ING105 Effective Communication

1. ING105EffectiveCommunication Lecture 2: What Is CommunIcatIon?

2. How to Define Communication? • Theword ‘communication’ comesfromthe Latin wordcommunicarewhichliterallymeans ‘toshareorimpart’, meaning ‘makeknown’. • It is oftendefined as ‘a processbywhichinformation is exchangedbetweenindividualsthrough a commonsystem of symbols, signsorbehavior’. • Communication is an essentialpart of ourlives. Wecommunicateeverydaywithdifferentpeople at differenttimes, in diff. ways. • We communicate with ourselves in our thoughts. We  also communicate with  our family, friends, people at work, and le peoplewe meet socially or professionally.

3. A (Very) BriefHistory of Communication • GreekPhilosopherAristotle (384-322 BCE) Aristotle’sSpeaker-Centered Model • His definition of rhetoric is one of theearliest definitions of communication. • Rhetoric ‘may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion’. • Thewayyouspeakneedsto be effective becauseyouwanttopersuadeotherpeople.

4. Speaker Message Listener Aristotle’s Model of Communication • Designed for public speaking/oration • Speaker at the center of the communication process • Speaker prepares a message for an intended audience • Message is intended to have an effect on the listener/audience • Listeneris seen to be passive and ready to beaffected by the speaker's message • Dominant view in thenexttwomillenia. However, there is moreto it!

5. A (More) Complex Model of Communication in the 20th Century • Thecomponents of communicationaremorethanmeetstheeye! • Thecommunicationprocessinvolveselementssuch as source, message, encoding, channel,receiveretc... But what do wemean?

6. Source / Speaker • The source ofcommunicationis the speaker.Thesourcesimplyconveys a messageorpassesinformation. In order to be a good source, you need to be clear about the message you are sending. • Oftentimes, what isbeingsaid is not always what isbeingheard. To prevent this from happening, thesourcecoulddo the following: • State one idea at a time • Express yourideas in a simpleway • Explainwhenappropriate • Repeatifnecessary • Encouragefeedback

7. Message • The message is simply the thought, idea orinformation the source wantsto communicate to the receiver. The message is usuallyverbal but it mayalso be non-verbal. • Withoutthemessage, there is NO needforcommunication. • Toreducepotentialproblems, thespeakershould: • Speakclearly • Use appropriate vocal tone and volume • Usecorrectterminology • Be relevant to the receiver, not a distraction. Themessage needs to be inclusive and informative

8. Encoding • The process oftakingyourmessageandtransferring itinto a form that can be sent and correctly understoodbythereceiver / listener. • Encodingmeans that the intended idea, thought, orpurpose gets embedded insomecode such as a word, a sign or both;and they make the message. • Encoding is generally done by the sender of the message. Sender is therefore theencoder of themessage. • Knowyouraudience: toencode a messageproperly, youneedtoknowwhoyouraudience is.

9. Channel • Thechannel is themethodthatyouusetoconveyyourmessage. Therearedifferenttypes of channel. • Channelsincludeverbalmeanssuch as face-to-faceconversations, phonecallsandvideoconferencing, andwrittenformslikeletters, reports, presentations, e-mailsandtweets. • Eachchannel has itsownadvantagesanddrawbacks. Itwould be difficulttogivecomplexinformationlike a technicalreport on thephone. • The type ofcommunication,whether it is formal and informal, is an important aspect in choosing themost appropriate channel for communicating effectively.

10. Decoding • Decodinghappenswhenthelistenerreceivethemessagethatthespeaker sent tothem. • Inordertosuccessfullydecode a messageyouneedtohavetheabilitytoreadandunderstand, listen activelyand ask clarifyingquestions. • Ifthereceiver/listenercannotdecodethemessagethespeaker sent, it is necessarytofindotherwaystoresend it orhelpthemunderstand it bygivingclarifyinginformation.

11. Receiver / Feedback • Thereceiver is thepersonwhothemessage is sent/directedto. • It is importanttorealizethateachpersonthatreceivesthemessagewill listen to it throughtheirownindividualexpectations, opinionsandperspectives. • Feedback is a goodwaytounderstandwhetheryourcommunication is successfulor not. Youcould ask thereceiverquestionstoseeiftheyhaveunderstoodyou. • Youcouldalsoreadtheir body languagetoensureunderstanding. • Feedback may be verbal, nonverbalorwritten. Also, it may be positiveornegative.

12. Context • Thecontext is thesituation in whichyouarecommunicating. Itinvolvestheenvironmentthatyouandyouraudienceare in! • Yourcommunicationprocessdiffersaccordingtothecontextyouare in. Youcommunicatewithyourprofessor in a waydifferentfromthewayyoucommunicatewithyourfriends • Thecontexthelpsyoudeterminethetoneandstyle of yourcommunication.

13. Class Activity • A sample of communicationprocess • Source • Message • Encoding • Channel • Decoding • Receiver • Feedback • Context

14. turn! • Using thecomponents of communicationthatyoujusthavelearned, create an instance of communication. Show who is thesource, what is themessageandwhat is thechanneletc…!

15. End of Communication!!!