Open Rubric © 2020 University of South Africa All rights reserved Printed and published by the University of South Africa Muckleneuk, Pretoria EPP2601/1/2021–2014 10000046 InDesign CGM_Style CONTENTS Page About the modulevii Study unit 1: Non-verbal communication 1 1.1 Outcomes of Lesson 1 1 1.2 Introduction1 1.3 Non-verbal communication 1 1.4 The potential benefits of using non-verbal communication 3 1.5 Potential problems with visual images/non-verbal communication 4 1.6 Examples of graphical data 4 1.7 Self-assessment questions 7 1.8 Conclusion7 REFERENCES8 Study unit 2: Listening skills 9 2.1 Outcomes of Lesson 2 9 2.2 Introduction9 2.3 Listening skills 9 2.4 Benefits of good listening 10 2.5 Problems with ineffective listening skills 10 2.6 Assessing your own perception 11 2.7 Assessing others’ perception 11 2.8 Interactive listening 11 2.9 Listening in a group setting 12 2.10 A speaker’s communication style 12 2.11 Anxiety during communication 13 2.12 Self-assessment questions 13 2.13 Conclusion13 REFERENCES14 Study unit 3: Communicating in the world of diversity 15 3.1 Outcomes of Lesson 3 15 3.2 Introduction15 3.3 Culture16 3.4 The advantages and disadvantages of diverse cultures in the workplace 16 3.5 Enhancing your sensitivity to cultural diversity 17 3.6 Overcoming ethnocentrism and stereotypying 17 3.7 Recognising variations in a culturally diverse workplace 18 EPP2601/1(iii) CONTENTS 3.8 Ways to improve intercultural communication skills 19 3.9 Self-assessment questions 19 3.10 Conclusion19 REFERENCES20 Study unit 4: Persuasive communication 21 4.1 Outcomes of Lesson 4 21 4.2 Introduction21 4.3 Persuasive communication 21 4.4 The essential principles of persuasive communication 22 4.5 Challenges of persuasive communication 22 4.6 How to secure your audience’s attention and argue well 23 4.7 The ethics of persuasive communication 23 4.8 Self-assessment questions 23 4.9 Conclusion23 REFERENCES24 Study unit 5: E-mail communication 25 5.1 Outcomes of Lesson 5 25 5.2 Introduction25 5.3 E-mail communication 25 5.4 The advantages of e-mails 25 5.5 E-mail language, style and accuracy 26 5.6 Common e-mail problems 26 5.7 Self-assessment questions 26 5.8 Conclusion26 REFERENCES27 Study unit 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals 28 6.1 Outcomes of Lesson 6 28 6.2 Introduction28 6.3 Reports and proposals 29 6.4 Three-step process for compiling reports and proposals 32 6.5 Self-assessment questions 37 6.6 Conclusion37 REFERENCES38 Study unit 7: Developing oral and online presentations 39 7.1 Outcomes of Lesson 7 39 7.2 Introduction39 7.3 Three-step process for developing oral and online presentations 39 7.4 Self-assessment questions 43 7.5 Conclusion43 REFERENCES44 (iv) Contents Study unit 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals 45 8.1 Outcomes of Lesson 8 45 8.2 Introduction45 8.3 Various visuals to use in presentations 45 8.4 Writing readable content of a slide 46 8.5 Adding animations and special effects 47 8.6 Completing slides and support materials 47 8.7 Practising your presentation delivery 47 8.8 Guidelines on giving presentation online 47 8.9 Self-assessment questions 48 8.10 Conclusion48 REFERENCES49 EPP2601/1(v) ABOUT THE MODULE (vi) ABOUT THE MODULE I. PURPOSE Welcome to the module, Applied Communication in Policing (EPP 2601). This module is presented at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 6 and carries 12 credits. It contains very important information on the theory and principles of communication. It is essential that you study all the information in this module in order to enhance your knowledge and skills in respect of communication in the police environment. Applied Communication in Policing (EPP2601) is of importance, for example, to police and law enforcement officers in general and to me and you too. We hope that reading through this module will ultimately help you to achieve better communication skills when communicating with clients and your colleagues in the policing environment. II. PURPOSE OF EPP 2601 MODULE The purpose of this module is to improve your communication skills in order to enable you to apply the theory and principles of advanced communication strategies in a policing environment. III. THE SPECIFIC OUTCOMES At the end of this module, you should be able to: • • • • • • • • • explain the role and importance of non-verbal communication in various aspects of organisational life understand the importance of listening in business and in other professions understand the role of persuasive communication in various organisational contexts discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication assess the advantages and disadvantages of e-mail as a communication channel plan reports and proposals in various organisational contexts write reports and proposals in various organisational contexts complete reports and proposals in various organisational contexts design and deliver oral and online presentations EPP2601/1(vii) ABOUT THE MODULE IV. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA It is important to note that during the semester you will get assignments to complete as well as write a formal examination. The assignments and examination will assess whether you have achieved the set of learning outcomes of the EPP2601 module. The assessment questions will assess the following: • • • • • • Knowledge: Recall what you have learned. Comprehension: Demonstrate an understanding of the facts by organising, comparing, interpreting, giving descriptions or stating main ideas. Application: Apply acquired knowledge to solve problems. Analysis: Make inferences; identify causes and finding evidence to support judgements. Synthesis: Combine elements in different patterns to formulate new solutions. Evaluation: Give opinions and make judgements about the validity or quality of ideas. V. PRESCRIBED STUDY MATERIAL This study guide is the only prescribed study material for this module. You can access it via the myUnisa website. The study guide comprises eight lessons that discuss the importance of communication skills in the policing environment. The lessons are structured as follows: Lesson 1: Non-verbal communication Lesson 2: Listening skills Lesson 3: Communicating in a world of diversity Lesson 4: Persuasive communication Lesson 5: E-mail communication Lesson 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals Lesson 7: Developing oral and online presentations Lesson 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals (viii) 1 LESSON 1 1 1.1 Non-verbal communication OUTCOMES OF LESSON 1 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • • • • 1.2 compare different forms of non-verbal communication, ranging from human gestures to manufactured images identify challenges associated with non-verbal communication evaluate the effectiveness of graphics used in organisational reports consider cross-cultural issues related to human gestures, body language and other communication practices during communication process in a policing environment highlight the close connections between verbal and non-verbal forms of communication INTRODUCTION Communication is a universal way of exchanging messages, whether spoken or not we rely on our communication skills not only to understand each other but also the things around us. As such, effective communication skills are not only important in our workplace, but in every place where there is interaction. This lesson will focus on non-verbal communication cues that are important in our policing environment. 1.3 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Non-verbal communication refers to any way in which we can communicate our ideas, opinions and feelings with each that do not involve using written or spoken words; including the use of signals, gesturers and pictures/visual images. Pictures may include artefacts such as photographs or charts. In the workplace we make use of these various forms of non-verbal communication to send messages to other people. They have the power to influence how we perceive certain people or areas. For example, a neat client service centre or well-dressed police officials showing a smile gives the positive impression of professionalism or good customer service. The opposite of these non-verbal signals may send wrong messages to clients where the police are perceived to be unfriendly or not caring. EPP2601/11 While sounds, words and sentences are the main carriers of messages during verbal communication, objects, symbols, graphics, pictures and signs are used to covey the meaning in non-verbal communication. For example, in African cultures, the traditional symbols that are widely used in non-verbal communication include tribal marks on the face and other parts of the body, animal skins to represent loyalty, beads, hairstyles and dress code (Msimuko and Mtukwa, 1985:269). According to Viviers and Van Schalkwyk (1992:26), non-verbal communication skills can be divided into the following categories: Category Body signals Explanation Facial expression (such as smile, frown, pursed lips, licking lips) Body movements (such as shaking head, pointing a finger, slap on the back, leaning forward, arms crossed, standing upright) Environmental Objects, designs (decorations, hairstyles or dress style, arrangements/decorations, intimate space, social, public, time, office space, buildings) Graphics Signs (road signs), models, colour, pictures, corporate logos Sound and silences Rate, volume, pitch, rattle of a car, wind, wave, barking dog, smell, and silences (peace, quiet, absence of action, apathy, ashamed, rebellious) Non-verbal communication is essential for police officials in order to enhance their relationship with clients. Therefore, the way you use non-verbal cues is important for the purpose of customer satisfaction. How a person uses his non-verbal cues can influence how people perceive him and is influenced by factors such as culture. Therefore, the police should be culture-sensitive when interpreting non-verbal communication in their professional lives in order to acknowledge different communication styles and their meanings. According to Blundel and Ippolito (2008:86) “visual images can replace written or spoken words entirely”, for example, when a picture of a gun is displayed on the door with a red line crossing through the picture, that is a symbol that no firearms are allowed in that particular area. Some of the images are internationally known and used in popular places such as airports to direct people where to go. Consequently, a visual image can send the intended message without verbally uttering any words. ACTIVITY 1.1 Which forms of non-verbal communication skills do you think are suitable to use when speaking to victims of crimes in the police environment? Feedback: See 1.3 on types of body signals 2 LESSON 1: Non-verbal communication 1.4 THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF USING NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Blundel and Ippolito (2008:88–91) state that the benefits of using non-verbal communication cues in the workplace including in the police environment, among others, include: (a) Rapid communication of message Visual images communicate messages much faster than spoken words. For example, a road sign showing the speed limit on a particular road serves the purpose of informing motorists of the speed limit that is permitted on that road, without spoken words being used. (b) Simplification of messages The importance of simplifying messages is to ensure that non-specialists and those who have limited time to read through a particular document to obtain the message of the text are also accommodated in terms of understanding the message. For example, in the policing field the annual crime statistics may be presented in the form of a chart or graph and the demarcation of the sector areas presented in the form of a map. This enables other people to have an imaginary picture of the sector policing areas in that particular policing precinct. Images also bridge the communication gap between people of different languages. They can also explain the process/procedure/link between various actions and aspects much better than spoken words. (c) Secure audience attention An interesting or unique image has the potential to draw people’s attention. That is why we see dramatic or outstanding images on the front pages of news reports in order to draw the attention of the readers or the viewers. For example, a police officials caught red-handed smoking dagga can be shown on the front page of the newspaper in order to attract the newspaper buyers, who will be shocked by such picture. In the policing environment, pictures of a person whose life has been negatively affected by illicit drug use can be used as a form of proactive crime prevention tactic to persuade the youth to avoid and/or stop using illicit drugs. (d) Persuading and motivating How a person looks may influence the reaction to such person’s request. For example, a well-dressed woman reporting that her car was stolen maybe more convincing than a person wearing torn clothes. The tone one uses when communicating with a victim may encourage or motivate the victim to be more open and share information about his or her concerns with the belief that they will be assisted. (e) Make message memorable Non-verbal signals will remain longer in a person’s memory than verbal messages. For example, organisations use icons/images or logos to make people recognise the organisation and its reputation (these kinds of icons are called visual hooks), because they quickly remind people of the organisation’s product. For example, the blue police lights quickly remind people of police presence. EPP2601/13 1.5 POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH VISUAL IMAGES/NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Just like any other type of communication, non-verbal communication cues have their own disadvantages which when used incorrectly can, among others, lead to the following potential problems: (a) Inconsistency This is when the images used do not correspond with the spoken message. For instance when the image used or the expression made does not convey the same intended meaning as the spoken message. For example, the person tells people how happy she is but her facial expression is showing signs of worry or sadness. (b) Inherent unsuitability This is when the image used is not suitable or appropriate for the intended message. For example, a speaker is talking about domestic violence but showing pictures of motor cars racing. (c) Context-related meaning This is when the speaker is not knowledgeable about the background information of the topic she presents. For example, a speaker associates the lobola tradition with the purchasing of goods. Those who understand the cultural background of African people and the reasons behind performing the lobola practice may misinterpret the speaker as undermining the African traditions. In this case, it is necessary for the speaker to give the context of his topic before the presentation so that everyone is on the same page. ACTIVITY 1.2 Provide your own policing example where the use of non-verbal communication cues led to inconsistency in the message that the speaker intended to send. Feedback: See 1.5 on potential problems of non-verbal communication signals. 1.6 EXAMPLES OF GRAPHICAL DATA Graphical data is important in presenting numbers or statistical information. Graphical data is used often in documents such as organisational reports in order to show progress in the performance of the organisation. However, if a graph is not designed or used properly it may affect how people interpret its data. (a)Pie charts – are used to show the sizes of the items adding up to the total number. For example, a breakdown of quarterly crime reports in Gauteng can be presented in a pie chart to show how much crime was reported in each quarter. The quarter with a high report rate is placed on top followed in a clockwise direction by other sectors according to their sizes. The use of too many segments in the chart can make the graph unclear and difficult to interpret. 4 LESSON 1: Non-verbal communication (b)Bar charts – are used for comparison purposes. For example, when comparing the frequency of car highjacking crimes reported in Gauteng with those reported in Limpopo at a particular time such as during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Bar charts can be presented vertically or horizontally depending on the individual preferences. Since a bar chart allows a comparison of more than two elements it makes the comparison much easier as compared to a pie chart. Each bar represents a particular element and that makes a comparison much clearer. (c)Histograms – are used for comparisons of continuous data sets, such as how often a particular crime occurs in a particular province and the age or race group of the victims. Bars are then used to represent the data sets. EPP2601/15 (d) Line graphs – are similar to histographs and they present continues data by using time frames. For example, how often house robberies were reported in Gauteng between the years 2015–2020. Two or more lines are drawn on the graph to represent each data set. The use of too much information can make the interpretation of data difficult for the reader. (e) Pictograms – use pictures within the graph to make the graph more attractive to the audience. It often leads to inconsistent interpretations because it does not use the scales. Pictures or icons maybe used to represent a particular number of items when different pictures representing different items are used in a pictogram; it can easily be misinterpreted by the reader and might make data interpretation complicated to the viewers. (f) Maps – are used to represent information related to geographical dimensions, for example, the provincial crime statistics of sectors within a particular policing precinct. The potential challenges of using maps are that one area size may be presented as being smaller or bigger than its actual size (Blundel and Ippolito, 2008:91–99). 6 LESSON 1: Non-verbal communication ACTIVITY 1.3 All the above graphs are important to use in any organisation including the policing environment. Provide your own examples of how you can use each of these graphs: pie chart, bar chart, histogram, line graph, pictogram and a map to enhance your communication in your workplace. Feedback: See 1.6 on the uses of graphical data 1.7 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS To make sure you are on the right track, complete the following activities: (1) Identify the benefits of non-verbal communication cues in the workplace and provide a practical example on how you can use each to your advantage during face to face interviews with clients in the policing environment. (2) In an essay format, discuss the potential problems of using non-verbal communication cues in the policing environment. (3) The South African Police Service (SAPS) annual reports showcase the level of crime in the country on an annual basis through the use of graphical and/or statistical data. Look at the SAPS annual report for this year, and explain in one paragraph what the data says about crime against women and children. (4) In addition to question c, identify the graph that you think can be used to present the above data on crimes against women and children and explain your choice of graph. 1.8 CONCLUSION In conclusion, note that the effective use of non-verbal cues in your workplace can benefit not only you but also your organisation as a whole, while ineffective use of nonverbal communication cues can damage your reputation and that of your organisation. Therefore, it is very important to practice the effective use of non-verbal communication skills in in the workplace. EPP2601/17 REFERENCES Blundel, R & Ippolito, K. 2008. Effective Organisational Communication. 3rd edition. London: Prentice Hall. Msimuko, AK & Mtukwa, JZ. 1985. Non-verbal forms of communication in Africa and their use in training. PLET: Programmed Learning & Educational Technolog y, 22 (3):267–272. 8 2 LESSON 2 2 2.1 Listening skills OUTCOMES OF LESSON 2 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • • • • • 2.2 differentiate between listening and hearing identify problems caused by ineffective listening recognise how perception shapes listening use interactive listening skills to enhance strategic communication, in given case scenarios demonstrate control of listening and eliminating receiver apprehension, in given case scenarios evaluate the success of listening skills, in given case scenarios INTRODUCTION Listening skills are the cornerstone for interpersonal communication and our effectiveness as listeners determines the quality of our responses. Regardless of the kind of work you do, enhancing your listening skills can be beneficial for the outcome of your communication with others. Within the policing environment this may include listening to people who report crimes or share any information with you, your colleagues and any other person who engages with you. The focus of this lesson is to enlighten you on the importance of effective listening skills and the cost associated with ineffective listening as well as the aspects that influence our listening skills. 2.3 LISTENING SKILLS Listening is a “psychological and voluntary process that goes beyond simply reacting to sounds and it includes understanding, analysing, evaluating and responding to messages” (O’Hair, Friedrich and Dixon, 2010:99). Listening differs from hearing in the sense that the latter is involuntary, passive and requires less effort. While listening is an active process that requires concentration on details. EPP2601/19 The listening skill is the most important part of the communication process, whereby the messages sent to and from the communicators have to be well received and understood in order to respond appropriately and achieve the intended goal of the communication. An effective listening skill has the power to enhance cooperation among the employers and their employees. To be an effective listener is more valuable in the workplace than being a good speaker. A good working relationship is informed not by how you speak your mind, but also by how you listen to other people. Therefore, good listening skills are vital for the success of every organisation or improvement of service delivery (O’Hair et al, 2010:95). 2.4 BENEFITS OF GOOD LISTENING Regardless of a person’s employment status effective listening skills are essential and can benefit you personally and your organisation as well. Managers may need good listening skills to listen to the concerns of those under their authority; the employees may also need good listening skills to listen to clients and their managers. In some instances “listening can be a matter of life and death”, for example, during the emergency situations or hostage-taking scenes a police official is expected to pay attention and concentrate on the message being communicated in order to respond appropriately (O’Hair et al, 2010:96). A good listener should keep eye contact, pay attention to the speaker, be open-minded, patient and his body language should show that he or she is focused (O’Hair et al, 2010:105). 2.5 PROBLEMS WITH INEFFECTIVE LISTENING SKILLS Ineffective listening can result in problems for the listener because often people who fail to listen effectively in the workplace run the risk of being considered less intelligent or incapable of carrying out their tasks. Their poor listening skills may cost the organisation financially. Personally such people may become less productive or achieve less success in their careers. These people may not be trusted by their colleagues or clients to perform their job properly (O’Hair et al, 2010:98). Bad listeners are identified by poor skills such as: interrupting the speaker, deviating from the topic, not showing expression or misuses of body language, they plan for the next question while the speaker has not finished expressing his ideas and they are impatient (O’Hair et al, 2010:105). In order to improve your listening skills you have to first understand how your perception of other people, objects or events influences your listening process. Perception is a process of making inferences based on your preconceived ideas, without facts (O’Hair et al, 2010:99). As a result different people may perceive different messages or events differently. Hence it is vital to assess the factors influencing your perception. The factors influencing our listening skills/perception include: • • 10 Reception – refers to how we see or hear stimuli, therefore the quality of what you see or hear will depend on the quality of your reception of such stimuli (message). Attention – our ability to choose what to listen to and what to neglect (O’Hair et al, 2010:101). LESSON 2: Listening skills ACTIVITY 2.1 Identify a practical example in your workplace whereby poor listening skills led to negative consequences. Feedback: See 2.5 on the problems with ineffective listening skills 2.6 ASSESSING YOUR OWN PERCEPTION Perception helps people to categorise ideas (create meaning to spoken words). Our perception can be influenced by our prejudice or biases (our unfair judgements to other people). These prejudices may come from our cultural differences, religious affiliations, gender, age and ethnic background. Therefore, it is necessary to focus more on the message being sent than the person sending the message in order to overcome prejudices or biased thoughts (O’Hair et al, 2010:102). 2.7 ASSESSING OTHERS’ PERCEPTION You may understand others’ perceptions by either sympathising or empathising with them. Sympathy means putting yourself in another person’s shoes by trying to understand the situation from their point of view. Empathy on the other side is about offering solutions to another person to resolve his or her problem (O’Hair et al, 2010:104). 2.8 INTERACTIVE LISTENING Interactive listening is also known as participatory listening; it requires the listener to listen attentively not only to the message being sent but also to its context. Furthermore, it requires the listener to probe the information provided by the speaker by asking questions in order to have a comprehensive understanding and clarity on the issue at hand. According to O’Hair et al, (2010:102) the important skills for interactive listening include: • • • • The ability to identify problems in your own listening behaviours. Identifying your listening preferences. Being aware of how your understanding of certain words affects how you perceive others, for example, politicians. The words used by some politicians may perhaps remind you of negative issues and result in you reacting negatively to politicians. Talking less, asking questions and using non-verbal body language. O’Hair et al, (2010:107–108) add that when preparing for listening situations, it is necessary to take the following four guidelines into considerations, namely: (a) Identify the object for your listening. (b) Understand the listening style required from you. Types of listening styles include: • • • • • Appreciative listening – listen with the intention to judge the value of what is heard. Empathic listening – focuses on the speaker’s feelings or attitude rather than the message. Discriminative listening – focuses on identifying the reason behind the message. Analytical – focuses on the content of the ideas discussed. Passive listening – listening with no intention to react. EPP2601/111 • Negative listening – focuses on identifying weak points in the message. (c) Generate both the physical and the mental energy needed for the listening processes. 2.9 LISTENING IN A GROUP SETTING Effective listening skills are not limited to one-on-one meetings, but are also important in a group setting. O’Hair et al, (2010:101) identified the following aspects as the reasons for listening effectively in a group setting: • • • • Sometimes members in a group setting may think that other group members are listening and will share the information. Members easily get distracted by external factors, may chat with one another or do other activities in the process of listening. There may be different interpretations of the message in a group setting. Different viewpoints from group members may lead to difficulties with concentrating on one idea at the time. ACTIVITY 2.2 In your opinion, do you think interactive listening skills are necessary when interviewing clients in the policing environment? In one paragraph, motivate your choice of answer. Feedback: See 2.8 on interactive listening. 2.10 A SPEAKER’S COMMUNICATION STYLE How a speaker communicates his message may influence how it is received by others, for example: • • • • • talking rapidly gesturing broadly showing no expressiveness talking slowly unusual dialects According to Kruger (2009:20–25), the following elements may cause barriers to effective listening, namely: • • • • • • • 12 A wandering mind – engaging in personal thoughts while attempting to listen to the speaker. Planning next question – this behaviour can lead to constant distractions for the speaker or the inability to grasp the full message. Preconceived ideas – ideas already in your mind will influence how you interpret the message from others. Environmental distractions – such as noise may disrupt the listening process. Faking attention – pretending to be paying attention to the speaker. Criticising the speaker – focusing on how the speaker is dressed or his accent rather than the content of his message. Engaging in selective listening – listening only to interesting information and ignoring uninteresting information. LESSON 2: Listening skills 2.11 ANXIETY DURING COMMUNICATION The study by O’Hair et al, (2010:116) shows that anxiety during the listening process can lead to issues such as: • • • 2.12 forgetfulness disorganisation of information, and distortion of data SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS Let us complete the following self-assessment activities in order to ensure that we have understood the content of this lesson: (1) (2) (3) (4) 2.13 distinguish between listening and hearing identify and explain the potential problems of ineffective listening skills identify the reasons why listening effectively in a group setting is important identify the various barriers to effective listening skills CONCLUSION It can be deduced from the discussions in this lesson that listening whether in a oneon-one meeting or in a group setting is vital for the success of any communication process. Thus, it is important to improve our listening skills by identifying the barriers (external or internal) that have a negative influence on our listening skills. For example, our wondering minds, anxiety or perceptions or noises that limit our effective during listening process. EPP2601/113 REFERENCES Kruger, Z. 2009. English: Practical Policing Module 1501 study guide. Pretoria: Unisa O’Hair, D, Friedrich, GW & Dixon, LD. 2010/2011. Strategic communication in business and the profession. 7th edition. Boston: Allyn Bacon. 14 3 LESSON 3 3 3.1 Communicating in the world of diversity OUTCOMES OF LESSON 3 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • • • • 3.2 define culture and explain how culture is learned define ethnocentrism and stereotyping and give three suggestions for overcoming these limiting mindsets explain the importance of recognising cultural variations and list eight categories of cultural differences identify steps you can take to improve your intercultural communication skills list seven recommendations for writing clearly in the multi-language workplace INTRODUCTION The history of culture and communication in the African continent dates back to decades before the colonial system when the African people used rituals, art and spirituality, among others, as their core cultural codes of meaning during communication. The goal of traditional African communication was mainly that of community cooperation, that is, African proverbs such as “Tau tsa hloka seboka di shitwa ke nare e hlotsa”. Translated into English as “working in a group can be more effective than working alone”. The proverb simply spreads the message of togetherness and solidarity, which is the core of the African cultures and traditions. However, with the arrival of the Western colonisers on the African continent many African cultures lost their purity simply because the Western colonisers used languages (such as English, Portuguese, French, etc) to control, devalue and exploit the local cultures (Bussotti, 2015:210–214). For example, school systems were required to adopt foreign languages in the classrooms, and Africans where persuaded to adopt Christianity, which required local people to learn English language as a medium of communication. In comparison to Western cultures, communication in the African culture takes a “Culturalist approach”. This means it is strongly guided by culture, values and customs of the African traditions (Hecht and Ndiaye, 2008:2). As such, the discussion in this lesson will focus on how to be culture-sensitive, how to learn others’ cultures and also how to avoid limiting mindsets (such as being ethnocentric, stereotyping ideas and assumptions) during communication. EPP2601/115 3.3 CULTURE Culture refers to the sum of ideas, customs and social behaviours (such as norms and values) shared among a particular group of people (Bovee and Thill, 2010:99). Hence people of the same culture perceive certain matters similarly and also behave in similar ways while those of different cultures have to earn their trust and prove themselves before they could be trusted in the workplace. Diversity refers to “all the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals” (Bovee and Thill, 2010:97). This diversity among people in the workplace affects their interaction and or communication with each other. Different cultures influence how people think, speak and respond to life matters. This is known as intercultural communication which is “a process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural background could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal communication cues differently” (Bovee and Thill, 2010:97). Our culture influences the relationship we have with others, how we perceive them and how they perceive us in turn and the type of expectations we have of each other (Bovee and Thill, 2010:99). 3.4 THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIVERSE CULTURES IN THE WORKPLACE Communication with people of diverse cultures is an everyday activity of most organisations (the police service included). According to Bovee and Thill, (2010:97), understanding the advantages that comes with this type of activity is essential for the success of any organisation because diverse cultures: • • • create opportunities for different opinions to understand the needs of various groups of people help the organisation to benefit from people of different talents/capabilities or knowledge are more creative than people of the same culture The disadvantages of diverse cultures in the workplace include the following: • • Diverse cultures may impede the relationship between the managers and their subordinates as managers may find it difficult to connect to all employees owing to their various expectations or ways of thinking. It can be difficult to forge a coexistence of people from diverse cultures in the organisation because one group of people may regard their cultural values or norms as more important than others. ACTIVITY 3.1 Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of diverse cultures in your policing environment. Feedback: See 3.4 for advantages and disadvantages of diverse cultures. 16 LESSON 3: Communicating in the world of diversity 3.5 ENHANCING YOUR SENSITIVITY TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY In order to have a good relationship among the employees and/or with clients, one has to be culture sensitive. That means you have to understand other people’s cultures and accept them as they are. This can be done through learning about other people’s cultures. Cultures can be learned directly (by being told what is acceptable and not acceptable in that particular culture) or indirectly (by observing the behaviour of members of the cultures of interest). Very often practices of people in a particular culture may be acceptable to members of that culture and adopted without a doubt; while to outsiders such practices may seem unacceptable. These common practices make the relationship of the members in that culture smooth, while for people of other cultures this can result in a relationship breakdown (Bovee and Thill, 2010:100). 3.6 OVERCOMING ETHNOCENTRISM AND STEREOTYPYING Ethnocentrism is “a tendency to judge other groups according to the standard, behaviours, and customs of one’s own group”. This is when a person perceives others’ cultures negatively, but views his own culture as being correct. For example, others may become xenophobic towards people from different cultures or have stereotyped ideas about them. Stereotyping means unfairly generalising the behaviour of one person of a certain cultural group, for example, all members of culture XYZ are thieves or rude or less intelligent, and so on. To overcome these negative thoughts of stereotyping or ethnocentrism, a person may adopt a cultural pluralism attitude, that is, a positive attitude of accepting people of different cultures as they are. Bovee and Thill, (2010:100) identified three ways of overcoming ethnocentrism/ stereotyping, namely: • • • Avoid assumptions – this means one should refrain from assuming that people should react in their own ways or meet your standard of what is morally correct or incorrect. For example, Suspect A did not keep eye contact with me during the interviews, this means he is hiding something, or Constable B never give hugs to any of her colleagues so this means she is an unfriendly person. Avoid judgements – refrain from jumping to conclusions when people react differently to you on certain matters. For example, it is not a surprise that Warrant Officer C will say the following words, this is because he is from culture XYZ and people in that cultural group are rude. Acknowledge distinctions – acknowledge that other cultures differ from yours and they are just as important as yours. EPP2601/117 3.7 RECOGNISING VARIATIONS IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE WORKPLACE Bovee and Thill, (2010:106) state that the cultural differences that a person should take into account during communication process include: • • • • • • • 18 Contextual differences – this refers to how a person uses his verbal or nonverbal communication cues to convey the message. For example, some people use less verbal communication and more non-verbal communication cues to convey messages (this is known as high-context culture). While others use more verbal communication and less non-verbal communication cues to express their thoughts (this is known as low-context culture). Legal and ethical differences – in an organisation with a high-context culture people may prefer written agreements while in low-context cultures people may value verbal agreements. When there are conflicts at work in a high-context culture people may prefer legal ways to seek resolutions while people in a low-context culture may seek mediation processes. This means that the two parties meet and discuss their issues and both reach a verbal resolution. Social differences – the following are some of the social norms that affect employers at work: (i)Attitude towards work and success – lead to differences in how people show commitment to their work or success in life. Some people may value hard work to get more money, while to others achieving great success may not be necessary and as long as they have permanent employment as security they are satisfied. (ii)Roles and status – may influence the behaviour during the communication process, for example, how women behave or how junior staff members behave towards their superiors maybe influenced by their cultural background. (iii)Use of manners – what appears to be personal information in one‘s culture may not be regarded as such in another person’s culture. This will influence how staff members share information with one another. Concept of time – is very important in high-context cultures, while in low-context cultures time is not an issue of life. This may affect how people use their time and attend certain events. To some being late for a meeting is not an issue while to others that is a sign of disrespect. Future orientations – to some people making future plans maybe important while others live in the moment and do not worry about the future. Openness and inclusiveness – cultures influence how people welcome or accept each other. Some cultures are more welcoming of strangers than others. Non-verbal differences The following ways of interaction are influenced heavily by our cultures, namely: (i) Greetings – some people bow, shake hands, kiss lightly or hug each other. (ii)Personal space – some people stand closer together during communication while others keep their distance. (iii)Touching – some people touch each other on the shoulder or arm while others do not. (iv)Facial expressions – some people shake their heads to show that they agree or disagree. (v)Eye contact – some people avoid direct eye contact while others prefer direct eye contact. (vi) Posture – some people stand up during greetings and others do not. (vii)Formality – people in certain cultures prefer formal clothes in the workplace while others are informal. LESSON 3: Communicating in the world of diversity • • • • Age differences – how young staff members behave in the workplace may differ from one culture to another. Gender – women may act according to their cultural expectations in the workplace, for example, being submissive to male figures while men assume superior roles towards female colleagues. Religion – some people may prefer to dress according to their religion in the workplace. Capability – people with disabilities may require special attention compared to others. ACTIVITY 3.2 Identify three ways in which you can avoid having a limited mindset (i.e. stereotyping or ethnocentrism). Feedback: See 3.7 on overcoming a mindset of stereotyping and ethnocentrism. 3.8 WAYS TO IMPROVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS There are different ways in which you can improve your intercultural communication skills According to Bovee and Thill (2010:109) these include: • • • • • • 3.9 Studying others’ cultures and language – this will ensure smooth communication. Respect style preferences – some people are confrontational and straight to the point while others use indirect confrontation. Use interpreters, translators or translation software. Write and speak clearly – adapt your writing and communication style accordingly. Listen carefully. Help others adapt to your culture. SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS Let us complete the following self-assessment activities in order to determine if we have understood the learning outcomes of this lesson or not: (1) How do high-context cultures differ from low-context cultures? (2) What is ethnocentrism and how can it be overcome in communication? (3) In an essay format, of two pages, discuss how you can improve your intercultural communication skills. You should provide examples to support your discussion. 3.10 CONCLUSION Although culture is not private it can be personal, meaning some people have a strong sense of cultural beliefs and as such it is important whether at work or not, to be culturesensitive. The same applies to clients in the police environment and it is important for police officials to acknowledge the variations in our cultural beliefs and to respect them in order to achieve a productive work relationship. EPP2601/119 REFERENCES Bovee, CL & Thill, JV. 2010. Business communication today. 10th edition. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. Bussotti, L. 2015. Short reflections on the history of African communication. Historia y Comunicacion Soicial, 20 (1): 205- 222. Hecht, ML & Ndiaye, K. 2008. Communication modes, Africa. The international Encyclopaedia of communication. First edition. DOI: 10.1002/9781405186407.wbiecc088. 20 4 LESSON 4 4 4.1 Persuasive communication OUTCOMES OF LESSON 4 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • • • 4.2 identify the principal factors leading to successful and unsuccessful outcomes in persuasive communication review established theoretical perspectives regarding motivation and decision-making apply verbal and non-verbal communication in order to secure attention, develop arguments and secure agreement address ethical aspects of persuasive communication INTRODUCTION We often use persuasive communication skills in our daily lives, however, not all of us are skilled in it. This is because to effectively advise another person on important matters regarding work or life requires practice and special skills. In this lesson, you will learn about the important principles of successful persuasive skills and the ethical issues to take into consideration during persuasive communication. 4.3 PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION A persuasive skill is an important aspect in both our personal and career lives. Communication becomes persuasive when the sender gives the receiver of the message the opportunity to respond to the message (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:117). Without this opportunity to decide on whether to agree or disagree with the message sent, the communication cannot be regarded as persuasive communication. People differ in terms of how they sent their messages during the persuasive communication: some use verbal communication while others opt for non-verbal forms of communication (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:118). Some organisations have a persuasive rich environment, whereby persuasion is the core business of their organisation, for example, advertising, marketing and public relations organisations. EPP2601/121 4.4 THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION The art of using words to effectively convince others to do as one wishes is called rhetoric persuasive communication. This is very importantin achieving successful persuasive communication skills. According to Blundel and Ippolito (2010:121) during persuasive communication the speaker has to have the skill of forming a sound argument. There are three elements of rhetoric arguments, namely: • • • Ethos – when a person uses his or her credibility/reputation to influence the audience. Logos – when a person relies on his or her logic (knowledge/skills/experience) to influence the audience. Pathos – when a person uses his or her charm/looks to influence the audience. Blundel and Ippolito (2010:122) state that an argument always begins with a person making a claim and expecting others to voice their opinions on such a claim. As such, a persuasive communication has to be a two-way communication process with two or more people being the actors in the communication process. ACTIVITY 4.1 In your opinion, do you think persuasive skills are necessary in the police environment? In one paragraph, motivate your answer. Feedback: See 4.3 on persuasive communication 4.5 CHALLENGES OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION The following are the potential problems of persuasive communication: • • • 22 Assessing the nature of the audience – the challenges facing many persuasive speakers is to have full understanding or knowledge about the profile of your audience. This includes knowing their previous experiences, the level of their knowledge and the type of personalities they have. Assessing the message: content and purpose – sometimes it is challenging to the speakers to ascertain if the information provided by the audience is true or false or just an assumption or not. Therefore making an assessment on the audience’s message and the intention behind such message as to whether it is positive or negative can be challenging if you have to convince them to convert to your ideas. Assessing the context of persuasion – the inability to understand the context/ environment or background information of your audience may lead to a failure to convince them of your message. Your message may be irrelevant or may provoke negative thoughts or emotions (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:131). LESSON 4: Persuasive communication 4.6 HOW TO SECURE YOUR AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION AND ARGUE WELL Blundel and Ippolito (2010:127–129) identified the following as important guidelines for attaining a successful argument: • • • • Addressing people by name instead of dress code or their looks. Posing questions – engage your audience by encouraging them to participate by asking questions. Being proactive – use information that could stimulate discussions. Using different channels and encoding – use video clips/music or other elements to demonstrate or support your argument. These will grab the audience’s attention. ACTIVITY 4.2 Watch a relevant video of your choice. Identify and explain any of the three common challenges of persuasive communication. • For each challenge you identify, provide a practical example. Feedback: See 4.5 on challenges of persuasive communication 4.7 THE ETHICS OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION The act of deceiving the audience and not revealing the whole truth on the matter at hand is common behaviour that most persuasive communicators use when conveying their arguments (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:133). An example of this is often seen in advertisements where the message being relayed to the audience is distorted. 4.8 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (1) Identify the principal factors that lead to a successful persuasive communication. (2) In an essay format, discuss the importance of persuasive communication skills in the police environment. (3) “Communication can only be regarded as persuasive communication when everyone participating in the communication is allowed the opportunity to agree or disagree”. In your own words, explain what this statement means and provide a practical example to support your explanation. 4.9 CONCLUSION In conclusion, every person can benefit from having effective persuasive communication skills. These skills are important to convince your audience to see the value of your message. This applies to learning about the ethical considerations that accompany persuasive communication especially if you are a police or a law enforcement officer. EPP2601/123 REFERENCES Blundel, R & Ippolito, K. 2008. Effective Organisation Communication. 3rd edition. London: Prentice Hall. 24 5 LESSON 5 5 5.1 E-mail communication OUTCOMES OF LESSON 5 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • 5.2 select and apply appropriate e-mail formats, including headings, content and style evaluate related practical issues, such as the archive storage of e-mails INTRODUCTION With the advent of technology, e-mail messages have become one of the most used forms of communication in the world. The speed at which e-mail messages allow people to send and receive messages from anywhere in the world attracted many people and organisations to adapt to e-mail communications instead of using the post office. As effective as e-mail messages are, they have their own pros and cons, which should be taken into consideration especially in the workplace. In this lesson, you will learn about how to improve your e-mail writing skills. 5.3 E-MAIL COMMUNICATION An e-mail “is like a letter in that it is non-interruptible (i.e. the receiver cannot ask for clarification midway through the message, as in a conversation) and it leaves a permanent record of what has been said” (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:124). 5.4 THE ADVANTAGES OF E-MAILS Blundel and Ippolito (2010:216) state that using e-mails has many advantages for the users for the following reasons: • • • • E-mails allow more than two people to exchange information/ideas without time delays (this type of e-mail is called synchronous communication. It is also known as instant messaging since responses are immediate). E-mails can also be beneficial to suit the individual’s time schedule, because a person may decide to respond to the message when they are free and such message will remain in their inbox (this is called asynchronous communication). E-mail subject headings are important to attract the receiver’s attention and they should be precise and in a short form. Specifying deadlines helps the receiver to know the urgency of the e-mail and his or her response. EPP2601/125 5.5 E-MAIL LANGUAGE, STYLE AND ACCURACY To write more effective e-mail messages, Blundel and Ippolito (2010:216) suggested the following aspects: • • • E-mails are better if they consist of short rather than long text. Text written in bullets/numbered points can make it easier for the reader to identify important ideas. The writing style must be adapted to suit the audience. If the e-mail is directed to your manager, it has to carry a formal tone unlike when it is directed to your friend or family members. The use of lower case only or uppercase only makes the message difficult to read especially to see where the sentences start or end. Upper case only is regarded as carrying a message with a harsh tone. ACTIVITY 5.1 In one paragraph, explain why it is important when writing an e-mail to make sure you adapt your writing style and language to the person you are directing the message to. You should use practical examples to support your answer. Feedback: See 5.5 on e-mail style, language and accuracy 5.6 COMMON E-MAIL PROBLEMS • • 5.7 Multiple e-mails circulated to wrong the people. The ease of sending a message. In order to avoid this mistake, a person should refrain from responding to e-mails when angry or when you are not sure of what to say (Blundel and Ippolito, 2010:218). SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (1) Differentiate between synchronous and asynchronous e-mail messages. (2) In an essay format, discuss the common problems of using e-mails in the workplace. Support your discussion with practical examples. 5.8 CONCLUSION There appear to be more advantages of using e-mails in the workplace than disadvantages. However, it is important that you understand the policies of your workplace regarding the use of e-mails for both personal and work purposes. 26 LESSON 5: E-mail communication REFERENCES Blundel, R & Ippolito, K. 2008. Effective Organisation Communication. 3rd edition. London: Prentice Hall. EPP2601/127 6 LESSON 6 Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals 6 6.1 OUTCOMES OF LESSON 6 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • • • • • • • • 6.2 adapt the three-step process of compiling reports and proposals explain how to adapt to your audience when writing reports and proposals name five characteristics of effective report content list the topics commonly covered in the introduction, body and conclusion of formal reports summarise the four tasks involved in completing business reports and proposals identify the major components of a formal report identify the circumstances in which you should include letters of authorisation and letters of acceptance in your reports explain the differences between a synopsis and an executive summary identify the major components to include in a request for proposals (RFP) INTRODUCTION Report and proposal writing can be used for conveying ideas to internal or external members of your organisation. Therefore, the manner in which you plan, write or finalise your proposal/report is crucial as it communicates a particular message to your recipients. The presentation of your report or proposal (whether printed or electronic copy) has the potential to influence the outcome of the ideas you are conveying to your recipient. In the case of the police organisation the internal members may include your fellow police officers and management, while external members may include, among others, the clients/community members making use of the police service. This lesson will focus on how to effectively write reports and proposals for the purpose of communication between police officers and their management as well as other clients (such as Community Policing Forums members). Specific police reports such as forensic reports written after investigating a particular criminal/civil case will not be covered in this lesson. 28 LESSON 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals 6.3 REPORTS AND PROPOSALS Reports are formal and detailed written documents that serve to communicate information concerning a particular issue in the organisation. For example, in the police environment you may write reports for the Community Policing Forum or simply to report back to your management on the approach used during crime prevention initiatives. There are two types of reports, namely: • • Informational reports – these offer data, facts, feedback and other types of information without analysis or recommendations. The purpose of informational reports is to inform the reader of what had happened and to induce changes regarding the issue at hand. Analytical reports – offer information, analysis and recommendations on a particular issue. They provide information on the cause and effect of a problem and suggest possible solutions to the problem. The purpose of analytical reports is to provide an understanding, an analysis, and measures of dealing with the problem at hand. A proposal on the other hand refers to a document prepared with the aim of convincing the potential client to enter into an agreement of working on a particular idea with the other party. In a business environment it can be an agreement to work on a business idea together. In a policing environment it can be a letter from the police to the local security companies to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to work together in crime prevention projects (Bovee and Thill, 2010:41). Reports differ from one another based on the motives behind them. Some are written in response to the request from clients or managers, while others are selfinitiated reports. The format followed in each report will also be influenced by the motive behind it. For example, if a company requests you to compile a report for them they might offer you writing guidelines to follow, while if you initiate the process you are at liberty to choose the appropriate format yourself. The number of pages of your report and the type of issues to cover will depend on the nature of your writing call. Any report whether short or long requires you to have the skill and knowledge of taking on the process. The following steps are necessary to consider when compiling a report or proposal, namely: planning, writing and completion steps. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS Informational reports can be grouped into four categories, namely: • • • • Reports to monitor and control operations – provide feedback on the tasks you worked on such as quarterly reports on the sector policing activities. Reports to implement policies and procedures – provide information on the organisation’s rules/policies such the South African Police Service (SAPS) standing orders. Reports to demonstrate compliance – present information on how the organisation complies with policies such as Batho Pele principles or even the Constitution. Reports to document progress – provide updates on the progress on a particular task. For example, how the implementation of the new strategies to fight illicit drugs is going. EPP2601/129 There are different ways of arranging information in an informational report, namely: • Comparison – here information that compares two or more items is organised in terms of their similarities and differences. • Importance – here the information is arranged based on its importance. Those of high importance will be first, followed by those of less importance. • Sequence – is following a step by step process whereby the first step comes first, followed by the second step and so on until the last step is reached. • Chronolog y – information is arranged according to dates or timeframes such as January issues first, followed by February, March, and so on. • Spatial orientation – is used when explaining how an object or product works and describing it from left to right, top to bottom or the inside/outside. • Geography – here the information is arranged based on location such as a country, province or town. • Category – here the information that falls under one category is grouped together, for example, oranges, apples and bananas are grouped under fruits whilemonkeys, goats, elephants and cows will be grouped under animals. ANALYTICAL REPORTS Analytical reports are grouped into three categories, namely: • Report to assess opportunities – the aim is to explain the challenges and the benefits of a particular action/product or task. • Report to solve problems – the aim is to suggest solutions or ways to overcome certain challenges. • Report to support decisions – the aim is to support the decisions to execute a particular project/implement certain policies or rules. It draws its support from previous and future decisions/suggestions. Analytical reports require in-depth analysis of the issues at hand (a problem or opportunity), creative ways of presenting your ideas in a logical manner and the skill to persuade the audience about your ideas (Bovee and Thill, 2010:423). If you are the one initiating the report writing you have to ensure that you convince your clients that there is an opportunity to explore or a problem to deal with, before you could suggest the possible solutions or recommendations. If the request is from a particular person/ organisation, it means an opportunity or problem to investigate is already identified, then your focus will be on the solution (Bovee and Thill, 2010:424). There are three ways of organising information/materials for analytical reports: (1) Focusing on the conclusion – a type of direct approach that centres on a summarised version of the entire report. (2) Focusing on the recommendation – the focus is on what can be done to resolve the problem or grab the envisioned opportunity. (3) Focusing on logical arguments – a type of indirect approach that intends to convince the audience to adopt/agree with your conclusion or recommendations. There are two approaches to do this, namely: The 2+2 approach – aims to persuade the reader that everything makes sense by presenting evidence as a backup plan to every point you raised. The speaker may even compare different solutions and defend why one suggestion should be considered more than the other. The yardstick approach – this is where standards have to be met and the speaker attempts to convince the audience that his/her proposed solution actually meets the required standard (Bovee and Thill, 2010:428). The speaker is given a list of objectives to achieve, so with the report he argues how he met the required objective. 30 LESSON 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals ACTIVITY 6.1 Differentiate between informational and analytical reports and explain when you can use each of them in your workplace. Feedback: See 6.3 on informational and analytical reports PROPOSALS The most important aspect of a proposal is whether it is your initiative or whether it was requested by another person/organisation. Proposals that are compiled on your own initiative are called unsolicited proposals, while those that you were invited to compile (the organisation initiates and sends out to a client who shows interest) are solicited proposals also known as request for proposals (RFP). Proposals written in response to a request have to follow the requirements of that particular organisation, such as what to include or to exclude (the scope of work), a budget to and equipment to use, and so on. How you organise the information in your proposal will depend on its nature (whether solicited or unsolicited). Solicited proposals often follow the organisation’s format while with unsolicited proposals you may decide on what you see fit for the purpose (Bovee and Thill, 2010:432). ACTIVITY 6.2 Assume that you were asked to arrange a meeting with the business owners in your local community in order to propose some sort of escollaboration between the police and the local businesses on crime prevention matters. You have to choose between a solicited and unsolicited proposal. Which one will you use for this task and why? Feedback: See 6.3 on proposals EPP2601/131 EXAMPLE: STRUCTURE OF A PROPOSAL Date To: Address: Re: (insert heading) ________________________________________ Dear Ms/Mr … Introduction … is pleased to submit the following proposal to provide services for … Proposed approach and work plan … summarise the problem at hand and how you intend to resolve it … list activities to do and timelines Work experience/Qualifications … describe your previous work experience and any qualifications you have Costs … description of activities and their costs, for example, labour, resources, and so on Yours sincerely Ms/Mr …… Position: Tel.: E-mail: 6.4 THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR COMPILING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS STEP 1: PLANNING When you plan your report/proposal you should follow the following steps: (a)Analyse the situation – this includes identifying the purpose of your report, compiling your work plan and anticipating the audience’s profile. 32 LESSON 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals The purpose of the report, informs the reader on the reason behind your report. This is called the statement of purpose because you are describing why you are writing the report (Bovee and Thill, 2010:413). A statement of purpose should start with an infinitive phrase that shows courage to do something. Infinitive phrases are words such as: • • • • to investigate the root causes of violent protests to analyse the use of the automated fingerprint system within the South African Police Service to evaluate the detective programme within the South African Police Service to create awareness about … After identifying the purpose of your report, you should draw up a work plan that will remind you of the step by step process of what to do. Bovee and Thill, (2010:414) assert that the work plan should include the following aspects: • • • • • • • • Statement of the problem or opportunity – whereby you describe the issue you will be writing about. Statement of purpose – outlines what you intend to achieve with the compilation of your report. Scope of your investigation – what you will include and exclude in your work. Discussion of the tasks to be accomplished – your objectives and/or a list of aspects you wish to accomplish with this report. Description of additional tasks required from you after this report such as to present at a conference or to publish the findings of your investigation. Review of the project activities, schedules and resources needed to complete the report such as finances, manpower, vehicles, laptops, internet access, and so on. Project activities and schedules may be those themes that will be covered by the event. Follow-up plans such as what to do in order to assess the quality of your project. For example, completion of evaluation report or feedback report by the audience. Working outline – specifying the time frames for each activity and the responsible person. (b)Gathering information – there are many ways of obtaining information such as library books, articles from journals, archive materials, previous reports, responses from informants (interviewing or observation of things or people). (c)Selecting the right medium – you may deliver your report via different mediums such as face-to-face/online presentations or by distributing hard copy documents. The reason behind the writing of your report should guide you on the medium of communication to choose. For example, if you compiled a report for the community then face to face presentation may work better while both online and face-to-face may be more suitable for investors. (d)Organising your information – how you organise your information in the report can influence how the recipient perceives it. There are two ways in which you can organise information in your report, namely a direct or indirect approach. With the direct approach you can start with the summary of the report and then move on to the body of the report whereas an indirect approach follows a step by step process without pre-empting the findings of the report. This means starting with the introduction, outlining the purpose of the report, then doing the body of the report and finally moving towards the presentation of the findings and the recommendations (Bovee and Thill, 2010:416). EPP2601/133 The important points to consider when organising the report or proposal information are: • • • • Understand and meet the audience expectations – know what is required of you and meet these expectations. Keep your information short and message clear. Include headings and subheadings when necessary to guide the reader through your document. Write a short report for short messages and a long report for long messages. STEP 2: WRITING As with any writing process, when you write reports and proposals you have to adapt your writing style to suit your audience. Three ways of adapting to your audience as pointed out by Bovee and Thill (2010:441) are: • • • Be sensitive to your audience’s needs – be professional, constructive and objective in your message. Build a strong relationship with your audience – in your introduction establish your credibility. Control your style and tone – adjust your communication style and tone to suit the topic. If the topic is informal use informal language and a formal tone for serious issues. WRITING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS When writing a report or proposal, it should contain three main sections, namely: introduction, body and conclusion. A well-written introduction should introduce the topic/purpose of the report, setting the standard or writing style of the report. A body should describe, analyse and interpret the information obtained from the investigation and include supporting evidence. It mainly discusses the ideas regarding the topic. A conclusion should restate the main points, highlight the importance of the report and summarise the entire report. According to Bovee and Thill (2010:443) the content of a report should contain true information, give full information to enhance the reader’s understanding and balance both sides of the story. The ideas should flow logically and be properly referenced and supported by evidence material. In contrast, the content of a proposal should be persuasive and focus on convincing the audience to back up your request and to consider it a winning proposal. Solicited proposals are exempted from this. The strategies to consider when formulating an argument for your proposal outline include: • • • • • • 34 showing the reader that you understand your topic using facts to support your argument being aware of/identify potential competitors and upgrade your proposal ensuring that your proposed ideas are practical/feasible relating your proposal to your clients’ needs ensuring that the presentation of your proposal is appealing to the readers and that cover pages, table of contents, supporting documents are included and well presented. LESSON 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals Online reports/proposal content should: • • • • • build trust with your audience adapt your content for a global audience ensure your message is clear and focused on the topic add link websites for those who want to do further reading ensure that the content is easily accessible online – you can create your own website/ use wikis to increase the accessibility of the content (Bovee and Thill, 2010:450–452). STEP 3: COMPLETING When completing (finalising the writing process) of your report or proposal you should consider the following four tasks, namely: (i)Revising reports and proposals • Check how you have organised your information, the style and tone and the message you are sending out together with the flow of your ideas. • Ensure that the content is readable by checking how you write the headings/ paragraph spacing and make sure that the font used to type the textis legible and appropriate to your audience. (ii) Producing reports and proposals • Once you have completed the matters concerning the text, include graphs, charts or other visuals to enhance the quality of your message. • Determine the type of packaging or presentation you will use. The following are important to add during the production phase: • Prefatory parts – cover page, title page, title flyer, letter of authorisation, letter of acceptance, letter of transmittal, table of contents, a list of illustrations, synopsis or executive summary. • Text parts – introduction, body and close (conclusion). • Supplementary parts – appendix, bibliography, index (Bovee and Thill, 2010:483–488). (iii) Proofreading reports and proposals Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors to ensure that your work looks professional (Bovee and Thill, 2010:489) (iv)Distributing reports and proposals – sharing the information can be via e-mails in the form of electronic or hard copy by post/hand delivery. EPP2601/135 EXAMPLE: STRUCTURE OF REPORT Title page …. including full details of the company/individual responsible for the report and the title of the report. Table of contents List of Illustrations ... include figures, tables and addendums Executive summary … summarises the entire report Introduction Problem description Investigation/research methods Findings Analysis Conclusion and recommendations Reference list ACTIVITY 6.3 Assume that you were asked to adapt the three-step process of compiling a report to compile an informational report on the issue of femicide in South Africa for the National Commissioner of Police. In two pages, explain using practical examples what you will do in step 1 (planning), 2 (writing) and 3 (completing). Feedback: See 6.3 for informational and analytical reports How you package your report will depend on the length of your report and the size of your audience. However, whether you distribute it online, by post or by hand will depend on your audience and the preferred mode of delivery/access suitability (Bovee and Thill, 2010:490). 36 LESSON 6: Planning, writing and completing reports and proposals 6.5 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (1) Identify three ways of organising information for an analytical report. (2) Identify the steps for adapting to your audience when writing any report. (3) What differentiates the content of a proposal from that of a report? 6.6 CONCLUSION Writing reports and proposals are common practices for many organisations including the police workplace. Therefore, it is necessary to master the skills of writing reports and proposals regardless of your position at work. Effectively written reports and proposals boost the image of the organisation. EPP2601/137 REFERENCES Bovee, CL & Thill, JV. 2010. Business Communication Today. 10th edition. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. 38 7 LESSON 7 7 7.1 Developing oral and online presentations OUTCOMES OF LESSON 7 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to; • • • • 7.2 explain the importance of oral and online presentations in your career success and how to adapt the three-step writing process to oral presentations identify six ways to get your audience’s attention and six ways to hold it describe the techniques you can use to feel more confident in front of an audience list six steps you can take to handle questions during a presentation INTRODUCTION Presentation is another form of testing your communication skills especially your confidence level, interpersonal knowledge skills, non-verbal and organisational skills. It informs the audience on how much you know about the topic, how confident you are in public speaking and how organised you are in terms of your presentation materials (Bovee and Thill, 2010:509). Presentations allow the presenter the opportunity to apply his mind to a complex situation and provide accurate answers in a short period of time. It tests an individual’s ability to think outside the box and to be innovative. Oral presentation enhances a person’s communication skills better than written work (Bovee and Thill, 2010:509). This lesson will focus on oral and online presentations, from the planning, writing and completion phase. 7.3 THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING ORAL AND ONLINE PRESENTATIONS STEP 1: PLAN This step includes the analysis of the situation, gathering data, selecting the right medium and organising the information. Analyse the situation – you start by determining the purpose of your presentation and understanding the profile of your audience. The purpose of your presentation may be, for example, to create awareness of particular criminal activities or to convince the audience on a particular issue. When you develop the profile of your potential audience, the following tips can assist you when dealing with various types of mindsets of your audience. EPP2601/139 According to Bovee and Thill (2010:510) the following are five types of mindsets of your audience and ways to deal with them effectively, namely: • • • • • Supportive – prepare your speech beforehand and show confidence, be relaxed and be knowledgeable about the subject area. This is the audience that welcomes you. Interested but neutral – cover both sides of the topic and do not be defensive when challenged by the audience. Uninterested – try to relate your presentation to the audience career or personal activities. Apprehensive – if your audience is not comfortable with your topic/speech try to adapt your speech to their concerns by outlining the fears they may have and make them feel at ease. Hostile – this means an angry audience. Respecting their emotions and being as confident and prepared as possible would help. However, the presenter should be calm and not engage in any debate that may aggravate the emotions of this kind of audience. Bovee and Thill further argue that, it is the speaker’s responsibility to ensure that the language of presentation is considered by everyone and that the seating arrangement facilitates the presentation. As such in oral/face to face presentation the advantage and disadvantage of the following seating arrangement should be taken into consideration: • • • • Classroom or theatre seating – chairs and desks face to the front. This allows the speaker to focus all the attention on himself and a large audience can be accommodated, although interaction would not be effective. Conference table seating – the audience sits on the side of a long table and the speaker stands at one end of the table. This allows interaction and easy control of the conversation. Horseshoe or “U”-shaped seating allows interaction between the speaker and the audience. It also enables the speaker to walk between the tables. Café seating in small group individual tables. This is good for short presentations but difficult for establishing interaction between everyone in the room since they are seated back to back from each other. Selecting the right medium There are many options to choose from such as podcasts, online videos or webcasts that people may access on your personal website for a “live” presentation. If you opt for an oral face to face presentation you have to understand the following aspects regarding the profile of your audience. Know the profile of your audience, for example: • • • 40 Size and composition – how many people are coming and what is their profession; are they mixed genders or races? Audience’s probable reaction – what could interest or irritate them and what are their motives for attending the presentation? Audience’s prior knowledge of the topic – determine beforehand what type of knowledge they already have and what they might want to know more about. LESSON 7: Developing oral and online presentations Organise your presentation This involves the following aspects (similar to any written message): • • • • Defining your main idea – identify the important message that the audience should remember the most about your speech. For example, your audience consists of managers and you want them to know that “insufficient resources make your work difficult = this is the main idea”. Limiting your scope – ensure that your message is passed on properly and within the given time. Prepare this beforehand to avoid rushing through important points. Choosing your approach – it is advisable to use direct speech if your speech carries good information/less sensitive information. You can then use indirect speech for more serious issues. Preparing your outline (speech) – when you prepare your presentation outline you should ensure that: your content relates to the purpose of your presentation/speech your main points are well organised the structure of your speech is well organised, meaning that the introduction, body and conclusion are in order your ideas are logical your references are acknowledged properly and that the title of your topic is short and clear as this will set the mood for your audience to know beforehand what your speech will be about. STEP 2: WRITE In this step, the writer adapts the presentation writing style to the audience and composes the presentation. Although many people do not write down their presentation word-for-word, you can always jot down your ideas somewhere. Before you start with the writing process it is important to adapt your speech to your audience. Adapting your speech to your audience The use of formal or informal language during the presentation depends on the profile of your audience. If they are colleagues, informal language maybe acceptable unlike if you are presenting to clients/strangers. The size of the group will also influence your communication style. Formal language is also preferable for a large group audience while informal language may be more suitable for small groups (Bovee and Thill, 2010:518). Composing your presentation When writing up or composing your presentation you should include the following sections: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. (i)Introduction – in your introduction you have to arouse the interest of your audience, build your credibility and give a preview of your message. When you arouse your audience’s interest you should: • • Unite them around one goal for them to engage in your presentation. Tell them a story that is relevant and important to win their attention. EPP2601/141 • • • • Support your ideas with practical examples. Ask them questions to engage them in the presentation. Use statistics to grab their attention. Show humour – this will show that you are observant of the surroundings (the audience or venue). When you build your credibility you should: • Introduce yourself or let those introducing you not sound too boastful about your credentials. Ensure that the audience knows who you are, what your qualifications are and what your current position is. When you give a preview of your message you should inform your audience on the topic that you will be talking about. (ii) Body Ensure that the ideas discussed in your presentation outline are coherent and logical so that there is flow of information. Connecting words such as in addition, therefore, as a result, in contrast, for example or consequently are used to link one idea to the other. In the body of your presentation you have to hold the attention of your audience. There are six tips of how to hold your audience’s attention, namely: • • • • • • Ensure that your topic is relevant to your audience’s needs. Anticipate the possible questions of your audience and prepare the answers. Use simple language and support your discussion with examples. Relate your topic to external familiar stories/cases. Open a platform for questions. Use visual images to support your presentation (Bovee and Thill, 2010:520). (iii) Conclusion This part of the presentation is important in order to leave the audience with a memorable message. You may use words such as “in conclusion” or to “sum up”. This will capture their attention. You may close by restating your main points and by telling the audience about the next step of your project or you may end with a strong note such as a nice quote. STEP 3: COMPLETE This step includes the revising of the message, mastering the delivery of the presentation, preparing to speak and overcoming the anxiety level (Bovee and Thill, 2010:510). When you are done with writing your presentation outline you should prepare how you will deliver your speech, how you will deal with your anxiety and the questions asked by the audience. There are various ways to choose from when delivering your presentation, such as: • • • • 42 memorising the speech speaking from notes reading your speech word for word speaking both from notes and memorising other parts of the speech (Bovee and Thill, 2010:522). LESSON 7: Developing oral and online presentations When you prepare to speak, you should practise your speech and check what your venue looks like. This will help you to determine if you will be comfortable or if you need to make some adjustment to suit your delivery of the message (Bovee and Thill, 2010:522). ACTIVITY 7.1 In two pages, write an essay on the importance of planning, writing and completing an oral presentation in your workplace. Substantiate your discussion with practical policing examples. Feedback: See 7.3 on the three-step process for developing presentations Anxiety is a common challenge among many speakers (including inexperience and inexperienced speakers). Bovee and Thill (2010:523) identified the following tips for overcoming anxiety and becoming a confident speaker during a presentation by: • • • • • • • • • • doing research or knowing more on your topic practising your speech to calm your nerves avoiding negative thinking or self-doubt relaxing when you speak opening on a confident note ensuring that you look professional avoiding panic and calming yourself down focusing on the message you are presenting keeping eye contact with your audience avoiding being distracted by minor things and keep going with the speech For many presentations, the audience is often allowed the opportunity to ask questions. Therefore, the following guidelines are important for handling questions responsibly, namely: • • • • • • 7.4 Focus on the person asking the question. Give a relevant answer. Avoid panicking when asked a challenging question – keep calm. Always give constructive answers and attend to difficult questions later or leave them for a tea-time discussion. Create an environment where questions can be asked voluntarily. Prepare the audience for the end of your speech. Then conclude by summarising the main ideas of the presentation. SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (1) Discuss the three functions of an effective introduction during presentation. (2) Identify the six techniques you can use to feel more confident in front of an audience. (3) Identify the steps you can take to handle questions responsibly during your presentation. 7.5 CONCLUSION Presentations are part of the organisational means of communication and therefore skills for effective online and oral presentation are very important. EPP2601/143 REFERENCES Bovee, CL & Thill, JV. 2010. Business Communication Today. 10th edition. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. 44 8 LESSON 8 Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals 8 8.1 OUTCOMES OF LESSON 8 After the successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to: • • 8.2 explain how visuals enhance oral presentations and list several popular types of visuals explain the importance of design consistency in electronic slides and other visuals INTRODUCTION Visuals can enhance the quality of an oral presentation by making complex issues more understandable through illustrations or images. If used properly they have the power to make presentations more appealing and the message more memorable (Bovee and Thill, 2010:533). Although visuals cannot replace your speech, they can add more value to the message that you attempt to send to the audience. In this lesson we will focus on the various visuals that you can use to enhance your presentations. 8.3 VARIOUS VISUALS TO USE IN PRESENTATIONS Bovee and Thill, (2010:533–534) identified the following visuals that can be used during presentations: • • • • • Electronic slides – created within Microsoft power point. The advantage is that you can edit the content of the slide if you wish and they can accommodate pictures, sounds, and animations and other ways such as being uploaded on the internet. Overhead transparencies – allow you to write on the transparencies during the presentation, but once typed and printed you cannot edit them. Chalkboards and whiteboards – are used for writing important points during the group discussion. Flip charts – also used for noting points during the session. Other visuals – may include video recordings that can be played on a DVD player. EPP2601/145 Creating effective power point slides is a skill that one can learn through practice. As much as using a slide can boost your delivery of the message they can also downgrade the quality of your message if not used properly. Therefore, it is important that you always choose your typing style, colour and font very carefully. You should ensure that they are readable and the words are legible enough. The type of graphics/pictures you use should be relevant to the topic. 8.4 WRITING READABLE CONTENT OF A SLIDE Ensuring that your slides are readable requires that you firstly, use a clear font size, secondly, use less information per slide, and finally use words or phrases that are easily understood by the audience (Bovee and Thill, 2010:537). When writing the content for your slides make sure that you: • • • • • • • focus on one idea per slide have four to five lines per slide use visuals in between the slides with text use mainly bullets instead of long sentences when necessary use subheadings write in an active voice When selecting design elements, take the following principles into account: – consistency – contrast – balance – emphasis – convention – simplicity Aspects to pay attention to when decorating your slides: (i)Colour – colour has the power to stimulate emotions. For example, warm colours create excitement while dull colours can draw down people’s interest. Colours may increase or impede the readability of your slides, isolate some of the viewers or highlight important ideas. Therefore, a person should choose the colours to use very carefully. (ii)Background designs and artwork – the presenter should avoid flashy/cluttered background design as this may distract your audience’s attention from the message. If you add the company’s logo make sure it does not distract the visibility of the text. (iii) Fonts and typing styles. When it comes to font or typing style to use, one should: • • • • • • 46 Avoid decorative fonts. Use fonts consistently in the context except for headings. Italicised text is not reader-friendly on slides. Avoid thin fonts. Do not use capital letters throughout because they affect readability and give a harsh impression. Use fonts, typing style, colour and sizes consistently. Consistency keeps the audience focused on the message and not on what the next slide will look like. LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals ACTIVITY 8.1 In your opinion, how can we identify readable slides? Feedback: See 8.4 on writing readable content of a slide 8.5 ADDING ANIMATIONS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS There are various options to choose from including: • • • • 8.6 Functional animation – having bullet points flying in from left to right add no value to your communication. Rather highlight the headings or certain points to emphasise their importance. Transitions and blinds – transitions that control how one slide replaces the other should not be distractive to the viewers and should be consistent. Hyperlinks and action buttons – automatic slide shows are often used in advertising, for example, the items on sale will be displayed on the screen as you speak. Multimedia elements – audio and video clips are useful for the demonstration of processes that could be difficult to express verbally or to explain in a short period of time (Bovee and Thill, 2010:545). COMPLETING SLIDES AND SUPPORT MATERIALS According to Bovee and Thill, (2010:545–546) when completing slides make sure they are: Readable, consistent, simple, focused on the message, audience-centred, clear, concise and grammatically correct and fully operational. 8.7 PRACTISING YOUR PRESENTATION DELIVERY Before you can present in front of an audience it is important to consider the following guidelines: • • • • • • • 8.8 Practice speaking without reading the slides word for word. Make sure beforehand that your slides are functioning properly. Ensure that you can cover all your slides in the given time or otherwise cut down less important points before presentation time. Practise pronouncing the words in your slides correctly. Prepare your introduction message. Anticipate audience questions and prepare responses. Ensure that your message is clear and well understood. GUIDELINES ON GIVING PRESENTATION ONLINE • • • • • • • • Send your presentation outline to your audience before the presentation because this will clarify any confusion about the content. Determine if there are any methods you can use to enhance your presentation outline. Ensure that the content is simple and the message is clear. Engage the audience by asking questions and ascertain if they are following you. Check if the whole audience is able to connect to your presentation. Give your audience a chance to settle down and understand the process of your presentation and how to make use of the electronic devices available to them. Make your presentation more interactive. Request help from the moderators to keep the audience in various venues comfortable. EPP2601/147 8.9 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (1) Explain how visuals enhance oral presentations. (2) List the several types of visuals. (3) Identify the guidelines to consider before delivering your presentation. 8.10 CONCLUSION Enhancing your presentation with visuals is important to make sure the message you intend to convey is clearly written and will create a memorable message to your audience. Whether the presentation is done online or face to face, what matters most is that the audience should be able to grasp the essence of the message. 48 LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals REFERENCES Bovee, CL & Thill, JV. 2010. Business Communication Today. 10th edition. New York: Pearson Education, Inc. Mabudusha, SA & Kruger, Z. 2012. Applied communication in criminal justice. Harlow: Pearson. EPP2601/149 GLOSSARIES GLOSSARY FOR POLICING: SETSWANA TLOTLOFOKO YA BOPODISA Terms 50 Meaning Mareo Bokao Aggressive Ready or likely to attack or confront Go nna dikgoka Siametse gongwe go na le kgonagalo ya go tlhasela. Assimilation To become part of a group Go nna karolo ya setlhopha Go nna karolo ya setlhopha. Asynchronous e-mail message Is a design pattern in which the call site is not blocked while waiting for the called code to finish Molaetsa wa e-meile o o sa gorogeng ka nako e e tshwanang Ke paterone ya thadiso e mo go yona setsha se go lediwang mo go sona se sa tswalweng fa go sa ntse go emetswe gore khoutu e e leleditsweng e fetse. Anxiety management Activities that address the feeling of worry and nervousness Tsamaiso ya go tlhoatlhoega Ditiragatso tse di samaganang le maikutlo a go tshwenyega gongwe go etsaetsega. Analytical thinking To find the underlying cause of things – systematic and/or logical Go akanya ka go sekaseka Go batlisisa sebako se se sa bonaleng sa dilo – ka thulaganyo. Arguments An exchange of diverging or opposite views Dikganetsano Go refosanya megopolo e e farologanang gongwe e e fapaaneng. Argumentative Tending to argue and/or tendency to disagree Rata kganetsano Go rata go ganetsana gongwe mokgwa wa go ganetsa. Assertive Having or showing a confident and forceful personality Go itshepa Go nna le gongwe go bontsha semelo sa go itshepa gongwe se se maatla. LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals Terms Meaning Mareo Bokao Communication Means of sending or receiving information Tlhaeletsano Tsela ya go romela gongwe go amogela tshedimosetso. Communication skills A good listener, body language, eye contact, hand gestures and tone of voice all colour the message you are trying to convey Bokgoni jwa tlhaeletsano Moreetsi yo o siameng, puo ya mmele, go leba mo matlhong, matshwao ka tiriso ya diatla le segalo sa lentswe di ntlafatsa molaetsa o o lekang go o romela. Diversity A range of different things; state of being diverse Pharologano Motseletsele wa dilo tse di farologaneng; seemo sa go nna le dipharologano. Ethics Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity Maitsholo Dintlhatheo tsa maitsholo tse di laolang maitsholo a motho gongwe tiragatso ya sengwe. Ethnocentrism Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture Tebo go ya ka setso Tshekatsheko ya ditso tse dingwe go ya ka megopolo e e ntseng e le gona e e tswang mo dingwaong tsa setso sa motho ka boene. Egocentric Thinking only about yourself and what is good for you Go ikakanyetsa Go ikakanyetsa o le nosi fela le se se go siametseng. Human signals Provide information about a person’s willingness to act or working together for a common purpose or benefit Matshwao a batho A tlamela tshedimosetso ka ga go batla ga motho go diragatsa gongwe go dira mmogo go fitlhelela maitlhomo gongwe tshiamelo e e tlhakanetsweng. EPP2601/151 Terms 52 Meaning Mareo Bokao Intercultural communication Communication across different cultures Tlhaeletsano magareng ga ditso Tlhaeletsano go ralala ditso tse di farologaneng. Interactive listening Where one listens well and concentrates on what is being said Theetso e e tsalanang Moo motho a reetsang mme a tsepamisitse mogopolo mo go se se buiwang. Listening skills The ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process Bokgoni jwa go reetsa Bokgoni jwa go amogela le go ranola melaetsa ka nepo mo thulaganyong ya tlhaeletsano. Non-verbal communication Is the non-linguistic transmission of information through visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic channels. It includes visual cues such as body language, distance and physical environments of voice and of touch Tlhaeletsano e e seng ya puo Ke tsamaiso ya tshedimosetso e seng ka puo mme e ka nna ka dikanale tsa pono, kutlo, go ama gongwe temogo. E akaretsa dintlha tsa pono di tshwana le puo ya mmele, sekgala le seemo sa lentswe le go ama. Oral presentation Is more than just reading a paper or set of slides to an audience. Uses visual aids and computer software Tlhagiso ka molomo Ga e ka ga go buisa pampiri fela gongwe go bontsha bareetsi ditheledi. Dirisa dithusapono le dirweboleta tsa dikhomphiutara. Online presentation Is a type of content that brings the traditional business presentation to anyone, anytime, anywhere online Tlhagiso ya mo inthaneteng Ke mofuta wa diteng o o tlisang tlhagiso ya tlwaelo ya kgwebo mo nakong nngwe le nngwe, gongwe le gongwe mo inthaneteng. LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals Terms Meaning Mareo Bokao Organisational culture Underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organisation Setso sa setheo Ditumelo tse di gona, megopolo, dintlhatheo le ditsela tsa go amana tse di tshwanelang mo tikologong e e kgethegileng ya loago le maikutlo mo setheong. Persuasive communication Any message where the sole purpose is to get the listener to support and transform their thinking in favour of the presenter’s perspective Tlhaeletsano e e susumetsang Molaetsa ope fela o maikaelelo a ona a le nosi e leng go dira gore moreetsi a tshegetse le go fetola kakanyo ya gagwe go ya kwa molebong wa motlhagisi. Perception The way in which something is regarded, understood or interpreted Molebo Tsela e sengwe se tsewang, tlhaloganngwang gongwe se ranolwa ka yona. Persuasive Persuading someone to do or believe something through reasoning or the use of temptation Go nna le tlhotlheletso Go tlhotlheletsa mongwe go dira gongwe go dumela sengwe ka go tlhagisa mabaka gongwe go raela. Subculture A culture group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture Setsopotlana Setlhopha sa setso mo teng ga setso se segolwane, se gantsi se nang le ditumelo gongwe dikgatlhego tse di farologaneng le tsa setso se segolwane. Stereotypes A set idea that people have about what someone or something is like Megopolo e e fosagetseng Megopolo e batho ba nang nayo malebana le gore mongwe gongwe sengwe se ntse jang. EPP2601/153 Terms 54 Meaning Mareo Bokao Stereotyping When you judge a group of people who are different from you Tebo ka megopolo e e fosagetseng Fa o atlhola gongwe o tsaya tshwetso ka setlhopha sa batho ba ba farologaneng nao. Synchronous e-mail message A two-way communication e-mail message Molaetsa wa e-meile o o diragalang ka nako e e tshwanang Molaetsa wa e-meile wa tlhaeletsano ya ditselapedi. Verbal communication The use of sounds and words to express yourself; both spoken and written Tlhaeletsano ka puo Tiriso ya medumo le mafoko go tlhagisa maikutlo a gago; e ka nna ka go bua gongwe ka go kwala. Visual images A mental image that is similar to a visual perception Ditshwantshopono Setshwantsho se se mo tlhaloganyong se se tshwanang le mogopolopono. LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals GLOSSARY FOR POLICING: ISIZULU Terms Meaning Igama Incazelo Aggressive Ready or likely to attack or confront Ukuba nolaka/ ukuchwensa Olungele noma obonakal ukuthi angagadla noma aqale impi Assimilation To become part of a group Ukuzihlanganisa/ Ukuba mdibimunye Ukuba yingxenye yeqembu Asynchronous e-mail message Is a design pattern in which the call site is not blocked while waiting for the called code to finish Umlayezo we-imeyili ongeke waphazanyiswa Le yiphetheni yesakhiwo lapho ucingo lungaphazamiseki ngokuthi luvalwe ngesikhathi umuntu esalindele lowo oshayelwe ucingo ukuba aqedelele inkulumo. Anxiety management Activities that address the feeling of worry and nervousness Ukulawulwa kwesimo sokuba novalo Le yizenzo eziyimizamo yokwehlisa ukungaphatheki kahle kanye novalo Arguments An exchange of diverging or opposite views Ukungena ezingxoxweni Ukuveza imibono eyehlukile noma ephikisanayo Argumentative Tending to argue and or tendency to disagree Umkhuba wokuphikisa Ukuthanda ukuxoxisana kanye nenjwayelo yokuphikisa Assertive Having or showing a confident and forceful personality Ukukhombisa ukuzethemba Ukuba nokuzethemba noma ukukhombisa ukuzethemba kanye nobuntu obunamandla Communication Means of sending or receiving information Ukuxhumana Lezi yizindlela/yimigudu zokuthumela noma zokuthola umlayezo EPP2601/155 Terms 56 Meaning Igama Incazelo Communication skill A good listener, body language, eye contact, hand gestures and tone of voice all colour the message you are trying to convey Amasu okuxhumana Ukuba umlaleli omuhle, ukukhuluma ngokusebenzisa izitho zomzimba, ukuxhumana ngamehlo, ukusebenzisa izandla kanye nendlela yokukhuluma, konke lokhu kwakha uhlobo lomlayezo ozama ukuwuthumela Diversity A range of different things; state of being diverse Ukwehlukahlukana Uhlu lwezinto ezahlukahlukene; isimo sokwehlukahlukana Ethics Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity Imigomo yokuziphatha Yimigomo yokuzihlonipha elawula indlela yokuziphatha komuntu noma yokwenza into ethize. Ethnocentrism Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture Ukutusa usiko lwakho ngaphezu kwamanye Lokhu kuchaza ukuhlaziya amanye amasiko ngokwezinkolelo ezejwayelekile zosiko lwakho Egocentric Thinking only about yourself and what is good for you Ukuzazisa/ Ukuzigqaja Kulapho umuntu ecabanga ngaye kuphela ngalokho okuhle kuye Human signals Provide information about a person’s willingness to act or working together for a common purpose or benefit Izimpawu ezikhombisa ubunjalo bomuntu Kuchaza ukunikeza ulwazi ngesifiso somuntu sokwenza noma sokusebenzisana ndawonye ngenhloso yokufinyelela impokophelo noma inzuzo efanayo. Intercultural communication Communication across different cultures Ukuxhumana/ ukuhlobana kosimpilo/kosiko Ukuxhumana kwamasiko ahlukahlukene LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals Terms Meaning Igama Incazelo Interactive listening Where one listens well and concentrates on what is being said Ukulalelilisisa kahle Kulapho umuntu elalelisisa kahle futhi agxile phezu kwalokho okwenzekayo Listening skills The ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process Amasu okulalela Leli yikhono lokuzwisisa kahle imilayezo kanye nokuchaza kahle imilayezo ohlelweni lwezokuxhumana Morals Standards of behaviour; principles of right and wrong Inhlonipho Lawa amazing okuziphatha, imigomo yokwazi ukwehlukanisa okuhle nokubi Non-verbal communication Is the non-linguistic transmission of information through visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic channels. It includes visual cues such as body language, distance and physical environments of voice and of touch Indlela yokuxhumana ngaphandle komlomo Le yindlela engasebenzisi ulimi ukuthumela umlayezo, ngokusebenzisa imigudu enjengokubona, njengokulalela, ukuthinta kanye nangomsebenzi wobuciko. Lokhu kuxuba izimpawu zokusebenzisa amehlo njengokukhuluma ngezitho zomzimba, ezindaweni ezikude neziphathekayo ezisebenzisa amaphimbo kanye nokuthinta. Oral presentation Is more than just reading a paper or set of slides to an audience. Uses visual aids and computer software Ukwethula umlayezo/ulwazi ngomlomo Lokhu kungaphezu kwesenzo sokufundela abalaleli iphepha noma isedi lamaslayidi. Lapha kusetshenziswa izinsizakufunda ezibonwa ngamehlo kanye nezinto ezinjengamakhomphyutha Online presentation Is a type of content that brings the traditional business presentation to anyone, anytime, anywhere online Ukwethula umlayezo/ulwazi ngobuchwepheshe be-inthanedi Lel yinhlobo yolwazi eletha uhlelo lokwethula ulwazi lwebhizinisi ngendlela eyejwayelekile, noma ngasiphi isikhathi, noma kuyiphi indawo esebenzisa i-inthanedi. EPP2601/157 58 Terms Meaning Igama Incazelo Organisational culture Underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organisation Usikompilo lwenhlangano Izinkolelo ezikhona, okucatshangwayo, izimfundiso kanye nezindlela zokuxhumana ezinegalelo phezu kwendawo yenhlangano engajwayelekile yabantu nesebenzisa ingqondo Persuasive communication Any message where the sole purpose is to get the listener to support and transform their thinking in favour of the presenter’s perspective Inkulumo ehehayo/ eguqulayo Yinoma yimuphi umlayezo inhloso yawo ungukuheha umlaleli ukuze asekele futhi ashintshe umqondo wakhe ahambisane nalokho okukhulunywa umethuli womlayezo. Perception The way in which something is regarded, understood or interpreted Umqondo Indlela udaba/into ethile ithathwa/ibonwa ngayo, izwisiseka ngayo noma ichazeka ngayo. Persuasive Persuading someone to do or believe something through reasoning or the use of temptation Ikhono lokuncenga/ lokushintsha umqondo womuntu Ukuncenga umuntu ukuba enze noma akholwe okuthile ngokumnikeza izizathu noma ukusebenzisa okukhohlisayo/okuhehayo Subculture A culture group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger culture Usikompilo oluncane Lapha ithimba elithile olulandela usiko, lungaphansi kwethimba elikhulu losiko, kaningi leli thimba elincane lunezinkolelo noma izinto ezilithandayo ahlukile kunalezi zethimba elikhulu lwamasiko Standards Criteria that refer to the basis for making a judgement Amazinga Indlela echaza isizathu sokuthatha isinqumo esithile. LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals Terms Meaning Igama Incazelo Stereotypes A set idea that people have about what someone or something is like Ukuba nomqondo wenkolelo Lo umqondo abantu abanawo ngomuntu onwehlukile kunabo. Stereotyping When you judge a group of people who are different from you Ukuqonda ngendlela ethize Uma ubona iqembu labantu ngelinye abehlukile kunawe ngelinye iso/ ngomunye umqondo. Synchronous e-mail message A twoway communication e-mail message Umlayezo we-imeyili ombaxambili Lo umlayezo ombaxambili wokuxhumana nge-imeyili Verbal communication The use of sounds and words to express yourself; both spoken and written Ukuxhumana ngomlomo Ukukhuluma ngokuthi usebenzise imisindo kanye namagama; ezindaweni ezimbili, ngokukhuluma nangokubhala Visual images A mental image that is similar to a visual perception Imifanekiso ebonakalayo Lo wumfanekiso wasengqondweni ofana nendlela ochaza/obona ngayo umfanekiso/ isithombe EPP2601/159 GLOSSARY FOR POLICING: ISIXHOSA ISIGAMA SOLAWULO NOLONDOLOZO LOCWANGCO Terms Meaning Amagama Intsingiselo Aggressive Ready or likely to attack or confront Ngobugcwabevu Ukulungela ukuhlasela okanye onokuhlasela okanye ukujongana ngobutshaba. Assimilation To become part of a group Ukwamkelwa Ukuba yinxalenye yeqela. Asynchronous e-mail message Is a design pattern in which the call site is not blocked while waiting for the called code to finish Umyalezo weimeyili ogqithiselwa ngokweziqabu Yipateni yoyilo apho ucingo lonxibelelwano ngomnxeba lungathintelwa ngelixa kulindelwe ikhowudi etsalelwe umnxeba ukuba igqibe. Anxiety management Activities that address the feeling of worry and nervousness Ulawulo lwenkxalabo Imisebenzi ehlangabezana nemvakalelo yokukhathazeka neyobuphakuphaku. Arguments An exchange of diverging or opposite views Iimpikiswano Ingxoxo ngokuphathelele kwizimvo eziphikisanayo okanye ezichaseneyo. Argumentative Tending to argue and/or tendency to disagree Thanda ukuphikisana Ukuthanda ukuphikisana okanye ukuthanda ukungavumelani. Assertive Having or showing a confident and forceful personality Ukuzithemba Ukubanako okanye ukubonakalisa isimo sokuzithemba nesobudlova. Communication Means of sending or receiving information Unxibelelwano Iindlela zokuthumela okanye zokufumana ulwazi. Communication skills A good listener, body language, eye contact, hand gestures and tone of voice all colour the message you are trying to convey Izakhono zonxibelelwano Umntu onesakhono sokuphulaphula, ukuthetha ngokushukumisa umzimba, ukuthetha ngamehlo, ukuthetha ngezandla kunye nethoni yelizwi zonke zigqamisa umyalezo ozama ukuwuthumela. 60 LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals Terms Meaning Amagama Intsingiselo Diversity A range of different things; state of being diverse Iyantlukwano Iindidi zezinto ezahlukeneyo; imeko yokwahlukahlukana. Ethics Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity Imikhwa esulungekileyo Imithethosiseko yokuziphatha elawula indlela yokuziphatha komntu okanye ukuqhuba umsebenzi. Ethnocentrism Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture Ukuzingca ngobuhlanga bakho Ukuvavanya ezinye iinkcubeko ngokuphathelele kwiingcinga zokungekabonwa ezivela kwimigangatho kunye nezithethe zenkcubeko yakho. Egocentric Thinking only about yourself and what is good for you Ukuzigwagwisa Ukucingela isiqu sakho wedwa nokulungele wena kuphela. Human signals Provide information about a person’s willingness to act or working together for a common purpose or benefit Imiqondiso yomntu Inika ulwazi malunga nolangazelelo lomntu lokuqhuba okanye ukusebenza kunye ngenjongo okanye inzuzo efanayo. Intercultural communication Communication across different cultures Unxibelelwano lweenkcubeko ezahlukeneyo Unxibelelwano phakathi kweenkcubeko ezahlukeneyo. Interactive listening Where one listens well and concentrates on what is being said Ukuphulaphula ngengqalelo Apho umntu aphulaphula ngocoselelo kwaye ngokuzikisa ingqondo koko kuthethwayo. Listening skills The ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process Izakhono zokuphulaphula Isakhono sokufumana nokutolika imiyalezo ngokuchanekileyo kwinkqubo yonxibelelwano. EPP2601/161 Terms Meaning Amagama Intsingiselo Non-verbal communication Is the non-linguistic transmission of information through visual, auditory, tactile and kinaesthetic channels. It includes visual cues such as body language, distance and physical environments of voice and touch Unxibelelwano ngezijekulo Ukudluliswa kolwazi kungasetyenziswa mazwi ngamajelo okubona, okuva kunye neentshukumo zomzimba. Kuquka imiqondiso ebonwayo enje ngokuthetha ngamalungu omzimba, iimekobume zomgama nezomzimba zelizwi nokuchukumisa. Oral presentation Is more than just reading a paper or set of slides to an audience. Uses visual aids and computer software Unikezontetho ngomlomo Kungaphezulu kunokufunda nje iphepha okanye iseti yezilayidi kubaphulaphuli. Kusetyenziswa izincedisikubona nobuxhakaxhaka bekhompyutha. Online presentation Is a type of content that brings the traditional business presentation to anyone, anytime, anywhere online Unikezontetho ngeintanethi Luhlobo lomxholo oluzisa unikezontetho loshishino lwamandulo/ lwemveli kwimekobume ngalo naliphi na ixesha, naphi na ngeintanethi. Organisational culture Underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organisation Isithethe sequmrhu Iinkolo, iingqikelelo, imikhwa esesikweni kunye neendlela zokusebenzisana ezizinzileyo ezinegalelo kwimekobume eyodwa yentlalo neyengqondo yequmrhu. Persuasive communication Any message where the sole purpose is to get the listener to support and transform their thinking in favour of the presenter’s perspective Unxibelelwano olucengayo Nawuphi na umyalezo apho injongo ekukuphela kwayo ikukwenza umphulaphuli ukuba axhase kwaye atshintshe ingcinga yakhe ngokuthatha eyonikeza umyalezo. 62 LESSON 8: Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals Terms Meaning Amagama Intsingiselo Perception The way in which something is regarded, understood or interpreted Isimongqondo Indlela into ethathwa, eqondwa okanye etolikwa ngayo. Persuasive Persuading someone to do or believe something through reasoning or the use of temptation Cengayo Ukucenga umntu ukuba enze okanye akholelwe into ngokuqiqa okanye ngokusebenzisa ukuhenda. Verbal communication The use of sounds and words to express yourself; both spoken and written Unxibelelwano lomlomo Ukusetyenziswa kwamazwi okanye amagama ukuvakalisa izimvo zakho; ngokuthetha nangokubhala. Visual images A mental image that is similar to a visual perception Imifanekiso yokubonakalayo Umfanekisongqondweni ofanayo nendlela yokuqonda ebonakalayo. EPP2601/163