DEFINITION

Communication is the process of information exchange. Information is

Could be tone of voice or word also body language.
Effective Ways To
Communicate
Effective communications skills.

Communications acknowledgment.

Provide necessary information.

Ensure communication is accurately received.

Use standard terminology when communicating information.

provide clarification when needed.

Ensure statements are direct and unambiguous.

Inform the appropriate individuals when the mission or plans change.

Communicate all information needed by those individuals or

teams external to the team.

Use nonverbal communication appropriately.

Use proper order when communicating information

SHANNONS
COMMUNICATIONS MODEL
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

MESSAGE
SENDER
INTENDED

LISTENER
PERCEIVED

BARRIERS
Barriers are influencing factors which impede or
breakdown the continuous communications loop. They
block, distort, or alter the information. By identifying the
barriers and applying countermeasures, team members
can effectively communicate. Barriers include:

Non-assertive behavior

Inappropriate priorities

Task-preoccupation

Organizational structure

Anger or frustration

Distractions

Personal bias

Tunnel vision

Team diversity

Interruptions

Lack of confidence

Rank differences.

SENDER
Communications is a two-way process that starts with
the sender. The sender should be conveying information
necessary for mission accomplishment. The sender must
be proactive in making the receiver understand the
message. Too often, what is said is not always what is
heard. To prevent this from happening, do the following:

State one idea at a time.

State ideas simply.

Explain when appropriate.

Repeat if appropriate.

Encourage feedback.

Read between the lines. Did your choice of words, tone of the
sentence, and body language (intentional gestures or subconscious

movements) convey the same meaning?

MESSAGE:
The message is simply the information the sender wants
to communicate to the receiver. The message is usuall
verbal, but it can also be non-verbal. To reduce potential
problems, the sender should
o Use correct terminology (standard commands).
o Speak clearly.
o Time the message to be sent when the receiver is able to listen.
o Use appropriate vocal tone and volume. Commands must be heard and
perceived as an imperative, not a question or comment. When breaking
error chains, or returning others to situational awareness, express a
tone of urgency and importance.
o Be relevant to the receiver, not a distraction. The message needs to be
inclusive and informative. Inclusive means that it contains everything
necessary for the receiver to understand the senders point.
Informational means it is something that the receiver needs to know.

RECEIVER
The receiver needs information to accomplish his/her task. The
effectiveness of the team often rests on its members ability to listen.
Unfortunately, most people find listening difficult.
The receiver must exert control over the communication process. For

receivers to have control, it is important that they ensure that the

senders understand what the receivers want and why they want it

Example: Without the conning officer exerting positive control over the
flow of information from the navigation evaluator and shipping officer,
important information could be buried in the large amount of
information that is periodically relayed during a transit in a congested
waterway.

What is oral communication

Oral communication is a process whereby information is transferred
from a sender to receiver usually by a verbal means which can be
supported by visual aid. e.g. discussions, speeches, conversations,
questions/answers, through radio/TV/internet, telephone
conversation/voice mails, VHF radios.
Receiver could be an individual, a group, or even audience
Types of communication

Nonverbal
Less structured, harder to classify
More spontaneous, less control

Verbal
More structured, easier to study
Conscious purpose, more control

Oral versus Written Communication

Written communication is

Formal
Planned
Detailed
Official
elicits a response after lapse of some time
carries more authority and is proof of a transaction
Oral communications is
more spontaneous
more direct
less formal
elicits a prompt response of some kind.

Basic oral communication skills

1.
2.
3.
4.

Asking questions
Listening skills
Providing feedback that has impact
Receiving feedback with grace and dignity

Good quality questions lead to good quality

information
1.Open questions
They typically begin with:
(What, Why, Where, When, Which, Who, How)
2. Closed questions
They may begin with;
( Did, Can, Are, Is, Have, Do, Shall . )

Types of feedback
Positive simple praise and reinforces why/how the other did well

Constructive how the other can do better, sensitively delivered,

focus on observable facts (Feedback sandwich)

Negative describes a perceived negative behaviour without

proposing a solution, destructive, happens accidentally or aimed at
terminating relationship

Providing feedback that has impact

Focus on persons behaviournot the personality

Feedback should focus on issues not the person
If possible, give feedback in private
Feedback is useful when well timed
Describe, dont evaluate
Be specific, not general

Receiving feedback with grace and dignity

Discuss the feedback with those whose opinions you

respect
Be attentive to the person giving feedback
Take notes, record the words the giver used
Ask for examples to support the point
Take it as a sincere gift that will help you grow
Avoid being defensive

Means of Oral Communication

Face to face talking

Meetings
Conference calls
Phone calls
Presentations
Video or audio recordings
Radio or TV
Internet
Other forms of oral communication

Oral Communication Barriers

Perception and language(different language, vocabulary, accent,

dialect, semantic gaps, etc)
Restrictive environments
Distractions
Deceptive tactics
Information overload
Cultural ( age, education, gender, social status, economic
position, cultural backgrounds, religious and political beliefs,
values, etc)
Psychological (emotions, anger, fearful...etc)

How to make Oral Communication Effective

Be a good listener
Give and receive feedback
Be clear (should be crisp and to the point)
Simplify language
Constrain emotions
Avoid digression (gives wrong impression)
Know your audience (behaviour, culture, education etc)
Play back for confirmation (stop for confirmation and verify what
you understand)

1. Ways of evaluating and improving

-Self-evaluation
You need to make regular assessments of the way you work and the
progress
you are making. Ask yourself whether you are managing your work
efficiently,
whether you achieve the deadlines you or others set you and
whether you are
taking advantage of opportunities to increase your self-confidence
and learn
from new experiences. As part of your assessment you should
identify areas
for improvement and skills you may need to learn. Having identified
these, set
yourself targets within a sensible timescale to achieve them.

-Feedback
Feedback is an essential part of evaluating your performance.
Colleagues,
contractors and clients will be able to identify what you have done
well, but they

will also be able to objectively identify areas for improvement.

Feedback helps you to identify areas for improvement (such as skills
to develop,
the level of customer service you provide clients, your planning and
coordination
skills, etc.). It also helps you become more aware of your own
practice and identify
problems before they arise and things you should do differently in
the future.
You play a part in encouraging feedback. You should be open to
feedback and
encourage an honest appraisal. You should also ask for specific
examples so that
you fully understand any issues that are raised. Feedback can be
gathered from
colleagues and your line manager in individual meetings and group
discussions, in
a formal or informal manner.

Some of the ways you can use feedback are listed

below.

Monitor your performance regularly to make sure that it is as

effective as
possible.
Regularly describe and analyze any improvements that need
to be made,either by you or through involving others.
Maintain a level of knowledge and understanding that enables
you to carry out your role effectively.
Change the way you work in line with any relevant or new
approaches or recommendations.
Identify any skills gaps.
Develop a personal development plan and update it regularly
to include new aims or achievements.

2. Development plans
A development plan will often be part of your
employers appraisal system. This will help you track
achievements, areas for improvement, long-term
objectives
and training plans
.

In order to be effective, you must consider the

following

Success criteria must be realistic if they are not, you are just
setting yourself up for failure

You should identify reasonable goals.

Your action plans should be accessible consider the resources
you haveavailable to you in the workplace.
Your development plan should take into account 360 feedback
so youunderstand how your competencies are perceived by your
colleagues.

Checklist
Use the following tips to get the best out of feedback from colleagues,
contractors and clients.
Try to:
seek feedback on a regular basis, especially after you have identified
development goals. Exchanging information and
perceptions is a process, not a single event
receive feedback as a gift that provides you with honest information about
your perceived behaviour/performance. Be
open to what you will hear
let the person finish what he or she is saying
try to paraphrase (express in different words) what you are being told,
either back to the person or in your own mind
ask clarifying questions
ask for specifics, if not provided
ask the person to give you alternatives to your behaviour
monitor your non-verbal and emotional responses
thank the person for being helpful to you
take the time after the feedback interaction to evaluate the information
and consider specific actions for improvements.
Teach yourself to recognise situations in which certain behaviour needs to be
altered. Feedback can help you self-monitor your
behaviour at times when you are not at your most effective.
Use feedback to clarify goals, track progress toward those goals and improve
the effectiveness of your behaviours over a period
of time.
But do not:
take it personally
become defensive or explain your behaviour. You can either spend your
time mobilising your defences or you can spend
your time listening. Defending your actions is counterproductive, where
listening is extremely useful
interrupt the other person
be afraid to allow pauses and periods of silence when you receive
feedback. This gives you time to understand what is
being said and it gives the other person time to think about what they say
ask the person to defend his or her opinion (there is a difference between
defending and explaining). Feedback is purely
subjective perceptions of information. You can place your own value on it
later.