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What is Communication
• Communication is derived from the Latin word ‘Communico’ which
means “to share”.

Communication Skills • Communication is a process, which involves sharing of information

between people through a continuous activity of speaking, listening,
and understanding.

UNIT 1:Introduction to Communication Skills

UNIT 1:Introduction to Communication Skills
The Importance of Communication
The Importance of Communication
• Most of an individual’s time is spent on exchanging messages, sharing • Therefore, communication is inevitable and every person needs to be
ideas and information in different forms (written, oral and non- equipped for purposes of effective and professional communication.
verbal). • Effective communication allows better understanding of situations or
• All jobs require people to communicate through different channels people which goes a long way in resolving differences or conflicts and
and using different mediums such as telephone, emails, faxes, and problem solving.
face to face.
• There are many activities and instances in which communication
occurs: when working in teams, conducting meetings, interviewing,
resolving conflicts, persuading others, serving customers and
negotiating.

UNIT 1:Introduction to Communication Skills UNIT 1:Introduction to Communication Skills

The Importance of Communication The Importance of Communication
Individuals and organisations engage in communication for different reasons: • In the academic context, the difference between a student who
• For organisations to share visions and plans with employees or stake holders understands the materials taught and one who understands and
• To Co-ordinate and control effectively communicates, is significant.
• To resolve conflicts • Comprehending materials is one thing, communicating this material
• To give feedback
back is another thing.
• To provide guidance • Students are expected to make oral presentations, write exams, tests
and assignments as well as engage in research.
• To give instructions
• To influence or persuade others • All these activities demand effective communication which is the
apex of student evaluation or assessment.
• To provide leadership
• To share ideas
• Thus, effective communication is important in academic settings.

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UNIT 1:Introduction to Communication Skills
The Importance of Communication
• The need for graduates to be equipped with effective written and oral
communication skills cannot be undermined.
• Ambition, education and capacity for hard work alone, amount to
nothing if an individual cannot engage in effective communication.
• Employers look out for several skills in potential employees; computer
skills, analytical skills, teamwork skills and interpersonal skills.
• Always, communication skills top the list of skills sort after by
employers.
Types and Forms of Communication
Oral Communication
• Involves exchange of messages or information using
spoken words and is commonly referred to as
communication by word of mouth.
• This occurs in different interaction set ups such as
meetings, talks, discussions, presentations, interviews,
speeches etc.
Types and Forms of Communication
Disadvantages of oral Communication
• It does not provide a written record
• Can be difficult to control discussion where it involves a lot
of people
• The recipient can be intimidated if the other party is a
powerful personality
• Difficult to hold your ground when opposed
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UNIT 1:Introduction to Communication Skills
The Importance of Communication
Morden business environments demand that individuals should be able
to:
• Communicate effectively with customers.
• Present themselves as confident and capable.
• Save valuable time and costs by engaging in effective written
communication.
• Make effective presentations.
• it is said that good communication skills are the life blood of any
student who want to excel academically
• or any graduate who want to be distinguished in his or her career.
Types and Forms of Communication
Advantages of oral Communication
• It provides instant feedback
• If face to face, it provides facial expressions and gestures
• It allows exchange of views and opinions
• It allows both parties to see how other reacts to the message
• Easier to detect and correct any misunderstanding
Written Communication
• This form of communication entails the creation of a ‘hard
copy’ of the message or simply written messages or words in
the form of business letters, reports, research papers,
articles, note taking etc.
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Advantages of written communication
• It provides written record
• It can be properly planned and revised before it is committed
to paper
• It forms a strong basis for agreement or contract
Types and Forms of Communication
Non-Verbal Communication
• This is the wordless form of communication which takes the form of
postures, body language ,facial expressions, eye contacts, tension,
breathing and tones etc.
• The main distinguishing feature of this form of communication is the
use of body language to convey messages.
• Cues or signs are the main tools used in this type of communication
and is essentially wordless.
Non-verbal communication
• Hair style: How you keep your hair can tell the kind of person you are. Hair
style can categorise some individuals into certain groups or cultures e.g.
Rastafarian.
• office, you may motion for the person to come in and gesture toward a
• Eye contact: The way you look at some can give meaning. A woman for
example can easily know a man who is lustfully looking at her.
• receivers perceive them quickly.
• Smiling face: This can indicate that you are a friendly person
• and sentences.
• Touching: The way you touch other people can tell what you want. It is the
body that shows the mood of a person.
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Disadvantages of written communication
• There is no immediate feedback
• Once it is dispatched, it is difficult to amend the errors
• Once dispatched, it is difficult to know if the message has
been received
• Takes time to write and days to reach the recipient
Non-verbal communication
• Posture: The way an individual positions himself, sits, stands, holds his
hands, tilts his head, all transmit volumes about an individual
•
• Facial expressions: These can indicate the feeling of someone. For
example a frowned face indicates that you are annoyed, worried or
thinking hard.
•
• Gestures: These are body signs that reinforce speech.
•
• Dress code: This shows the manner of a person. Dressing may suggest the
status of a person; rich, poor, nature of work one does.
•
Advantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Substitute: The major importance of nonverbal communication is that it
may be used as the substitute of verbal message.
• For example, while using phone if someone comes to the door of your
chair.
• These nonverbal expressions mean come in and have a seat.
• Instant Effect: All nonverbal cues have almost instant effect as the
• For example, it takes less time to see a color or picture and to hear a horn
or bell than to speak out and understand or to read and understand words
• This quality of being speedy in conveyance and response makes nonverbal
methods extremely useful in many situations.
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Advantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Aid to Verbal Communication: Non-verbal methods are extremely
useful as an aid to verbal communication.
• Maps, charts and graphs are absolutely necessary for conveying ideas
related to geography, locations, data and most of the sciences.
• Beside these, non-verbal methods can present a large amount of
complex data in a compact form; a single page can contain materials
which would require several pages to convey in language.
• Sign or Marks of Identity: Nonverbal communication also functions
as the sign or marks of identity for some objects or people. For
example, the dress and ranking sign of Zambia Police differentiate it
from Zambia Army.
Disadvantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Vague and imprecise – Nonverbal communication is all about
communicating through signs, symbols, gestures etc. thus there is no
usage of words and language. Hence sometimes it becomes very
contrary because may be your signs and symbols are not understood
by the receiver or may be the gestures you want to convey have some
different meaning in other culture.
• Therefore nonverbal cues are not universal they can be interpreted by
different meaning in different context.
Disadvantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Encoding and Decoding problem: Communication produces best result if
the sender encodes the message considering the receiver and receiver
decodes the message exactly as sent by the sender.
• But in nonverbal communication encoding and decoding may not be
perfect if both the parties differ from cultural orientation and from cultural
symbolism.
• Differences in Nonverbal Cues across Culture: Most of the nonverbal
cusses produce different meanings in different cultures. These differences
lead the communicators to misunderstanding and confusion.
• For example, people in the United States and Canada say no by shaking
their heads back and forth, people in Bulgaria nod up and down, People in
Japan move their right hand and people in Sicily raise their chin.
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Advantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Restate or Emphasize: Gestures and facial expressions may be used to restate or
emphasize a particular point.
• We sometimes nod our heads YES while verbally expressing agreement. We
sometimes nod our heads YES while verbally expressing agreement. We may
smile broadly as we say How nice to see you again.
• Sometimes, our dress may convey the degree of importance we place on a
particular meeting. In many cases, we reaffirm our verbal communication by
using nonverbal behaviors.
• For Illiterate People: For the illiterate people, the only method of conveying
important information is by nonverbal symbols.
• Bottles and containers of poisons are marked with skull and crossbones as a
warning; illiterate drivers can manage with the nonverbal traffic signals and signs.
Films are used to explain processes to people who may not follow oral
explanations easily.
Disadvantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Lack of Flexibility: There is no scope of changing the meaning of
message sent by nonverbal cues because here in most of the cases
nonverbal cues disappear as soon as communication ends.
• Grater Possibility of exchanging Fraudulent Message: In nonverbal
communication, people can easily mislead others by using some
symbols that don’t match with their mental status.
• For example, a person may show respect to superiors bending his
head just to take some illegal advantage or favor.
• Thus nonverbal communication can increase the chance of
exchanging fraudulent message.
Disadvantages of Nonverbal Communication
• Absence of Permanent Record: Nonverbal communication lacks in
permanent record of document if it is not recorded.
• Since it is not a word-based communication method, it does not
produce any written message that can be kept as document.
• It is done instantly and inherently but not permanently.
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Types and Forms of Communication

Types and Forms of Communication Techniques for purposes of enhancing the effectiveness of
these respective forms of communication
ORAL COMMUNICATION WRITTEN COMMUNICATION INTERPERSONAL
Interpersonal Communication COMMUNICATION
• This is a type of communication that occurs between individuals, mainly  Empathy  Mind the type of text  Emotional intelligence
involves a small number of persons.  Use of visual aids in  Appropriate length of document  Body language
• The messages exchanged are often a mix of feelings and ideas, a number of presentations
sensory channels are involved and feedback is immediate because the  Encourage feedback  Structuring of argument  Posture
physical distance between the individuals is often short. from audience
• This form of communication distinguishes individuals who are able to  Mind the tone of the  Appropriate level of detail in  Active listening
understand the emotions that are behind messages or information being voice document
shared or exchanged.  Maintain eye contact  Font type and size
• As a result participants need to be emotionally Intelligent and appreciate  Mind the position  Referencing
the difference in personalities and characters. and body posture
 know something  Spacing
about your audience
 Structure of document

Emotional Intelligence (EI) Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• The ability to identify or perceive ones emotions, regulate them and
those of others for purposes of managing relationships and
interacting with others is referred to as Emotional Intelligence (EI).
• The theory of Emotional Intelligence (EI) was coined in the 1990s by
Daniel Goleman who recognised the impact of emotions in
communication and relationships.
• Today, this theory or concept has become popular because it
distinguishes individuals who are intellectually intelligent from those
who are both intellectually intelligent and successful in relating with
others at business level and personal level (family and friends).
• One of the common barriers to effective communication- which is
often ignored is emotions and lack of appreciation of people’s
different personalities.
• EI plays an important role in enhancing effective communication
because it draws people’s attention to emotions and personalities.
• Often times, people are challenged to prevent their emotions from
interfering with their line of duty, especially if they are expected to
interact with customers, business partners and stakeholders.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• Although EI is often associated with Interpersonal Communication, it
is an important ‘ingredient’ in all forms of communication.
• For instance, negative emotions can negatively impact on a person’s
tone and voice during an oral presentation
• or can influence the mood of a meeting.
• At the same time, negative emotions can influence the tone that one
uses in composing a business letter or an email.
• Therefore, emotions and behaviour must be taken care of in all forms
of communication.
• EI is also important in distinguishing leaders.
• Many successful leaders and managers are Emotionally Intelligent
because they are able to read people’s emotions, moods and their
own and regulate them.
• This is very important especially in situations of conflict management
and negotiation.

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Emotional Intelligence (EI)
There are four main aspects of EI-
• Self-awareness: self-management, social awareness and relationship
management.
• These aspects point out to one thing, the need to identify one’s own
emotions and those of others, for purposes of regulating them so as to
manage interaction.
• These abilities go hand in hand with Interpersonal Skills such as defence
skills, supporting skills, probing skills, persuasive skills, negotiation skills,
conflict and management skills.
• What is common in these Interpersonal Skills is the involvement of
emotions.
• This could probably explain why EI is often associated with Interpersonal
Communication.
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
• Over Confident: such individuals assume they are Jacks of all trade
and often think they know everything and may easily intimidate or
despise others.
• Stingy or Judicious: they often like to keep ideas and information to
themselves and is not willing to engage in information sharing.
• They often do not want to interact and are almost anti-social.
• Social: often talkative and noisy may cause confusion if not watched
as they do not want to keep quiet and may say a lot of irrelevant
things.
• Inept: they have ideas, information and opinions, usually want to
share but are unable to articulate or express themselves.
• Logical: usually they are critical, take their time and pick details.
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Emotional Intelligence (EI)
• Apart from appreciating people’s emotions, it is important to identify
and understand people’s personalities.
• This will enhance communication because once you identify and
understand an individual’s personality; you will know how to
communicate with them.
The following are the different categories of personalities:
Cantankerous: such people often engage in provocative type of
communication as they hardly mind other people’s opinions or
emotions.
The Process of Communication
• Communication is the sharing or exchange of ideas or information
among two or more people.
• This is often referred to as a process because it involves six core
elements that interact in a complex manner and is often
unconsciously done.
• The six elements in the communication process are: sender, receiver,
message, method, aim and situation as shown in the figure below.
The Process of Communication
• The Sender: is the person who comes up with the information that he
wants to share.
• This person decides who the recipient should be, what form of
communication is appropriate and what medium, designs or encodes the
message. He or she conceptualises the message.
• The Message: this is the essence of any communication; therefore it has to
be appealing to the receiver and should be relevant to the recipient.
• Aim: the sender must appreciate the essence of sending a message for
example to educate, inform, persuade or correct.
• The aim of the message helps the sender to design it in the most
appropriate way.
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The Process of Communication The Process of Communication

• Medium or Channel: this refers to the means by which the message
will be delivered or move from the sender to the receiver.
• This is an important element because it determines whether or not
the message will be perceived or interpreted correctly.
• Examples are emails, phones, fax etc. to a large extent, the medium
used in sending a message says something about the importance or
the weight of the message.
• Often messages sent by letter are regarded to be more official and
serious than ones over the phone or via text messages.
• The Receiver: is responsible for decoding the message and if the
message does not reach the intended recipient, the communication is
rendered ineffective.
• The way the receiver interprets and perceives the message is very
important and the ideal situation is that he/she should make the right
interpretation.
• Timing and Situation: knowing the right time and situation when to
communicate messages influences the extent to which the
communication will be effective.
• Sending the right message at the wrong time can result in
misinterpretation of the message.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING THE

The Process of Communication CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION
• Feedback: this shows whether or not the communication was • The channel (or means) is chosen to send a message is very
effective or indicates whether or not the receiver interpreted the important.
message correctly. • The channel chosen can influence the message and it is interpreted
by the recipient.
• Each situation should be judged individually and will depend on
various factors such as:

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING THE
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION
Cost Speed
• Consider how much the communication will cost in terms of the results • Consider the urgency of the message both to the sender and recipient.
expected Speed is linked with cost too. Message that longer arrive are cheaper.
• Can an internal message be handwritten or is a printed copy important?
• Is the postal service satisfactory or is the e-mail or fax justified? Resources
Confidentiality • Consider the resources available before you choose the channel of
• A telephone call could be overhead and apparently recorded communication. If sending a phone will be cheaper than a fax then go for a
phone but remember a phone call will not produce a record.
• E-mail or fax may be exposed to others
Safety and security Recipient
• Should a special post office service used, e.g registered recorded delivery? • Choose language appropriately, considering the situation and relationship
• Would a courier service be justified? between sender and recipient.

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Summary of communication choices
Use oral channels when:
• Your message is fairly simple
• You need an immediate response
• You do not need a permanent record
• You want to encourage interaction
• You need to read the recipient’s body language
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Conceptualising a message, information or idea for purposes of
communicating is one thing, but getting the right or correct
interpretation of the conceptualised message is another thing.
• This is because often messages are misinterpreted or the wrong
message gets to be delivered to the recipient due to different things.
This results in communication being ineffective.
• Therefore, it is important to be aware of the common barriers to
effective communication.
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Physical and environmental barriers- there are many things in the
environment that may cause communication breakdown for instance, wall,
noise or even weather.
• Noise can make it difficult to listen during communication , while hot weather
often make people unrest less or doze which makes it difficult to
communicate especially in a classroom set up.
• Religion, Cultural and Taboo- Often times, this results in communication
break down because some ideas and information shared may be acceptable in
one religion or culture but not in another.
• For instances, religious messages and understanding is different among
Christians and Muslims.
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Summary of communication choices
Use written channels when:
• Your message is fairly detailed or requires careful planning
• You do not need an immediate response
• You need a permanent written record
• You want to minimise the distortion that often occurs when messages
are passed orally from person to person
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Use of jargon- this happens when words or phrases that may not be
understood by an average person are used.
• For instance, if a doctor uses technical words or phrases in explaining
to a patient, the patient may not understand what the doctor is trying
to say.
• Emotional and Psychological barriers- This happens when emotions
or mind sets influence communication.
• For example, a brilliant student may be emotionally distressed and
psychologically challenged due to the critical illness of a beloved one,
this will make him or her engages ineffective written communication
in an exam or test.
Barriers to Effective Communication
• Language- This is one of the most common causes of communication
breakdown. Messages or information in one language may have
completely different meanings in another and may be offensive.
• Thus, extra care must be taken in translating messages from one
language to another.
• Gender Differences- this refers to the difference in sex (male and
female). For example, a man may say certain things to fellow men
which may not be perceived offensive but if the same is told to
women, it may be perceived to be offensive.
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Barriers to Effective Communication Barriers to Effective Communication

• Information overload-When too much information is communicated
at the same time, there are chances that the recipient may not
understand this information.
• For example if a boss gives too many tasks or instructions to his
subordinates at one go, there are high chances that the subordinates
will not effectively carry out the instructions or tasks.
• Inadequate Information- this is the opposite side of a coin to
information overload. This occurs when little information is given.
• For example, if a person is told to prepare chicken for lunch, but no
specific instructions are given on the method (boiled, grilled or fried),
this information may be considered to be inadequate or general.
• Differing status and positions: Some highly educated people may not
listen to the lowly educated people while a number of superiors may
reject the proposal of a subordinate.
• Position in the organisational hierarchy is no criterion to determine
the strength of ideas and issues.
• Tendency to evaluate: Being judgmental and evaluative are both the
starting points for miscommunication. Remember, the mind cannot
perform two activities at the same time. If it is evaluating, listening
cannot take place.

Barriers to Effective Communication Rules for Good Communication

• Despite the several barriers to effective communication, people can still engage in effective communication.
• Poor retention (Forgetting): This is the lack of our ability to • There are many tips for good and effective communication.
remember the details of the messages we receive particularly if the  Be clear and transparent
message is communicated to us verbally.  Use simple English
 Be well prepared
• If the receiver has poor retention capacity he would probably get lost  Be assertive
in the course of proceedings.  Do not assume things

• To overcome this barrier listeners or receivers should write down  Encourage two way communication
 Pick a good time to talk
some points so that when we are required to act on them we can act  Use good body language
accordingly.  Listen and be attentive
 Be consistent, firm and fair
•