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