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: FALL 2013
: BBA
:I
: BBA 103
: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
: B1497
:4
: 60
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1. Depending on the channel used and the style of communication, there can be
various types of communication. Explain the various types of communication
based on channels and style?
Ans : Meaning of communication - Communication is a process whereby the meaning is defined and
shared between living organisms. Communication requires a sender, a message and an intended
recipient, although the receiver need not be present or be aware of the sender's intention to communicate
at the time of communication. Thus, communication can occur across vast distances in time and space.
Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality.
The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the sender.
Types of communication based on communication channels Based on the channels used for
communicating, the process of communication can be broadly classified as verbal communication and
nonverbal communication. Verbal communication includes written and oral communication, whereas
the non-verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions and visuals diagrams or
pictures used for communication.
1.Verbal communication- Verbal communication is further divided into written and oral
communication. The oral communication refers to the spoken words in the communication process.
Oral communication can either be face-to-face communication or a conversation over the phone or on
the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs
are influenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume and even the speed and clarity of speaking. The
other type of verbal communication is written communication. Written communication can be either
via snail mail, or email. The effectiveness of written communication depends on the style of writing,
vocabulary used, grammar, clarity and precision of language.
2.Non-verbal communication- Non-verbal communication includes the overall body language of the
person who is speaking, which will include the body posture, the hand gestures, and overall body
movements. The facial expressions also play a major role while communicating since the expressions
on a persons face say a lot about his/her mood. On the other hand, gestures like a handshake, a smile
or a hug can independently convey emotions. Non-verbal communication can also be in the form of
pictorial representations, signboards, or even photographs, sketches and paintings.
Types of communication based on style and purpose - Based on the style of communication, there
can be two broad categories of communication, which are formal and informal communication that
have their own sets of characteristic features.
1. Formal communication- Formal communication includes all the instances where communication
has to occur in a set formal format. Typically, this can include all sorts of business communication or
corporate communication. The style of communication in this form is very formal and official.
Official conferences, meetings and written memos and corporate letters are used for communication.
Formal communication can also occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time.
Hence, formal communication is straightforward, official and always precise. It has a stringent and
rigid tone to it.
2. Informal communication- Informal communication includes instances of unrestrained
communication between people who share a casual rapport with each other. Informal communication
requires two people to have a similar wavelength, and hence occurs between friends and family.
Informal communication does not have any rigid rules and guidelines. Informal conversations need
not necessarily have boundaries of time, place or even subjects for that matter, since we all know that
friendly chats with our loved ones can simply go on and on.
2. As a listener, why do you think listening plays a vital role in the organization?
Co-relate the importance of the listening process in workplace with probable
measures to be taken to improve it.
Ans : Purpose of Listening - The basic purpose of listening is to pass on the information from the
sender to the receiver and that the receiver attentively listens to it. In turn, the listener advocates
certain actions accordingly. For example, a child attentively listens to what his parents say and then
tries to imitate it. Here, listening plays an important part because the child does not know how to read
or write. His actions speak the words told by his parents. Similarly, this oral message is interpreted for
different purpose. People listen in order to fulfil their purpose which may be to:
Obtain some specific information.
In order to satisfy the above points, need to know the difference between effective and ineffective
listening skills. The differences are provided in the below table :-
Effective Listening
Ineffective Listening
Listening as an Important Skill in Work Place - As we all know that listening plays an important
part in the communication process at work place, we should try to maintain certain things to make it
Significantly more important, some of which are discussed below:
Listening carefully helps a manager to know about the thinking process of the staff
members regarding different policies, procedures, rules and regulation being formulated
in the organization. It helps the manager to frame better and conducive policies for his
employees, in future.
Listening helps to reduce the grievance among the employees. At times, it is seen that
employees who have grievance within themselves outburst in front of a patient and good
listener. If a manager can be a good listener, he can solve the problem immediately.
Listening helps to find solutions and innovate new ideas through discussion. This helps
the employees to feel better about themselves, and they take extra care and effort to solve
the problem.
Through listening, companies try to get new ideas by which they are able to promote a
good organization culture, team work and correct decision making process.
Listening to a person is a sign of respect given to a person, irrespective of his designation
or position he holds in the office. It helps to develop a sense of trust between the speaker
and the listener.
Listening helps to increase the productivity of the employees because once the problem is
found and clearly explained to the concerned people, they work on the issue to find a
suitable solution to it.
Listening increases the confidence level of the employees because if an employee wants
to work with his team and build a good rapport with them with better self-esteem, he has
to hear their problem, keep himself cool and solve the problem accordingly.
Listening increases the accuracy because it helps the listener to recollect the information,
which he has heard previously and then analyse them to find a suitable solution to it.
Measure to Improve Listening - Although the reasons for listening breakdowns are amorous, there
are many ways to improve listening skills. They are as follows:
1. To provide indications to the speaker that you are actively involved and paying attention to the
speaker. It is to make the speaker believe that you are interested in his speech. Therefore, it is
necessary to keep eye contact, good gestures or even a small token of appreciation. Once the speaker
comes to know that the listener is not interested in his talks, it becomes more boring for the listener.
Giving verbal and non-verbal clues helps the speaker to be more confident and makes it an effective
learning process.
2. Concentrate on what the speaker is saying at the moment. Though we know that external factors
play an important part in the listening process, a person cannot concentrate until he is willing to hear
what the speaker has to say or if he does not practice concentration. A person cannot be a multitasker. It is therefore said that a person should start with a dialogue, which forces the listener to
perceive the matter and interpret it correctly. Immediate response to the words heard should be
avoided.
3. Refrain from formulating any immediate response about the speaker. It is to be seen that where
listening plays an important part in the organizations communication process, effective decision has
to be taken so that there is no break down in the dialogue, and each one of them interprets them
correctly. It is seen as a challenge and not as conflict between the speaker and the listener.
4. A listener should try to prepare himself regarding the topic beforehand, so that he can interact with
the speaker directly without any wastage of time. This is only possible when the listener is willing to
ask any question or discussion with the speaker.
5. A listener should be able to accept any revision while he is interacting with the speaker. This will
help the communication process to run smoothly. It has been seen that much of the time is consumed
in defending a particular sequence or a word or a phrase. If the listener is able to refrain himself from
it, the process would go uninterrupted.
6. It is always better to choose the right environment so that the listener does not get distracted by any
external noise such as phone calls, loud noise from machines, hot and humid room temperature etc.
Be sure the environment is conducive to listening.
As a speaker, if you want people to listen to you, seek advance appointment and allow them the
liberty to give a time according to their convenience. A careful listener, in addition to his open mind,
should also try to provide a positive feedback to the speaker by non-verbal means. It is difficult to
maintain all the measures to have an effective listening process. However, by practicing some of
these measures we can help ourselves to reduce the distortion and overcome the listening barrier.
Chain Network: The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that characterizes
strictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types of business
organizations. Here, the message flows directly from the top to the bottom or from bottom to the top.
Hence, the flow of communication follows a formal channel of distribution from superior to
subordinate or vice-versa. Below figure illustrates this chain network.
Circular Network: In this type of network, the communication is in the form of circle and the
information is passed on from one colleague to the next and so on. The greatest disadvantage is that it
is very time consuming. This network is illustrated in the below figure
Wheel Network: The very name suggests that it looks like a wheel with a centre point and several
points, which rotates around it. Here, the centre point is regarded as the boss / manager through whom
communication is passed from one individual to another. Here, the manager acts as a central authority
to whom the subordinates pass the information, and intern receive instructions and guidance from
him.
In below figure, the central point represents the manager, and the outer points represent subordinates.
Free Flow Network: In this type of network, the communication flows from everyone to anyone in
the organization. Here, there is no restriction and the communication is of an informal type and
unstructured. Thus, there is no restriction in communicating with the superiors or with the
subordinates. It becomes more flexible and open for the individuals to interact freely. This is
illustrated in below figure
Thus to summarize, business letters should send across the information from the sender to the receiver
in such a manner that the receiver understands exactly what the sender intends to convey and replies
accordingly.
Difference between Personal and Business Letters - In this age where communication has been
made to travel faster through e-mails, mobile phones, ipods and pagers, writing a letter may seem to
be an ancient ritual that is practised only by those of earlier generations or those who do not have any
access to the technological advancements. However, there are many rewards in sitting down and
expressing yourself on paper. Whether you are sending a quick note to a friend to say hello or
composing a business letter to an authority figure, writing a letter shows effort, respect and care for
others. A letter, which is written to a friend, to a relative or to the parents is termed as informal letter
or personal letter. Here, an individual expresses his feelings, emotions and his requirements in a
very informal way. In contrast, a business letter is more of a formal way of communication, where
the sender expresses his requirements in short, concise and simple form.
Thus, to differentiate between a personal letter and a business letter, one has to know the differences.
From the following table, you will get to know the differences between a personal letter and a
business letter:
Personal letter
Business letter
1. It is informal
1. It is formal
2. It is unstructured
2. It is structured
3. It chooses a personal style or pattern
3. It chooses a prescribed style or pattern
4. It depends on the mood, feelings and emotions 4. It depends on the conversation or on the
of the writer
requirement of the writer
5. It is written without any purpose
5. It is written with a purpose
4. Intensive or detailed reading: This is the slowest and the most focused type of reading. The
purpose usually is to read, comprehend and retain as much as you can. This type of reading is done for
academic or professional learning, analysis, problem solving and research etc. Editing, proof reading
and correction of text are also done by using this method. Every word is read carefully with the aim of
observing language and deriving thorough interpretation and retention from it.
5. Vocalized or sub vocalized reading: Most of our reading is done silently. It is the natural way of
reading and is ideal for comprehension. Reading aloud can decrease reading speed and
comprehension because while doing so, our concentration is divided between reading and speaking.
This makes reading difficult and may cause problems in understanding the matter. Loud reading
should be voided unless absolutely necessary.
Techniques - Reading is a passive skill, but the act of reading is active and dynamic. Reading is
passive in the sense that the reader is not actively using the elements of language to create meaningful
communication. When you read something you act as the receiver of language created by someone
else. Even when you read something you wrote yourself, you are a passive recipient. But, when you
are consciously engaged with the text to interpret its meaning and nuances, or try to relate it to
something stored in your knowledge and memory, you are involved in an active cognitive act.
As professionals, you will spend a lot of your working time in this very essential activity. At times
you will be called upon to read, comprehend and analyse some official document or report at short
notice. Therefore, you need to improve your reading skill in order to read effectively and efficiently.
You should work towards acquiring the ability to read at a good speed with complete and correct
comprehension. You can learn to employ certain techniques and strategies that will help you to
control your reading experience and to become skilful readers. Try using the following techniques:
1. Read actively: Active reading means to be thoroughly involved in what you are reading. Many
times we read through a whole page and then suddenly realize we have no idea about what we have
read. This happens when we are not mentally engaged with what we are reading. For effective
reading, you have to ensure that you keep your interest, focus and concentration alive throughout the
reading spell. The following tips will help you to read actively:
Underline and highlight the important parts of the text. This keeps your focus intact because
you are consciously looking for words, phrases or sentences that are relevant to your purpose
of reading.
Make notes of the key points as you read. You can do so in the margins of the text itself (if it
is your own book) or on a separate sheet. Jot down any idea that springs to your mind by way
of
association to what you are reading. These notes should be short and crisp, not detailed
sentences.
Take note of the punctuation: Punctuation is an extremely important part of the structure of
the written work. It divides the text into comprehensible units. Therefore, you must not ignore
how the
various punctuation marks impact the meaning of the written words.
Be inquisitive. Do not let your curiosity and the desire to know what the text can tell you die
down. Ask questions about what you want to know, what the author wants to convey, what
the deeper
meaning of the words is, and how it helps you to fulfil your purpose.
2. Take in more words with each fixation: When you read, your eyes move across the written page,
but they do not focus on every letter or word. The eyes move across each line in jerky movements and
come to rest on words at intervals. This process is called fixation. The nearby words are perceived as
part of this fixation. You should practice taking in more words with each fixation. This will help you
increase your speed and comprehension.
3. Select an appropriate reading type: Adapt your reading style to your purpose, the type of text
and the time frame available. If you have to research for a thesis, you will have to read intensively,
but if you are reading a magazine, you can just skim through it. Choose your reading type for
optimum effect.
i) Use scanning when you are in a hurry to get some specific information. While scanning, you should
quickly move your eyes across or down the pages seeking specific words and phrases. Do not read
everything. Fixate only on relevant words or key phrases that would give you the required
information. Ignore the rest. Once you have scanned the document, you might realize that it has a lot
more to offer you. You may then move to the next technique, i.e., skimming to ascertain whether it
will really be useful or not.
ii) Skim through the text when you wish to get the general drift and main ideas of a text. This
technique is useful when you are not looking for a specific item or information, but are trying to get a
preview or 'overview' of the text to know what information it is likely to provide. While skimming,
you take in more of the textual details than while scanning.
The best way to skim a text is to let your eyes rest on the prominent parts of the text and ignore the
details. Doing so will give you a fairly good preview of the text. For effective skimming of a text, you
need to know which parts of the book to observe and read, and which to ignore.
All written works are organized into specific structures. Look at the structure of this unit. You will
see that the content has been organized in a systematic way. All major points have been dealt with
separately. All key words have been given prominence in some way or the other. The sections and
subsections are clearly demarked.
Paying attention to textual structure and organization improves skimming. The following textual
elements need to take into account for effective skimming:
a) Textual organizers or verbal signposts: Some textual elements are deliberately given prominence
in the layout of the text. They catch your eye and act as indicators or signposts to steer you through
the text. These indicators such as the title and the sub title, the section and the subsection headings, or
photo captions and tables etc., can give you a lot of information about the content of the whole work.
b) Formatting tools: Some words, phrases or sentences are formatted in such a way that they stand out
and catch your attention when you skim through the text. Words written in bold type or italics,
different font size, style, or colour etc., also serve as signposts and indicators and help you focus on
key words, terms, points etc.
c) Non-verbal indicators: Many texts contain non-verbal elements like diagrams, graphs, and charts
etc., to supplement the verbal content. Taking note of these also helps in previewing a text. All these
verbal, nonverbal and formatting indicators are there for a purpose. They will navigate you through
the structural features of the text and give you a fairly good overview of its content. With practice,
you will be able to master this very useful technique of reading.
4. Concentrate on content and speed: The speed at which you read plays a very important role in
making your reading effective and efficient. There is a close relationship between the speed of reading
and the understanding of the written matter. Beginners need to read slowly in order to comprehend the
text, but as you become proficient in this skill, you must learn to read fast without compromising
comprehension.
Seasoned and fluent readers understand more when they read fast. Laborious word-by-word reading
can be tedious and boring, and result in poor grasp of the meaning of the text. However, there is no
hard and fast rule about this. The ideal speed of reading may differ from person to person, text to text,
and purpose to purpose. The nature and level of difficulty of the text also influence the rate of reading.
Try to find your own ideal speed, but work at increasing it without decreasing your comprehension.
Forced acceleration without actual comprehension will not serve any purpose. Aim at acquiring a
speed that will help you to read as fast as you can without losing track of the meaning of what you are
reading.
5. Build up your vocabulary: Language is expressed in words strung together in structured,
meaningful sentences. Words are the primary tools of linguistic communication. Therefore, it is
necessary that you know an adequate number of words and their meanings, so that you can
use them for effective communication.
The number of words that you know and use are said to be your vocabulary. One of the most
important ways of mastering language is to increase your vocabulary. The efficiency of your reading
skill depends on the size and depth of your vocabulary and your understanding of how words are
structured into sentences. That means you should not only know a large number of words, but also
their meanings, correct usage and various connotations in various contexts.
A persons vocabulary is of two types: passive and active.
Passive vocabulary: There are many words that you understand when you hear or read them, but you
never use them in your own speech or writing. All these words are part of your passive vocabulary.
Active vocabulary: Your active vocabulary consists of the words that you confidently and regularly
use in your own speech or writing.
Your vocabulary is your word power. When you use your reading skill, you use both parts of your
word power, i.e., your active as well as passive vocabulary for comprehending the text. Therefore, the
more words you have at your command, the better will be your comprehension. You can improve all
your language skills by increasing your vocabulary. Your effort should be to increase your passive
vocabulary as well as to move words from the passive to the active level by using them consciously,
repeatedly and correctly in your speech and writing.
6. Read extensively: There is a reciprocal relationship between reading and vocabulary. If you read a
lot, you automatically and subconsciously keep on adding words to your vocabulary; and if you have
a well-developed vocabulary, your reading skill keeps on improving. Therefore, you should make
reading a habit. Read various types of books, magazines and journals. Do not limit yourself to
textbooks only. Keep a pencil handy. Underline words you do not know and later look them up in a
dictionary to know their exact meanings and usages.
Extensive reading will help you increase your passive vocabulary, which acts as the resource for your
active vocabulary. Remember, the more words you have at your command, the better will be your
communication skills.
7. Use SQ3R method. Experts recommend this technique for reading to learn, retain and recall. It
helps you to get an in depth understanding of the textual material. The method involves five simple
steps; Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review.
Survey : Skim through the text to gain an overview of the key points.
Question : Devise questions you hope the text will answer.
Read : Read slowly and carefully with full concentration and focus.
Recall : Recall from memory the read material; write down the main points of the text.
Review : Go back to your questions. Review whether you can recall what you have read. Supplement
and reinforce
what you have learnt by further reading and note-taking if required.
8. Refer to the glossary for technical words and unfamiliar terminology. Do not try to guess the
meaning. Knowing the exact meaning of new words will help your comprehension.
9. Assess your comprehension and retention: After reading, try to recall what you have read. Ask
yourself questions about the content of the text. This will tell you how successful you have been in
your reading.
10. Avoid reading pitfalls: Some factors have an adverse effect on the process of reading. You
should try to avoid these.
i) Do not read word by word. Remember, you are not reading a dictionary where you have to know
the meaning of words individually. Written material is less meaningful if read word by word, so you
should try to take in groups of words or phrases that signify units of thought or meaning.
ii) Avoid faulty eye movement. Develop a wider eye-span. Try to increase the number of words you
take in with each fixation. This will help you read more than one word at a glance, and to read by
phrases or thought units.
iii) Do not vocalize or read aloud. Get over the habit of pronouncing words or sounding or whispering
them in your throat as you read. You will be able to read much faster when you read silently.
iv) Do not try to remember everything. Be selective in what you try to retain. Cluttering your mind
with unnecessary details will slow down your reading and comprehension.
v) Avoid regression. Regression means rereading words, phrases or paragraphs. This will result in
jerky and faulty reading. It will also break your concentration and the natural flow of your reading.
With practice, you can learn to shun this habit.
vi) Avoid reading in a non-conducive environment. A comfortable, properly lit and noise free
environment will help you read without distraction and will enhance your comprehension.