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Dear Student,
Welcome to WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills. This is a lower level course that aims
to develop a firm foundation of communication skills in the English language required of you to
communicate effectively in a wide range of workplace situations. It will also help you to develop the ability to
employ appropriate strategies when you are communicating at the workplace in a fast-changing and highly
technological society. Since the examples used are authentic ones taken from everyday working situations,
this course will be very beneficial to you in your career and help you hone your communication skills.
Now, a little about your course materials the PDF of your course materials are available on the
WawasanLearn. In addition, having a computer with Internet access is essential. To receive news and
updates on the course, do access your Wawasan Open University (WOU) email account. To interact with
your peers, your tutor and me, you will need to access our online learning management system viz.,
WawasanLearn.
As you continue to manage your priorities and time, you should have a good balance in fulfilling your
family, work and study responsibilities. I am sure you will succeed in completing this course with your
effort and discipline just as you will be doing for your other first-level courses.
Additional help is very crucial to your progress and the most effective form of communication is via
WawasanLearn. You will be receiving email messages and postings on WawasanLearn from your tutor and
me. Do make contact with your tutor and your peers. Form study groups with other students so that you
can better support one another.
Finally, let me reassure you that your tutors and I are always here to help you. So, please do not hesitate to
contact us if you have any queries. I will be keeping in touch with you and am looking forward to working
together with you to help you succeed in this course.
Warmest regards,
Jasmine Emmanuel
Course Coordinator
Email: jasmineemmanuel@wou.edu.m
Jasmine Emmanuel
Course Coordinator
Email: jasmineemmanuel@wou.edu.my
• Unit 1 – 3 sections
1. Define com
2. Explain the main forms of com.
3. Use the most appropriate forms of com for different
situations
4. Explain the role of internal & external com in an
organisation.
5. Apply appropriate modern technology in com.
• Com = exchange of ideas, thoughts, info & even feelings between
people by L, S, W & R or nonverbal means.
E.G
O.M – It is necessary to sent these items to our office in
China without wasting any more time.
RM
Send these items to our China office immediately.
• Com occurs in many forms
Vocal Characteristics
Touching
It helps employees and employers to get their jobs done and enables everyone
to identify problems and to react quickly to address them.
All of these may be done before the entire downward flow is complete.
All written and verbal communication with the outsideworld therefore has to be
carefully prepared.
The public relations department consists of people who specialise in dealing with
the public. They are the ones who will usually prepare press releases and deal
with the public in the event of any crisis.
Informal external communication occurs when a member of an
organisation talks or socialises with outsiders. In the course of
the conversation, others get to know more
about the company.
So, the written message should be clear, purposeful and concise with correct words
used to avoid any misinterpretation of your message.
Written communication provides a permanent record for future use. It also gives an
opportunity to employees to put their ideas in writing.
1. Memorandums (i.e., memos as they are often called) are used for internal
circulation of information. A memo is a less formal way of passing on
information in an organisation.
2. Letters are more formal than memos. They are more often used to communicate
with parties outside the organisation. Similarly, if you are being asked to leave a
company, the information will be given to you in the form of a letter.
3. Reports are written when information has to be
provided to a group of people. A lot of research and
hard work goes into the writing of a report.
Of course, there are different types of reports.
Email enables us to create, edit and send messages merely with a click on the
mouse. It is probably the most common way of interacting with others on the
Internet. Email is effective when you want to send short messages
Instant messaging and chat are sometimes used for work purposes. It is more
versatile than the telephone and quicker than email. Workers can actually
conduct an online meeting in a private chat area through instant messaging.
Videoconferencing is now becoming more accessible and therefore more popular.
It is increasingly being used to replace face-to-face meetings as it allows people
in
different locations to meet and talk to one another without having to leave their
workstations.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the most basic way to download and upload files.
An extranet is an external intranet. The extranet allows people who are not
employees such as suppliers and customers to enter the network using a
password.
You can enter the extranet of another company to check on the status of your
order. Medical professionals use the extranet to share information. You can
access
the extranet of WOU to participate in forums and to check for announcements.
Activity 1.3
Answer the following questions.
VoIP
Voicemail Fax
Tablet Why do we
have so many
choices?
Speech
recognition
software
Smartphone
Most companies use a call management system which screens and directs calls.
The mobile or cellular phone is now a necessary tool for workplace communication.
Employers can easily contact their employees wherever they may be using the mobile
phone.
No matter how convenient the mobile phone may be, we must always remember
mobile phone etiquette.
1. Do not leave your mobile phone on when you are attending a meeting or at
a place where the ringing may disrupt work. Excuse yourself from the meeting to
answer the call.
2. Do not talk loudly during conversations
on the mobile phone.
The following are a few points to remember when preparing a voicemail message:
1. Prepare an accurate, brief and concise message which should not be longer
than two minutes.
3. Make sure you state the action you want the caller to take.
4. Speak clearly and slowly so that the caller can understand you and has time
to digest the information you give.
6. Allow the caller to talk to a live person without being directed from one
option menu to another.
Below is an example of a typical voicemail
message:
“Thank you for calling Wawasan Open
University.
For English, press 1; for Bahasa Malaysia,
press 2; for Mandarin, press 3.Please key
in the extension number directly, press 1
for course enquiries or press 0 for operator
assistance.”
Speech recognition software is now being used by many organisations with the
hope that this will make callers feel better as they will not have to be put through
the tedious phone menus of voicemail.
Instead of touch tone menus where voicemail directs you to “press 1 or press
2”, the caller listens to an operator who is not human.
These speech recognition programmes listen to your voice, breaks it up into blocks,
looks for a match and gives a pre-recorded response.
This digitalised image is sent through telephone lines to the other party who receives the
document immediately.
his is the main advantage of a fax over other methods of transmitting text where there
may a delay in transmission.
The facsimile can transmit any printed document including graphics and images. It is
therefore very widely used.
Allows the user to create, view and edit documents and spreadsheet, access webpages,
handle emails and popular instant messaging services.
Offices make use of VoIP to cut costs as it is like an extra free telephone line.
“This is Tracy Lim, one of the operators working for Micron Services.
For English, press 1; for Bahasa Malaysia, press 2; for Mandarin, press 3.
Please note that this conversation may be recorded for training
and quality control purposes.
For billing, press 1; for special deals, press 2; for reconnection of
services, press 3; for technical assistance, press 4. (You pressed 1)
To check your balance, press 1; to pay your bill, press 2. (You did
not press any button)
You have not registered a response. Thank you for calling.”
Good communication skills are now more vital than ever before because we need
to adapt to a workplace that is constantly changing. Changes have come about as a
result of advancing technology.
Globalisation has led to a culturally diverse workforce and the traditional style of
management has been replaced by team management.
To ensure job security, you will need to be flexible. You will need to be able to adapt
to changes and to learn new skills which will enable you to communicate more
effectively. Employees should be open to new technology.
Employees may find that they have to attend training sessions for communication
products which may eventually not be useful at all or which will soon become obsolete.
Some companies are training employees to send fewer emailmessages and to mark
urgent messages in red.
Companies are also battling with data security, fearing that information on the
Intranet or the Internet can be destroyed or changed by hackers.
Hackers break into a computer to steal or change data. Viruses are programs that
can change or delete files. Other than using security software called firewalls and
a range of antivirus programs, organisations are trying to be more discreet when
they issue passwords to employees and customers.
“Studies show that the average person spends about 70% of each day engaged in
some form of communication.”
Dostal, J and Vincent, D S (1997) Technical Communication:
A Guided Approach, Minnesota: West Publishing Company.
For this reason, effective communication
is crucial at every level of an organisation. However, the ability to communicate
effectively does not come easily to many people. It requires effort and a lot of practice
but you can rest assured that it is definitely possible to improve on and to sharpen
your communication skills as long as you are prepared to work on them.
• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking
Employees are expected to be able to understand and correctly interpret information
both in text form and in the form of formatted documents like graphs, tables, flow
charts and manuals.
Employees are expected to listen to and to interpret messages # sometimes with the
aid of nonverbal cues.
You may have to attend meetings where you will be expected to speak or asked to
deliver a formal presentation.
You may even be asked to prepare voicemail for the office and this would mean that
anyone calling the organisation will hear you speaking first.
The way you speak, your tone of voice, your pronunciation, etc. tells the listener
volumes about you.
Effective reading and knowledge of workplace vocabulary can affect other
communication skills.
With so many sources of information available via the Internet, libraries and databases,
vast amounts of information can be obtained immediately.
To meet expectations and to remain competitive at the workplace, workers must be able
to read independently and to process information effectively.
Successful reading at the workplace requires you to know when to read fast and
when to read slowly.
People dealing with highly technical information may have to read very complicated
information. In such cases, they may have to read and re-read the information several
times before they can make use of the information.
At the workplace, you will normally be expected to
read for a variety of purposes - some of which are
listed below:
1. To locate information.
2. To summarise.
3. To draw conclusions so that proposals or
recommendations can be made.
4. To accomplish a task.
5. To develop and use related technical vocabulary.
When you are asked to read to locate information, you either skim or scan. You can
skim and scan text documents, charts, graphs and maps.
Scanning is when you read fast to locate certain specific information. For
example,you may be asked to supply the names of all employees born in the month
of August as the company wants to organise a joint celebration in conjunction with
National Day. To do this, you run through the list of employees, ignoring those who
were born in other months.
Skimming requires you to read quickly to get a general idea. For example, the
department head may skim through the daily reports submitted by the supervisors
just to make sure that things are running well and that there are no problems.
Activity 1.5
Scan the following list of suppliers to find the required information:
1. The telephone number of Jamil Tech.
2. The person to contact when contacting Pinang Electronics.
3. Blacklisted suppliers.
4. The most regular and reliable supplier.
5. The number of suppliers from Penang and the name of the most
reliable Penang supplier.
Activity 1.6
Skim the following article to answer the questions which follow.
Graphs are usually read with a combination of skimming and scanning skills. When
reading graphs, remember the following guidelines:
1. Read the title and all written information to get a general idea of the
information provided.
2. Read the labels on the columns and the lines.
3. Determine what is being compared.
4. Check the source of the information and when the information was last
updated to make sure it is not outdated.
Activity 1.7
Skim and scan the following graph. Proceed to answer the questions
which follow.
To summarise, you need to identify the main idea when you skim
a document.
Activity 1.9
There are many foreign workers working in your company. Write
a summary of the following article so that you can update your
Filipino workers about how they can send money home in the
future and about the rules and regulations attached concerning
this new method.
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Filipinos can SMS money home, Indons to follow suit soon
KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of Filipino workers can now send
money to their families and other dependants in the Philippines
within seconds through mobile phone service messaging and
without going through banks.
Making the correct judgement or decision is crucial as the wrong decision can cause
an organisation to lose millions of dollars. The decision-making process involves
the following steps:
1. Identifying the objective or the problem.
2. Gathering information related to the problem.
3. Reading the information selected.
4. Drawing a conclusion.
5. Finding the best solution or making the best possible decision.
Very often, you will have to read to accomplish a task given to you. If you are
working for a given in the instruction booklet which usually accompanies the
product if a customer were to ask you for assistance.
Furthermore, you must remember to read and comprehend all the terms and
conditions when you make purchases.
Depending on the nature of your job,
you should familiarise yourself with
relevant technical terminology.
Multimedia
You can log onto any of the following websites to book an airline
ticket. Complete the online forms and see if you can make a
successful online purchase.
http://www.airasia.com/site/en/home
http://malaysiaairlines.com/my/en.html
http://www.fireflyz.com.my/
Listening is the most used of all communication skills.
Environmental distractions
We do not always have control over the environment. The workplace may be very
noisy when your manager is speaking to you. The air-conditioner may just break down
in the midst of a presentation, leaving both the speaker and the audience perspiring
in the heat.
Inability to stay focused
Sometimes, listeners allow their minds to wander and to think of other matters
while the speaker is speaking. This will definitely not be tolerated at the workplace
as no one wants to waste time repeating what has been said.
Unnecessary note-taking
Sometimes, it is necessary to take brief notes like when someone calls and leaves a
message for your colleague. You need to record the name of the caller, the contact
number and the message.
For example, if you are explaining to a new colleague how to use the photocopier,
you speak informally. When you explain to a group of visitors how your production
branch functions, you speak formally.
WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills deals with telephoning skills and
the oral communication skills you will need to participate in meetings and
negotiations.
How to improve verbal communication
First impressions are important. When we see a person, we form our initial impression
based on physical appearance, attire and nonverbal symbols. We do not just look at
a person. A meeting is immediately followed by speech and conversation. Thereafter,
we create in our minds our first impression of the person. In the same way, people
form their first impressions of us. Our articulation, tone of voice, choice of words,
etc. help the listener form that first impression of us.
The following are a few tips on how to improve our oral communication skills.
1. Use positive words
Verbal communication includes phrasing your words clearly and positively.
2. Give examples
One way to help others understand your message is by giving an example.
If you need to, tell a short story or a joke to illustrate your point.
Closed questions which will only require a “Yes” or a “No” as an answer are
only useful if you are giving instructions and do not want any other feedback.
4. Think before you speak
Irrespective of whether you are going to speak in public, talk with your
superiors or other colleagues, you must remember to think before you utter
your words. Misunderstandings can occur when you express yourself without
thinking.
Activity 1.10
Think of three questions (using What, How and Why) that you
could ask at a meeting to encourage participants to come up with
possible causes and solutions to a problem that has arisen. Phrase
your questions in grammatically correct English.
1. What _____________________________________________ ?
2. How _____________________________________________ ?
3. Why _____________________________________________ ?
Team communication
A team is made up of two or more people who work together to achieve a common
goal. Most organisations expect group interaction based on the understanding that
people achieve better results when working collectively or as a team than individually.
Not every member of a team contributes equally as some members take on greater
responsibility.
Teams are important in the workplace and they are formed for a variety of purposes.
Some teams become a part of the company’s structure. Some are formed to solve a
problem or work on a specific activity. The problem-solving team and the task force.
Advantages of teamwork
When members of a group cooperate to achieve a purpose, this is called collaboration.
People collaborate for the following reasons:
1. To share expertise
Every member of the team has different skills and different levels of
knowledge which they share and make use of to achieve the aim of the team.
People in a team therefore complement one another.
An effective team is not formed just by naming some efficient and capable people.
The team needs to go through the initial stage where members meet and establish
a bond.
We work
As a
United
team. We we
share stand
common
objective.
Virtual teams
Virtual teams bring together people from different corners of the globe so that they
can share information and accomplish specific goals. These teams function using
computer networks, teleconferencing and email.
They must therefore have excellent project management skills and good time
management skills. You can only work effectively in a virtual team if you are well versed
in electronic communication technology and have excellent collaboration skills.
They must therefore have excellent project management skills and good time
management skills. You can only work effectively in a virtual team if you are well versed
in electronic communication technology and have excellent collaboration skills.
Understanding the team
For a team to be effective, members must be fully aware of how the team will
function. Team members must identify the following:
• The goal of the team.
• The leader.
• The recorder.
• Task allocation method.
• Decision-making method(s).
The team leader may decide to assign tasks or ask for volunteers to take on certain
duties.
Making decisions and solving problems as a team
Teams are formed with a specific purpose and they are usually required to make
decisions and/or solve problems.
Teams can come to a decision based on one of the following methods:
1. Democratic method
If this method is used, everyone on the team is entitled to a vote. The decision
of the majority is accepted.
2. Autocratic method
In this case, one person (usually the leader) gives an order which everyone
on the team will follow, irrespective of whether they like it or not.
Consensus
When every member of the team discusses an issue before the team reaches
a decision, this is referred to as a consensus of opinions. A team using this
decision-making strategy would open the issue for discussion amongst the group
members before a decision is made. This method does not require everyone to agree
with the decision but it helps those who do not agree with the decision to accept
and abide by it more readily.
Teams have to go through the following stages before a decision is reached or a
problem solved:
1. Defining the problem
The problem has to be specific so that it can be properly explained to team
members.
2. Analysing the problem
Areas that need to be researched and discussed need to be identified. The
team has to be given time to analyse the data collected.
3. Brainstorming
A spontaneous contribution of ideas is necessary so that team members
can build on one another’s ideas. One person’s idea may stimulate another
person to come out with another idea and the end result would be a series
of good ideas.
4. Evaluating alternatives and making a decision
Suggestions and ideas brought out during the brainstorming session have to
be evaluated. Alternatives have to be discussed and the final decision made
based on one of the decision-making methods discussed above.
Maximising nonverbal communication skills
We discussed the importance of nonverbal communication earlier here in Unit 1.
Do remember that when communicating orally, you should be aware of your own
nonverbal signals. Pay attention to your posture, gestures, facial expressions and
vocal characteristics. Dress appropriately for the occasion and be aware of cultural
differences when it comes to time, space and touch.
Nonverbal symbols determine your image at your workplace. What others think
of you depends on your body language, your sincerity and the nonverbal signals
you subconsciously display when you are at work. Whether you are perceived as
confident, overconfident, friendly or insincere depends on how your nonverbal
signals are interpreted.
Here are a few cultural differences in nonverbal communication which
you may find useful.
1. Body language
Bowing is not done in the United States and most Western countries but it
is a sign of respect for rank in Japan. Showing the soles of feet is considered
offensive in Thailand and in several Middle East countries but it carries no
significant meaning to most Western cultures.
2. Eye contact
Americans and most Western cultures see direct eye to eye contact as positive
as it shows attention. Arabic cultures believe it also helps them understand
how truthful and sincere the other party is. However, in Japan, Africa and
the Caribbean, the people avoid direct eye contact to show respect for the
other party.
3. Personal space
Most Western Europeans and Americans prefer personal space of at least
18 inches to 2 feet. In a business conversation, it is normal to see two
Canadians standing 3 feet to 5 feet apart. Latin Americans and Arabs prefer
to stand much closer to the person they are communicating with, while the
Japanese and the Germans prefer more personal space.
Diversities in the workplace
No two people are alike and there is bound to be diversity whether at home or in the
workplace.
Diverse talents and skills help an organisation to grow and these diversities can
result in creative and useful ideas.
It is imperative that we accept people for what they are and that we do not stereotype
them.
While stereotyping people can sometimes be harmless, it is best to avoid this habit.
It is wrong and unfair to judge a group of people based merely on our beliefs. Every
individual is different.
Cross-cultural communication
When people of different cultures communicate, this is referred to as
cross-cultural
communication. Globalisation and modern technology have enabled the
world to become a platform for cross-cultural communication.
Tilting the head from side to side is a Greek gesture for “yes” while many cultures
like Indians nod their heads for “yes”. Even a smile is used for different purposes
by different cultures. Asians smile when they are happy and even sometimes
when
they are confused. Americans smile to show pleasure while people in the Middle
East sometimes smile to avoid conflict.
Simple sounds like “uh-uh” carry different meanings to different cultures. Malays
use “uh-uh” to mean “I agree”; Americans use “uh-uh” to mean “I don’t agree”.
Summary
In this section, we discussed the four basic communication skills
required at the workplace # i.e., reading, listening, speaking and
writing. You attempted activities where you had the opportunity
to apply these skills. You also listened to some dialogues online.
The importance of teamwork was explained and we discussed how
effective teams function. We analysed cultural and other diversities
at the workplace.
The sender also selects a suitable medium for the message. The person may decide
to use the telephone, write an email message or prepare a report to get the message
across.
The receiver decodes and interprets the message and he/she responds to the
message using a channel and a medium of his/her choice.
Communication can be between two or more people or between man and
machine(s).
As mentioned earlier in section 2 of this unit, we have voicemail and voice
recognition devices which we can actually make use of to communicate with
others. Sometimes, the entire communication process can be completed without
another human being coming into the picture.
The sender, message and receiver
There are two participants in a communication process: the sender and the receiver.
The third component in the communication process is the message which is being
sent from one party to the other.
The sender
All communication begins with the sender who has an idea. In order to get the idea
across in the best possible way, the sender has to take into consideration several
factors.
Given here are some factors the sender should take into consideration in preparing
the message.
2. You-attitude
• You will receive the rental later this month.
• Your request will be entertained later as we are currently short of staff.
Message environment
Selecting an environment preferred by the person
receiving the message is of vital importance in any business dealing.
Activity 1.11
Analyse the following situations and compose the good news or bad
news messages you will transmit to the other party.
1. You are the production manager of a factory. There have been
some problems in the production plant and you are unable to
meet the deadline set for delivery of the goods. You have to
inform your customer about this.
2. You are one of the managers working for a company which has
made a huge net profit. You have been asked to tell your staff
about this and to tell them
The receiver
has to decode and interpret your oral as well as nonverbal message as accurately as
possible.
The receiver
The receiver is the person to whom your message is directed. It is the responsibility
of the receiver to decode the sender’s message. The receiver either reads or listens to
the message. The message, irrespective of the medium, must be correctly interpreted.
Otherwise, there will be miscommunication.
If you are the receiver, it is your duty to tell the sender whether you understand the
message.
Factors like cultural diversities, differences in opinion and the emotional state of
the receiver may affect the interpretation of the message. Therefore, it is important
that the receiver must be prepared to put aside differences of opinion and culture
and to accept the message with an open mind.
Feedback
The receiver who gets the message interprets it and then responds to the message. This
response is referred to as feedback. The sender can evaluate how well the message
has been understood based on the response. Feedback sorts out misunderstandings.
Feedback may be in any form. It may just be a smile and a nod or it may be a verbal
or written message in response to yours. Remember that feedback is vital in any
communication as it is the only way the sender can know if the message has been
understood.
The communication channels can be classified in several ways. They can be classified
into the verbal channel and the nonverbal channel
Verbal channels
2. Visual channel
People remember what they see better than what they hear. Colour visuals
attract attention and the visual channel is usually more precise and accurate.
3. Touch channel
We sometimes convey messages through physical contact. We shake hands or
hug one another. The main disadvantage is that this sense may be interpreted
differently by different cultures. However, it can prove very effective when
it is used correctly. For example, a hands-on training session on how to use
WawasanLearn is definitely more effective than spoken instructions and
explanations given by the tutor.
The receiver usually has little say over the choice of medium. If someone speaks to
you, you listen. If a colleague writes to you, you read the reply.
For example, your manager speaks to you and asks for a report
of the staff in your department. You listen and respond verbally by saying you will
send it. You check your records and write the report, sending it by email. Your
manager reads the report and replies to your email message.
Communication barriers
Anything which interferes with the communication process and causes the
message to be blocked or lost is a barrier to communication. You should be alert
to common communication barriers so that you can be more effective when you
are communicating.
Types of communication barriers
Means (2001) classifies communication barriers into two categories:
1. External barriers
Factors beyond the control of the sender and the receiver are referred to as
external barriers. Physical distractions like poor reception, a breakdown in the
air-conditioning or sound system and even uncomfortable seating can affect
communication. Since most of these external barriers are either unexpected
or unavoidable, both the sender and the receiver should be prepared to adapt
to the situation and cater to these barriers.
2. Internal barriers
Internal barriers are basically related directly to either the sender or
the receiver. They arise as a result of the personality and beliefs of the
parties involved in the communication process. We all have preconceived
impressions of certain issues. When the perception of the sender is different
from that of the receiver, a barrier is created. A very outspoken person may
say something seemingly harmless to himself/herself but may hurt a sensitive
receiver.
Overcoming communication barriers
In order to improve our communication skills, it is essential that we are prepared to
overcome common communication barriers. The following tips may prove helpful.
1. Adopt an audience-centred approach
Conducting an audience analysis prior to the communication process is
ideal.
The audience analysis is done during the first few minutes as you get to know the
person better.
Try applying what you have learnt at your workplace. When the
opportunity permits, spend some time thinking about your role
in the communication process. Consider the various channels
and media as you decide how best to communicate. At the end of
a day at work, analyse the complete communication process you
used when communicating with some of your colleagues at the
workplace. This will enable you to assess whether you have been
successful in communicating messages and it will add some fun
into your learning.
Self-test 1.3
Answer the following questions.
1. Identify and briefly explain the barriers to communication.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
4. Conclusion
2. 3 main topics:
# Dressing
Discussion of 4 points with examples
# Behaviour
Discussion of 4 points with examples
# Communication
Discussion of 4 points with examples
3. CONCLUSION
4. IN-TEXT CITATION
5. REFERENCE
6. RELEVANT PHOTOS
7. LANGUAGE : 0 – 10 Marks
Your TMA 1
deadline is
Friday, 9th
March 2018 by
2400 hours
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