COMS 101: COMMUNICATION SKILLS PDF

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Summary

Entails;

Significance of the communication skills course
What is communication?
Components of communication skills
Communication process
Importance of communication
Four step cycle of communication...

Description

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

INTRODUCTION Significance of the Communication Skills Course The course will equip you with necessary skills for university education. From research findings, teaching experience and student reports, we know that students all over the world experience major problems in coping with their studies at the postsecondary level-particularly university level. This is due to the difference in study methods used at school and those used at the tertiary or university level: -You are left to your own method of study with little or no supervision from you lecturers. -The number of students in the class will be so large that you will not get much individual attention. -You are expected to do a very large volume of reading compared to what you did at school. -The texts you will read will be more difficult than those you need at school. -There will be new subjects and new approaches to the other subjects which will be unfamiliar to you -There are many attractions and distractions hence the need to organise your time very carefully The course will equip you with the skills necessary for life outside the university, particularly the job market. Such skills include reading and writing (e.g. letters, memos and reports), handling meetings, carrying out research, public speaking, conducting interviews, conflict resolution, planning strategies, budgeting time and resources. Etc.

TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION What is communication?

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The word communication arises from the Latin word “commūnicāre”, which means “to share”. Communication is the basic step for the exchange of information. For example, a baby in a cradle, communicates with a cry that she needs her mother. A cow moos loudly when it is in danger. A person communicates with the help of a language. Communication is the bridge to share. Communication can be defined as the process of exchange of information, tgoughts and feelings through means such as words, actions, signs, etc., between two or more individuals. Communication is therefore generally defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning. It is the act of conveying information for the purpose of creating a shared understanding. Communication is a process that requires understanding - perceiving, interpreting, and comprehending the meaning of the verbal and nonverbal behaviour of others. Understanding the meaning of another person's message does not occur unless the two communicators can elicit common meanings for words, phrases and non-verbal codes. In addition to understanding, communication involves sharing and interaction between people in order to exchange meaning.

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Regardless of the context, communication involves sharing. Communication may be verbal( using spoken words), written or electronic e,g using printed or digital media such as books, ,magazines, websites or emails), visual( using logos, maps, charts or graphs) or non-verbal( using body language, gestures and the tone of voice) An effective communication is a communication between two or more persons where the intended message is successfully delivered, received and understood. i.e communication is said to be effective when all the parties( sender and receiver) in the communication assign similar meanings to the message. Communication therefore is only said to be successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively. If you fail to do this, communication breakdown occurs. All forms of communication require the same basic elements: a sender of information, a message and an audience or recipient. The sender and receiver must also share a common language or means of understanding for communication to be successful. The act of communicating draws on several interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. These include listening, speaking, observing, questioning, analyzing, evaluating e.t.c. Communication is a two way process, so improving communication involves both how we send and receive messages.

The Components of Communication 1. The Sender The source (sender) is the component that initiates a message 2. Receiver (Audience) The receiver is the intended target of the message. NOTE: Individuals do not perform these two roles independently. Instead, they are the source and receiver of messages simultaneously or continually. People do not respond uniformly to all messages, nor do they provide the same messages in exactly the same way. Individual characteristics of people, including their race, gender, age, culture, values and attitudes affect both their sending and receiving qualities. 3. The message The message is the verbal and non-verbal form of the idea, thought, or feeling that one person (source) wishes to communicate to another person or group of persons (the receiver/s). It is the content of the interaction. The message may be relatively brief and easy to understand or long and complex. Messages can be intentional or accidenta

4. The Channel The channel provides the mode( or medium) by which a message moves from the source to the receiver of the message. Examples include the spokenmode, written mode, diagrams, charts etc. 5. Feedback Feedback is the receiver's verbal and nonverbal response to the source's message. Feedback is part of the any communication situation. High-quality communication occurs when the sources is sensitive to feedback and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal messages sent by the receiver or audience. 6. Context Context refers to the situation in which your message is delivered. This may include the

Context refers to the situation or environment in which your message is delivered. Important contextual factors that can subtly influence the effectiveness of a message include the physical environment (eg. a patient’s bedside, ward office, quiet room etc.), cultu

Sender

Feedback

Message

Receiver

Importance of communication in an organization -

Effective communication skills are fundamental to success in many aspects of life.

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Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. Many jobs require strong communication skills and people with good communication skills usually enjoy better interpersonal relationships with friends and family. - Effective communication allows ideas to be conveyed clearly and succinctly. E.g - doctors need good comm8unication skills to let their patients know the prognosis, while salesmen need to communicate in order to correctly impart the benefits of a product. - Teachers need them to convey knowledge to their students and students need them to articulate their questions and express their confusion. Other benefits include: - Builds and maintains relationships - Team building. When teams effectively communicate, information flows freely from side to side and top to bottom. - Prevents misunderstandings - Facilitates innovation - Increases productivity - Customer satisfaction - Employee morale

The Communication Process - The process of communication can be viewed as one of encoding and decoding. Encoding is defined as the act of putting an idea or a thought into a code. Decoding is assigning meaning to that idea or thought. The figure below shows a summary of the communication process.

SENDER (Encoding)

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RECEIVER (Decoding)

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Communication is a two-way process whereby the message in the form of ideas, thoughts, feelings, is transmitted between two or more people with the intent of creating a shared understanding.

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The entire process f communication begins with conceptualizing the desired message, which is then communicated to the responds to it.

. The person receiving it interprets this message, and

THE FOUR- STEP CYCLE OF COMMUNICATION How does the communication process function? 1. The first step begins with the sender wanting to initiate a communication. He formulates the message that he wishes to convey. It is the sender’s duty to ensure that the message is clear and

2. The second step involves choosing the appropriate channel of communication. The sender has to select the most efficient means of communication. It could be verbal or electronic; or written. 3. The third step is when the receiver comes into the picture. The receiver has to interpret or decode the sender’s message. 4. Upon decoding the message successfully, the receiver has to formulate a response and send it in the form of feedback. This action completes the communication cycle....