Chapter ONE Introduction to communication skills - Communication skills: *Def: It is the ability to convey or share ideas and feeling effectively -OR: it is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another *the different categories of communication include: -A) The verbal communication: includes face to face, telephone, radio or TV &other media -B)The Nonverbal communication: it includes body language ,how we dress or act -C) Written communication: it includes letters , mail, books and magazine -D) visualizations: it includes graphs , charts and maps -the key elements of the communication process is: 1-sender 2- message 3-communication channel 4-receiver 5-interpret meaning 6- feedback *To have a good communication, we must differentiate between the effective communication and efficient communication Effective communication Efficient communication It occurs when the intend - It occurs at a minimum meaning of the sender is resources cost identical to interpret meaning of the receiver -An effective communicator understands their audience by choosing an appropriate communication channel ,they send their message to their channel and encodes the message to reduce misunderstanding by the receivers - They also seek out feedback from receiver and to how the message is understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as possible The communication process Encode Decode Message Recipient feedback channel sender Decode Encode The persuasion and credibility in effective communication * First: The Persuasion it is getting someone else to support the message being presented *the persuasion process must includes: 1- Attention: one must first get the intended audience to listen to what one has to say 2- comprehension: The intended audience must understand the argument or message presented 3-Acceptance: The intended audience must accept the arguments or conclusions presented in communication 4- retention: The message must be remembered and have staying power -Expert power and referent power are essential for persuasion *Second: The credibility - it involves trust, respect and integrity in the eyes of others It can be built through expertise and relationships - The Three Cs of credibility: 1-competence 2- character 3-charisma 1-competence -Def: The speaker’s expertise on the subject area *Ex: - State evidence - Talk about experience - Cite outside source 2-character -Def: The audience perception of the speaker’s honesty *EX: -integrity(keep your word) -speak positively - Remain professional 3- charisma - Def: The audience perception of the speaker’s like ability *Ex: -direct eye contact - Smile - Choose topic you love The source of communication consists of: 1-The good source of communication 2-the source of noise for communication 1- The good source of communication: It includes: A)Primary source: -Original documents which evenly being researched *Ex: Creative works ,photographs, speeches , dataset B)Secondary sources - Work that analyze assess or interpret a historical event or an area uses the primary source *Ex: Search studies, books, biographic 2- The source of noise in communication A)Poor choice of channel: -to choose a good channel that works the best B) Poor written or oral expressions: 1- To choose a written channel work for message that: - are simple and easy to convey - require extensive dissemination quickly - convey formal policy 2- spoken channel work best for message that: - are complex or difficult to convey where immediate feedback is needed - Attempt to create a supportive , even inspirational climate c)Failure to recognize non-verbal signals - Which includes body posture , eye contact and interpersonal space - The growing use of communication technologies causes important non-verbal communication to be lost -Verbal and Non- verbal communication includes: Visual cues Vocal cues - Facial expression - Eye contact - Body positioning - Style of dressing - Body movement -volume - Quality - Inflection - Pitch D) Physical distraction: - include interruption from telephone calls , a lake of privacy - can be avoided or at least minimized through proper planning How to improve the communication skills? One way to improve the communication skills is to have: A- an active listening B- an active language behavior A- An active listening: *Def: it is the process of taking an action to help someone say exactly what she or he really means *To have an active listening: -first: the rules of active listening 1-listen for the message content 2- listen for feelings 3- respond to feelings 4- note all cues, verbal and non-verbal 5- paraphrase and restart - -Second: Improve listening skills 1- pay attention to difference in thinking style 2- listen for the subtext 3- suspend judgment when hearing something new 4- remember the “truth "is relative to the individuals brain-mind system in which it arises 5- to change the way you’re feeling and doing -Third: Ten steps of good listening 1-stop talking 2-put the other person at ease 3-show that you want to listen 4-listen empathize with other person 5- remove any potential distraction 6- be patient 7- do not get mad 8-go easy on argument 9- ask questions 10- stop talking Fourth: use the communication channels - Channel richness is the capacity of communication channel to carry information in an effective manner - Low channel richness is impersonal [one-way& fast] - High channel richness is personal, [two-way &fast] fifth: Technology utilization -information technologies facilities communication - Email privacy -employer’s policy on personal e-mail (B) An Active language behavior *Def: it is the study of the interaction between verbal symbols and the thought pattern associated with them - In a group discussion, the full entire discussion may be diverted by a difference in interpretation of a given word * The guidelines for making oral presentation: 1-Be prepared 2- set the right tone 3- sequence points 4- support your point 5- add the right amount of polish 6- check your technology 7- be professional
