations or run seminars
You need to develop some important public speaking skills
There are many services that can teach you these skills
All presentations need to be:
Dynamic
Well package to maintain interest
Appropriate to the level of experience and interest of the
audience
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When practising your delivery you need to be aware of
your voice and consider the five “P’s”
Pitch
Pace
Power (volume)
Pause
Phrasing
These should also vary to maintain interest and meaning
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Good presenters consider the following
Be aware of your body language
Appear relaxed and approachable
Make eye contact with listeners
Avoid visually distracting gestures
Time your presentation so you are not rushing to finish
When you have finished allow time for questions from your
audience
Photocopy pp 118 – 123
Student workbook pp 79 – 88
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