The Communication Puzzle

Cheryl BennettProfessor Leiske

Com 200February 28, 2010

The Communication Puzzle

In order for communication to be both effective

and successful, all of its pieces need to fit and

complement each other. All of the verbal pieces

need to balance the nonverbal pieces. Without

this harmony, the image and/or message will be

confusing and therefore unsuccessful and

ineffective within the chosen audience.

Contents Introduction

Personal Awareness

Location Awareness

Audience Awareness

Audience

Gender Awareness

Cultural Awareness

Message Awareness

Message

Arrangement

Presentation

Evaluate

Communication Cycle

References 1 & 2

What are the Pieces?

Personal AwarenessA. Emotional state

B. Body language

a. Facial expression

b. Body position and stance

C. Appearance

a. Clothing

b. Hygiene

D. Voice volume and tone

E. Preconceptions and Prejudices

F. Communication Flexibility

G. Communication style(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, pp. 31-38)

Location Awareness

A. Size of area

B. Setting: formal or informal

C. Encounter: Private or Public

D. Time of day because of attention

spans; Early or Late

E. Weather because of attention

spans; Hot, Cold, Dry, Wet, Windy,

Calm, etc.

F. Area rules

(Hybels & Weaver, 2007, pp.

143-144)

Audience Awareness

A. Cultural differences

B. Gender differences

C. Age

D. Educational, Emotional,

and/or Intelligence level

E. Verbal cues

F. Nonverbal cues

G. Size of; One person or a

group of people.

Audience

A. Who are you trying to reach?

B. Why that particular group?

C. Watch their nonverbal cues to help stay focused.

D. Keep the audience in mind when forming your

message, and choosing your method.

E. Provide feedback to their responses.

Gender Awareness

Male communication

Straight-talking

Factual

Logical

Aggressive

Status/Competition

seeking

(Svecz, 2010)

Female communication

Roundabout

Intuition

Empathetic

Cooperative

Bond/Relationship

seeking

Cultural AwarenessA. Every culture has policies about

proper verbal and nonverbal

behavior.

B. Every culture displays emotions

differently.

C. Every culture has its own world

views.

D. Every culture has its own word

definitions and meanings.(American Advertising Federation, 2010)

Message Awareness

A. Age, education,

culturally appropriate

B. Clear and Focused

C. Easily understood

D. Length; attention span

E. Relevance to topic

and/or audience(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, pp. 122-

126)

MessageA. What do you want and need to say?

B. What is the focus of your message, its importance?

a. To give information, or teach

b. To sway opinions towards your own

c. To exchange ideas, clarify understandings

d. To connect with another individual or group, express empathy

e. To express your feelings, wants, needs, or feedback towards someone else

C. How do you want to say your message; what form should it

have; written, spoken, or both?

D. What do you want your audience to take away from your

message?

(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, pp.

122-126)

Arrangement

A. Choose a form that relates to your audience the best

a. Auditory (speech)

b. Visual (props, presentations, etc.)

c. Kinetic (audience involvement)

d. A mix of the above methods

B. Consider their informational needs and wants.

C. Consider the culture, educational background,

intelligence level, and emotional need of the audience.

PresentationA. How can you make the broadest impact?

B. How can you multiply the effect(s) of your message?

C. How do you wish to deliver your message, verbally,

nonverbally, or a mix of both?

D. Which style best suits your audience and message?

E. Is it flexible to change per audience?

EvaluateA. What worked and why?

B. What didn’t and why?

C. What did you learn?

D. What could or would you change next time?

E. What would improve future communications?

F. Are your communication skills flexible to change in

regards to your audience, your location, and your

message’s arrangement and presentation?

The Communication Cycle

Message

Convey

Receive

Interpret

Respond

Evaluate

(Hybels and Weaver, 2007, p. 83)

References

American Advertising Federation, (2010).

Cultural Barriers. Retrieved from http

://www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=911 on February 27, 2010.

AnimationFactory. (2008.) 3-D Animated Clipart 2. Jupitorimages

Corporation: New York.

Hybels, S., & Weaver II, R., (2007). Communicating Effectively.

New York: McGraw Hill.

Svecz, A., (2010). Gender Communication: The Impact Gender

has on Effective Communication. Retrieved from

http://trainingpd.suite101.com/article.cfm/gender-communi

cation

on February 27, 2010.