BTEC L3 Systems The Principles of Effective Communication

What is communication? A way of expressing or exchanging ideas and thoughts between people. Effective communication needs three main elements: SourceRecipient Tool

Principles of effective communication They fall into 3 main areas: – General Communication Skills – Interpersonal Skills – Written Communication Skills

GENERAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS...

Cultural Differences Show an awareness of the range of cultures and beliefs in the workplace, e.g. religious festivals, dress code, prayer etc. What do you think that you would need to adjust, if the audience contained eastern and western people? In pairs, discuss what types of things would need to be adapted – Make notes and be prepared to discuss these with the class

Adapting to suit audience needs Changing tone of voice can help keep audience attentive Use of technical language to technical or non- technical audiences. Type of communication used – written, images, video, etc.

Question and Answer Q&A can be used to gather information from the audience Potentially also allows audience to clear up misconceptions Open and closed questions to assess understanding

Q & A Exercise If you were interviewing a new student for this course and you were trying to find out if they were really interested in Computing and IT, what questions would you ask? – Create 2 open questions – Create 2 closed questions – Create 2 probing questions In pairs, try the questions out on each other Make notes about whether the questions worked Would you enrol this student?

Accuracy Very important that the information you present is accurate to help provide confidence to your audience

Unit 1 Communication and Employability Skills Techniques for Engaging an Audience

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Methods Verbal Body language Signing Lip reading Etc. Depending on your audience needs Can you think of any others?

Techniques and Cues Use of body language – the way you stand or move. Tone of voice

Active Engagement Ways of showing engagement: – Nodding – Smiling – Use of hands

Barriers Background noise, distractions, etc. What are the barriers in this room? How could you deal with them?

Types of Question Closed Questions: – Is your favourite colour blue? Open Questions: – What is your favourite colour? Probing Questions: – Why is your favourite colour blue?

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS

, letters & fax Common forms of written communication in the workplace

Spelling and Grammar Correct spelling and grammar is essential for the recipient to understand and have confidence about the content of the documents that you write

‘Smilies’ or Emoticons Ways of expressing emotions through text When would it be appropriate to use them? When would it not be appropriate to use them?

Structure Some documents have or need a particular structure or layout: – Business letters – Management reports – CV’s Some others, less so: – s – but not always – Blogs, Tweets? – Texts?

Proofreading It is important to check your written communication for errors: – Accuracy – Misunderstandings – Reputation – Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence construction

Reviewing and Editing Check through the content and structure to ensure it meets the needs of the audience Change (edit) the content if necessary

Assessment Activity – Task2, P2 Produce a second leaflet that explains the principles of effective communication. It must discuss 3 points from each of the following areas: – General communications skills – Interpersonal Skills – Written Communication Skills