Task 2 Communication
- 2. Communication relies on the development of skills in three areas; General Communication Skills, Interpersonal skills, and written communication skills.
- 3. General communication skills are a set of abilities that allow for effective communication. These skills include; understanding cultural differences, engaging with an audience, and question and answer skills.
- 4. Not understanding cultural differences can be a barrier to effective communication. This is because the way one person may understand a word could be very different to that of another person. For example, a cot in the UK is a small bed for a baby, whereas in the US a cot is a type of camp bed.
- 5. There a different techniques to engaging an audience, which if implemented correctly can provide effective communication. Engaging an audience can be done by; using technology, or question and answer sessions. Using a variety of techniques will ensure that the audience in fully engaged.
- 6. Effective communication can be gained through question and answer sessions. This is because it will allow the audience to ask questions about areas or topics that they do not fully understand. As a result of this, the presentation will be more lively and therefore a message can be communicated more effectively.
- 7. Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to interact with, and relate to others. Interpersonal skills include; techniques and cues, positive and negative language, and active engagement.
- 8. Techniques and cues are a form of communication that go beyond words and signals for example; Many messages can be understand from body language such as; folded arms and a turned mouth would suggest that the person is unhappy or upset. Understanding these signs allows for effective communication.
- 9. The effects of the language used in a speech can I have positive or negative connotations. For example a message can be put across in a way so that it seems critical or rude, but the same message can be put across in a way that is constructive.
- 10. To communicate effectively it can be useful to show that you are actually listening, this can be done by; nodding, paraphrasing and summarising. This is because it shows to the speaker that you actually understand and are interested in what they are talking about. However, a technique such as nodding should not be over used as it is disconcerting.
- 11. Most organisations have a set of written guidelines and procedures that it expects employees to observe to show professionalism. This is what is known as a house style. Examples include; the spacing between the margins, the justification, indentation and line spacing.
- 12. In to order to communicate effectively, a message should be conveyed as simply and efficiently as possible. It is also advisable to plan a message beforehand. A plan should include; what you want to say in the message and how you want to say it.
- 13. Considering that the majority of word processing applications have a the ability to check spelling and grammar there is no reason for it to be wrong. In addition to this, although the human brain has the ability to interpret misspelled words, it does not look at all professional. Therefore it is a barrier to effective communication.
- 14. One of the most important aspects of writing is to be able to consider the viewpoints of others. This is because, it shows a clear understanding of a topic to be able to consider and dismiss, with reasons, another viewpoint. As a result of this, considering the views of others is key to effective communication.
- 15. An example of a barrier to effective communication is not having access to the internet. This is a barrier because it means the user would be unable to send or receive e mails, or access social networking sites. This barrier can be overcome by finding somewhere with internet access; such as the library, or using another method or communication such as a telephone.
- 16. Another communication barrier is mobile phone signal being lost. This is a barrier because it makes communication by mobile impossible. This can be overcome by, ensuring that a phone has signal before starting a cool, or by using another method of communication such as a landline telephone.