COMMUNICATIO

N AND
PRESENTATION
Chapter
No. 1
SKILLS
Overview of
Communication

Umair Ali
MSc.IT (PU), MBA (PU),
M.Phil (PU Gold Medalist)
 LEARNING OUTCOME
 Communication
 The importance of communication
 Stages of the communication process
 Types of communication
 Barriers to effective communication
 List and explain the 7 C’s of effective
communication
 Different channels of communication (verbal,
written, electronic)
 Impact of using the wrong channel of
communication in a business setting
 The ‘less is more’ principle
COMMUNICATION
 According to Webster’s Dictionary,
communication is defined as: ‘sending, giving
or exchanging information. This can be
expressed non-verbally and verbally.’
 Another popular definition is: ‘the imparting
or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or
information by speech, writing, or signs’
 Communication is an activity which is meant
to convey meaningful information.
 Communication patterns are changing rapidly
due to the adoption of IT tools and the
demands on a person to communicate with
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

 Effective communication skills are required

to deal successfully with personal and
business associates.
 Business communications encompasses
communication with: customers, suppliers,
vendors, colleagues, subordinates,
supervisors, senior management etc.
 Good communication may help increase job
satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits
and decrease grievances and turnover.
STAGES OF THE
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 The communication process is made up of
following components:
 Sender

 Encoding

 Medium of transmission
 Decoding

 Receiver

 Feedback
STAGES OF THE
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
SOURCE / SENDER
 The source can be an individual, group, or
organization who initiates the
communication.
 This source is initially responsible for the
success of the message.
 All communication begins with the sender.
 For example, a customer writing a letter to
the branch manager requesting a cheque
book or a bank generating an automated
system generated letter to the customer
with information regarding credit card
transactions
ENCODING
 This is the process of transferring the
information one wants to communicate into
a form that can be sent and correctly
decoded at the other end (to the receiver).
 When encoding a message, the sender
begins to decide what needs to be
transmitted. This decision by the sender is
based on the situation and message.
 Sender’s purpose of communication-
providing information, responding to a
query, serving a reminder, introducing a
product or person etc.
 CHANNEL
 To begin transmitting the message, the sender
uses some kind of channel (also called a
medium). Channel is simply the means used to
convey the message.
 Common channels include:
 verbal forms such as telephone, in-person meetings,
audio/video conferencing
 written forms such as memos, letters, emails,
reports, chats, text messages etc
 visual forms such as pictures, photos, animations on
billboards, posters, bulletin boards etc
 More than one channel may be used for the
same message.
DECODING
 Decoding is conducted by the receiver.
 Once the message is received, the receiver
interprets the message in order to assign a
meaning to it.
 The receiver begins to interpret the symbols
sent by the sender, translating the message
to his own set of experiences in order to
make the symbols meaningful.
 Successful communication takes place when
the receiver correctly interprets the sender’s
message.
RECEIVER
 The receiver is the individual or individuals
to whom the message is directed.
FEEDBACK
 Feedback is the final link in the chain of the
communication process.
 After receiving a message, the receiver
responds in some way and signals that
response to the sender.
 The signal may take the form of a spoken
comment, a long sigh, a written message, a
smile, or some other action.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

 Internal Communication
 External Communication
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
 Communication within an organization is
called “Internal Communication”.
 It includes all communication within an
organization.
 It may be formal or informal function.
 Internal communication is further sub-
divided into the following:
 Upward Communication
 Downward Communication
 Horizontal/Lateral communication
UPWARD
COMMUNICATION
 Upward communication is the flow of
information from subordinates to superiors,
or from employees to management.
DOWNWARD
COMMUNICATION
 Information flowing from the top of the
organizational management hierarchy is
known as downward communication.
 Downward communication generally provides
enabling information – which allows
subordinates to perform- for example,
instructions on how to perform a task, or
what to do in which situation, policies and
procedures.
 Downward and upward communications are
collectively called “Vertical Communication.”
DOWNWARD
COMMUNICATION
HORIZONTAL / LATERAL
COMMUNICATION
 Horizontal communication normally
involves coordinating information, and
allows people with the same or similar rank
in an organization to talk, cooperate and/or
collaborate.
EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATION
 Communication with people outside the
organization is called “external communication”.
 External communications can be with customers,
suppliers, vendors, business partners,
professionals and professional firms such as:
lawyers, accountants, audit firms, tax consultants,
marketing agencies, advertisers etc.
 Effective external communication can lead to
increased business volume, public credibility,
operational efficiency and improved image of the
organization.
EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATION
 BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
 Although the communication process seems
simple, in essence it is not.
 Certain barriers present themselves throughout
the process. Those barriers are factors that
have a negative impact on the communication
process.
 A few of them are as under:
 Filtering
 Selective Perception
 Information Overload
 BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
 Emotional Disconnects
 Workplace Gossip
 Semantics
 Gender Differences in Communication
 Biased Language
 Poor Listening
FILTERING
 Filtering is the alteration or concealment of
information to control a person’s reactions.
 The most common use of filtering is to hide
bad news from people, generally superior in
a management hierarchy, to avoid their
disapproval.
 Common examples are hiding customer
issues from supervisors, understating
operational capacity to avoid workload, not
communicating performance related issues
to employees in anticipation of a negative
reaction from them etc.
SELECTIVE PERCEPTION
 When you go to the supermarket to buy a
few fruits, you always pick up the ones you
know taste good, having made this decision
without tasting other fruits.
 Selective perception can be a barrier to
communication as we may have a
preconceived notion which may generate a
bias in favor or against something or some
person.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
 Information overload is the state of
receiving information faster than it can be
processed, as desired.
 Information overload can also take form of
a single channel of information being used
but not optimally for example very long and
detailed letter to a customer by the bank,
the extent of detail which the customer is
unable to understand.
EMOTIONAL
DISCONNECTS
 An emotional disconnect is the state of a
sender and receiver being unable to
communicate effectively due to their
feelings or opinions.
 An effective communication requires a
Sender and a Receiver who are open to
listening to one another, despite possible
differences in opinion or personality.
WORKPLACE GOSSIP
 Workplace gossip, also known as the
grapevine, is the informal gossip network
within an organization.
 It is a lifeline for many employees seeking
information about their company. Researchers
believe that the grapevine is an inevitable part
of organizational life.
 Employees trust their peers as a source of
messages. However, the grapevine’s informal
structure can be a barrier to effective
communication from the managerial point of
view.
SEMANTICS
 Words can have different meanings for
different people and in different contexts.
 This could be a factor of the culture or
sometimes even familiarity with the
language of the message.
 Care must be exercised in selection of use
of language and words.
LIST AND EXPLAIN THE 7 C’S OF
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
 Seven C’s of Effective Business
Communication are:
1. Correctness
2. Clarity
3. Conciseness
4. Completeness
5. Consideration
6. Concreteness
7. Courtesy
CORRECTNESS
 The encoder should ideally know the status,
knowledge and educational background of
the decoder.
 Correct communication is communication that
fits the target audience’s level of education
and knowledge and expectation, if any.
 Correct communication is also free of
grammatical and spelling errors.
 Use the right level of language
 Correct use of grammar, spelling and
punctuation
 Accuracy in stating facts and figures
CORRECTNESS
CLARITY
 Clarity demands the use of simple language
and easy sentence structure in composing the
message.
 When there is clarity in presenting ideas, it’s
easy for the receiver/decoder to grasp the
meaning being conveyed by the
sender/encoder.
 An example of this is the instructions given to
an account holder by a bank to activate their
new ATM card.
 If the instructions are clear and crisp the
customer will immediately be able to
understand and follow them.
CLARITY
CONCISENESS
 A concise message saves time of both the
sender and the receiver.
 Conciseness, in a business message, can be
achieved by avoiding wordy expressions
and repetition.
 Using brief and to the point sentences,
including relevant material makes the
message concise.
CONCISENESS
COMPLETENESS
 Completeness means the message must
bear all the necessary information to bring
the response one desires.
 The sender should answer all the questions
with facts and figures and only when
desirable, go for extra details.
COMPLETENESS
 CONSIDERATION
 Consideration means preparing the message
with the Receiver in mind.
 It demands that the Sender puts himself in the
place of Receiver while composing a message.
 By focusing on “you” instead of “I” and “we”
the message should focus on how the Receiver
will be benefit and what they would receive
and what they need to know should be
emphasized.
 By showing benefits or interest in the Receiver
where possible demonstrate how the receiver
will benefit from whatever the message
CONCRETENESS
 This includes being definite, vivid and specific
rather than vague, obscure and general.
 Also, the facts and figures being presented in
the message should be specific.
 An example of this is a branch sales officer
providing sales figures to his branch manager
COURTESY
 Courtesy means not only thinking about the
receiver but also valuing his feelings.
 Much can be achieved by using polite words
and gestures, being appreciative,
thoughtful, tactful, and showing respect to
the receiver.
 Courtesy builds goodwill.
DIFFERENT CHANNELS OF
COMMUNICATION
 Several types of communication methods are
available for individuals working in the business
environment.
 Each method has its advantages and
disadvantages and offer individuals an
opportunity to choose how they will convey their
message and create specific communication
styles for various receivers.
 Verbal Communication
 Written Communication
 Electronic Communication
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION
 Verbal communication is a common way in which an
individual transfers his message to the other individual
and businesses.
 Verbal communication methods may include meetings,
in-person interviews, telephones and video
conferencing.
 Verbal communication may be the best communication
method because it allows people to assess the verbal
or nonverbal inferences by individuals giving a
message.
 It may also create a more comfortable environment for
receivers to ask questions and get feedback from
individuals giving the message.
WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION
 Written communication includes internal
business memos, emails, formal letters,
bulletin boards or posters and other various
written communication forms.
 Individuals and organizations may choose
to use written communication if they need
to reach multiple individuals at different
locations with a similar message or to
record an earlier verbal communication.
ELECTRONIC
C0MMUNICATION
 Technology has opened up new types of
business communications.
 New communication methods include
email, web conferencing, social networking,
company websites, online chat, blogs and
text messages.
 Electronic communication allows companies
to send mass messages to several
individuals quickly and at a low business
cost.
IMPACT OF USING THE WRONG
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION IN
A BUSINESS SETTING
 If a wrong channel is used while
communicating that is if the channel is not
effective for the type of message and
meaning one wants to create, then it is
likely that the message will not create the
desired impact or create a
misunderstanding, or worse and the sender
may have been better off not sending the
message at all.
 THE ‘LESS IS MORE’ PRINCIPLE
 Often the less we say the better our points will
be understood.
 It has been researched and surveyed that in
both informal and formal speech, people
listening to the speaker tend to understand the
message, far better if the speaker talks less.
 When the speaker buries, or surrounds the main
points or messages with too much of “other
messages”, the impact of the target message
gets lost.
 In written communication as well, it is important
to limit the detail of information provided to what
the context is and what the requirement is.