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PARTICIPATE IN A WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

Am I deaf that you need to use the Megaphone?

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
The word communication came from the Latin word communiswhich means
commonness. When people communicate with one another, the establish commonness; they
share a commonality. Dictionaries define the process as the giving and receiving of
communication signals or messages by talk, writing, gestures and signals. Herman M.
Weisman
Communication is a process through which two or more human beings share each
others thoughts, ideas, feelings, insights, and information and exchange meanings.
Hitachi advertisement
Communication is not simply sending messageIt is creating understanding swiftly,
clearly and precisely. Herta A Murphy and Herbert W Hildebrandt
Communication is the lifeblood of every organization Charles R. Wright
Communication is the basis of all social existence.

FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
These are the verbal communication (or written and oral communication) and the non-
verbal communication
Commonly, when people hear of verbal communication the connotation is that, it is oral.
Verbal communication is such which engages the use of words whether written or spoken.
What then is the difference between oral and written communication.
Written communication is such communication done through writing. Letters and
correspondence , written news and articles from magazines, newspapers and the likes, books and
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other reading materials, literary pieces such as essays, short stories and the likes, song and
poetries, billboard materials, bulletins and any other written forms comprise this kind.
On the other hand, oral communication uses spoken words. Thus, speeches-whether
formal or informal, discourses like debate, argumentation and open forum, dialogues and
monologues, poetry readings, drama presentation, singing or just common talks, all of these fall
under the category of oral communication.
One form of communication, which is not often mentioned but is commonly used, is the
third category. It falls under the non-\verbal communication. It is neither written nor uttered but
it is such an effective means of communication. This is the Sign communication or the Sign
Language. It uses the aids of the hands, the fingers, the eyes, and other body mechanism as in
the form of gestures. Sometime, it simply aids the oral communication in getting the idea across
but in some cases, it is the only means of having an understanding with each other.
Sign communication can be of two forms the overt and covert. When we talk of overt
signs, we pertain to the signs, symbols or signals which are visible and easily read. These are
also referred to as the macro symbols. On the other hand, covert signs are such signs, symbols
and signal which are not easily seen. These are otherwise known as the micro symbols.

THE COMMUNICATION MODEL

The illustration to the right shows the flow of communication:
Sender (encoder)
Message
Channel
Receiver
Feedback
Communication involves:
A sender who has a message or idea which they wish to send (source, transmitter,
speaker, encoder)
A message which is sent between the sender and the receiver (idea, thought, topic)
A channel and medium (face to face, telephone, letter, form) by which the message is sent
(medium)
a receiver who receives and understands the message (listener, decoder)
feedback passed from the receiver to the sender showing that the message has been
received and understood (reaction (non-verbal)
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ORGANIZATION COMMUNICATION
In a workplace situation, a worker interacts with people occupying different position that
is from janitor to manager. Likewise, communication is the best, to give receive and have a
feedback on the ideas being communicated. As part of the organization, it is very important to be
aware on how a message flows in a company.
In this case, organizational communication would be applied to observe proper
communication in the workplace. It may be oral or written depending on the content of the
message. There are four types of organizational communication:
1. Downward communication which is the top-to-bottom communication from the
management not only clears job directions and safety rules but also facts about organizational
goals, products and view-points on important controversial issues.
The following media tools of internal communication can be used to carry information
down to its intended receiver:
1) memo
2) letters
3) orientation manuals
4) pay envelope inserts
5) annual report
6) public address system
7) human channels, like supervisor or foreman.

2. Upward communication gives management with feed back needed for proper
planning, decision-making and controlling. On the part of the employees communication up to
management maybe a form of release from emotional tensions and pressures, a means to offer
valuable ideas to management or simply to show whether directions or policies are understood
and acceptable to the employees. Tools that can be used in upward communication are: memos,
suggestion systems (in a form of box or face to face, and guidance counselor as human channel.
3. Horizontal or lateral communication takes place between sections, divisions, or
departments of the same level. Keep employees aware of activities in a related department, like
for example one supervisor with another, one worker with another and so forth. The tools used in
horizontal or lateral are: meetings and conferences; seminars and workshops; telephones and
intercoms; social and other similar activities.
4. Diagonal communication takes place from one level to another level without passing
through traditional channels.
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EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Any workplace where people are able to communicate clearly tend to be a more efficient
working environment.
Effective communication leads to:
Clear instructions so people know exactly what they are expected to do and do it
properly;
People feeling involved because they are well informed;
Higher morale and job satisfaction
People working better as a team
Time and effort saved as people are clear on what to do.

SOME PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

To communicate with people effectively you need to:
Make sure it is not too noisy to hear what is being said.
Sit or stand so that you directly face the person whom you are talking or listening too;
Maintain eye contact;
Use polite opening and closing greetings
Speak clearly in an open and neutral tone
Be straight forward and to the point
Keep the message simple
Be patient
Show interest
Used words that the people you are speaking to can understand
Listen carefully to the conversation so that you get the right message.

How do we go about making our listening more effective? Here are some suggestions:
Listen not for the words alone but for meanings
Avoid unconscious projection
Suspend as much as possible your own prejudgments
Control you emotional responses to language
Focus on the message
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Focus on the structure of the message

Be conscious of your own meta-communication
Do not interrupt

In the workplace, effective listening helps you to:

Understand instruction clearly
Learn from others
Convey clear message
Promote good listening in others (if you are prepared to listen to others, they will be
prepared to listen to you)
Offer ideas and take part in discussion
Co-operate with others and work well in a team
Understand the ideas and suggestions of others
Respond in an appropriate manner

The difference between listening and hearing:

People are not often aware that there is a difference between hearing and listening. It is
commonly assumed that because people can hear they can also listen. Unless people have a
physical disability they are able to hear. At any one something which just happens.

Processing sound:
Listening requires effort and attention. If someone is explaining to you how to complete a task
and you are distracted you may hear what is said but you may not have listened. In order to
listen,you need to focus on the person, try to understand what is said; check if you have
understood and ask question it actually takes effort.

A great many things can interfere with effective listening. They include:
Noise - It is very hard to listen in a noisy environment.
Temperature - If you are feeling uncomfortably hot it is hard to concentrate to listening.
Closeness - when a speaker is too close to you, your mind may be on the invasion of your
space rather than what is being said.
Furniture - the way in which furniture is arranged in a room may block good listening
for example; if you cannot see a speaker it is much harder to pay attention.
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Time - when people are tried or in a hurry they are less able to fully concentrate fully on
what is being said.
Impatience - if you are feeling impatient and want to get away to do other thing you
mind will not concentrating on the speaker.
Distractions - any type of distraction whether it be something going on outside work or
personal worries tends to stop you from paying full attention to what a speaker says.
Attitude - if you do not like the speaker or do not like what they are saying you may
quickly tune out.
Lack of interest - when you are not interested in a topic it is difficult to pay attention.
Thinking you - often people think that they already know what is about already know be
said and so they dont bother to listen

Proper Note taking for Recording Information/Instructions:

Effective note-taking is important to record information/instructions based on what we
read and heard.
Systematic note-taking means, reading through a passage or listening to a discussion and
determining its subject and then writing them down. They should be brief and easy to remember.
The following tips will help you in taking notes from your sources:
1. Dont write too many words.
2. Be sure that you have enough facts and details.
3. Dont get off the track. That is, stick to the topic
When you take notes from listening your degree of success can only be to the extent that you
listened well and understood what you heard.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Communication needs to be clear and effective in order to achieve its aim. When it is not,
all kinds of problem can result.
There are many obstacles along the way that result to ineffective communication. These
are the following:
Barriers to good communication
Barriers to good communication can make things difficult and cause misunderstanding.
Good communication is affected when the sender and the receiver do not understand the message
in the same way.
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Good communication can be affected by:

Non-verbal communication which sends the opposite messge to what is being said.
Remember that what we see is different to what we hear, the non-verbal communication
always delivers the strongest message. For example; if you tell your supervisor that you are
happy to work late and then spend the whole time looking at you watch, he or she believes
the non-verbal message which is saying that you are not happy at all.
Poor listening. Use of slang and jargon. People who work in a particular area often talk
to each other in technical jargon or slang they have developed for their own use. This is fine
for all who speakl the language, but it makes it very hard to newcomers.
Ambiguity. This refers to the fact that some message have more than one meaning.
Unless the message means the same thing to both the sender and receiver, confusion can
arise. It is important to be specific and exact if you are the sender and to use feedback and
questions to check the message if you are the receiver.
People who think that they know everything and dont listen. They niether give nor ask
for feedback and then complain that others send confusing message.
Making assumption about what people do or dont know. It is important to clear about
what information people already have. To do this, we should put ourselves in place of the
receiver and ask ourselves what they need to know in order to understand our message. We
then need to be clear about how we send our message and what to include in it.
Poor expression.These means speech or writing that is not clear, thoughts and feeling
which are presented in illogical order or incorrect spelling punctuation and grammar.
If people working together are not able to communicate well. It can lead to confusion,
unhappiness, frustration and annoyance. It can also mean that the organizations goal will
not be met.

Poor communication may lead to:

Time being lost because work needs to be redone
Accidents
Poor quality service and/or product
Wastage
Frustration
Mistake being made because instructions are not clear
Teams not working well.

REASON FOR COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

In the work environment you need to communicate with:
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People who belong to your organization

People who belong outside your organization and wish to do business with you

You communicate with people at work for several reasons, for example to:
Take part in friendly conversation
To assist customers
To receive or pass on information or instruction
Discuss problem
Ask for information
Get help
It is important that you communicate with people inside and outside your organization in
a professional and efficient manner. People do not work in isolation. No matter what your job is
good communication is vital.

SIGNIFICANCE OF VOCUBULARY: Relation to Comprehension Skill

Meaning and Distinctions of Types
Vocabulary refers to the stock or range of words available to you for use in oral and
written communication, words you understand from listening to others speak, or from reading
and which you can use in writing.
In your reading, the problem is usually not so much to form words but sometimes to
figure out words already written which might be unfamiliar to you. If you can recognize that a
word is made up of other words or word parts that you know you may be able to figure out the
word even if it seems unfamiliar at first. Figuring out how words nare made up of different parts,
souding them out in order to pronouce them and examining how they are used in order to get
meaning from them, are all methods of word attack which can help you understand new or
unfamiliar words you encounter in your reading. The methods or word attack may be reffered to
asreading tactics.
There are two ways of viewing vocabulary:
1). From the standpoint of the communication skills, and
2). From the standpoint of usefulness or purpose.
From the first standpoint, we have three vocabularies: one for reading (or listening),
one for writing, and one for speaking. Our reading vocabulary in English is the largest,
because we can guess at the meaning of an isolated word by the way it is used. Our writing
vocabulary is smaller, but it is larger than our speaking vocabulary because we have the time
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when writing to think of the right word we want to use which we may not have when speaking.
Our speaking vocabulary is the smallest, because if the words to express the exact shade of
meaning arent there waiting for us, we fall back on cliches, or words which dont quite express
our intended meaning but will have tgo make do. However, this is true of students, like
Filipinos, to whom English is not the first language. Also the listening voicabulary might in a
sense be smaller than the reading one if the listeners grasp of correct pronunciation is
inadequate.
From the second standpoint vocabularies are classified either as technical or general or as
working or recognition.
1. The technical vocabulary consists of words from specialized fields, words like ecology,
iambic, isobar, sirocco, ionosphere, pyrometer, isotopes,aeration, symbiosis.

2. Your general vocabulary is made up of words that you use in ordinary conversation and
in correspondence.

3. Your working vocabulary has in it the words that you use in spelling and in writing, while

4. your recognition vocabulary is composed of those words that you may understand in
listening and in reading. All four, of course, overlap.

WAYS OF BUILDING A VOCABULARY

One authority suggests that to build your vocabulary you must:
1. become curious about words;
2. read more
3. develop skill in finding meaning from context;
4. set up a card system; and
5. learn the function of key prefixes, suffixes and roots
Be curious about words - Begin by selecting from what you read today those words which you
feel are essentail to you whether you read, write, listen or speak. Then as you read more and
more in the varied field that interest you or in your particular course, notice the words that appear
again and again, for inevitably you will need to add them to your working vocabulary. As you
add these recurring words, youll notice that one of the effect is greater skill in selecting words to
learn for your own use in communicating your thoughts to others and in your chosen profession
especially.
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Reading More Reading more means reading widely. It does not mean to read more and more of
the same, so be careful not to specialize. Consider, first of all which sections and items of your
newspaper you are neglecting. Try out your curiosity on the words in an editorial as well as those
in a feature article or human interest story. Reach for a different magazine next time you view the
whole array on the shelves in the library.
Finding Meaning from Context. Suppose that in your reading you meet a new word yet it is not
something you feel you should add to either your recognition or working vocabulary, however,
its meaning will be essential to your understanding of what you are reading. Instead of
immediately looking up such a word in your dictionary, try to figure out what it means by
considering the words and phrases around it. These will usually throw some light on its meaning.
Word Attack Through Context Clues What is meant by context clues? When you look
at a picture the different objects in that picture provide you with clues which help you to
understand what the picture is all about. In a sentence there are also clues word clues.
Just as a picture is a context because it gives you information about what an unfamiliar
word in the sentence.
Two kinds of context clues There are two kinds of context clues:
1) direct and
2). Indirect.
The direct context clues tell you exactly what the italicized oir underlined word means.
Indirect context clues are words not found in the sentence but help you to know the
meaning of the word.
Methods of Discovering Meaning from context There are four methods of discovering
meaning from context and these are:
a) by inference the person skilled in vocabulary techniques does not need to guess
about the meaning of an unfamiliar word because he can draw inferences from the way a
word nis used in the sentence or paragraph hes reading. He reads between the lines,
finding both what is suggested and what is said. Inference then is the process of drawing
reasonable conclusions from bits of evidence.
b) Direct Explanation frequently, a writer will define a certain word if he decides that
it may be unfamiliar to the majority of readers, or if he wants to emphasize the
significance of the word. In your reading, therefore, be alert to this technique. For
illustration note: An ascetic, living an austere and lonely life of self-denial, believes this
existence will lead to spiritual and intellectual perfection. It is obvious that the writer has
clearly stated the meaning of ascetic believing it might give the read some difficulty.
c) Indirectly Explanation another device that a writer uses to communicate word
meaning is to explain the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a phrase or clause fitted
skillfully into the main structure. To illustrate, note:
Using the dictionary and card system An effective means of adding words to your vocabulary
is to set up a file of vocabulary cards. Acquire a pack or two of 3 by 5 or 4 by 6 inch cards- the
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unruled ones-and keep them in a box. Carry a number of blank cards with you so that whenever
you hear a word you believe essential to your vocabulary, jot it down. Write no more than one
word on a card. Should any situation a test, for example-fail to permit this practice, make a
mental note and put the word on a card at a more convenient time. While you read, do the same
thing; furthermore, whenever possible, write down the sentence in which you found the word.
Group the cards alphabetically under separate headings, and mark each group with an identifying
tab on a plain white card so that you can find the categories easily as you work with them.

WORD ATTACK THROUGH STRUCTURE AND SOUND:

Many of the words you encounter in your reading that may seem unfamiliar at first are
made up of parts you already know. The same basic word can be combined with other words or
word parts to produce different meanings. When you can figure out the parts that a word is made
of and from them figure out the meaning of the word you are using the words structure to
understand what it means. A word that is a derivative is usually made up of the root with a prefix
before it or a suffix after it or both (informal).
A knowledge of prefixes or suffixes, and roots will indeed help you figure out the
meaning of many an unfamiliar word. Such knowledge will also make increasing you vocabulary
a more interesting experience.
Roots, Prefixes, and suffixes:
Roots The basic element in a word is called a root or stem This part may appear alone (as
a word); as an element of a compound or as a part, expanded by a prefix, suffix, or both.
Prefix is a form attached to the beginning of a word that changes the meaning of the word or
makes a new word. A few prefixes are single letters, most are syllables, some are words. Prefixes
have been added to gnostic, known, meter, and ordinary, for example-giving us these words:
agnostic, unknown, perimeter and extraordinary.
A knowledge of prefixes frequently helps a reader to grasp the meaning of an unfamiliar word
because he can see that its parts are not unfamiliar. He knows the meaning of the prefix and he
recognizes the word to which it is attached. In short order, with or without the help of context
clues, he has the new meaning.
Suffixes is a short form added to the ending of a word. Its function is to indicate the part of
speech of the word. Suffixes give a word new uses and modify its meaning.

EFFECTIVE READING:
Pursuing what you have encountered in connection with developing vocabulary
development skill and acquiring learning skill, you will note another skill worth your attention-
compreshension skill in reading and listening. We can learn only what we comprehend.
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Anyone who desires to acquire effective study techniques would do well to improve his
reading and listening compreshension skill. Developing reading comprehension techniques is
one of the two basic was of improving reading skill, the other being developing reading speed.
Speed is the rate at which a reader covers a piece of printed matter expressed in words
per minute. The symbol wpmis often used to stand for words per minute.
An average reader covers about 250 wpm. A good reader moves along at a rate between
500 and 600 wpm.
Anexceptional reader can manage over 1000 words per minute.
Rapid reading is valueless however unless what is read is unterstood. Thus
comprehension is the other vital factor in efficient reading. Comprehension is commonly
expressed in percent-the percentage of total understanding a reader attains in his efforts to master
a reading selection.
The efficient reader maintains consistently 70 to 80 percent comprehension, regardless
of the difficulty of the material.

FACTORS THAT MAKE FOR EFFICIENT READING:

Purpose and Flexibility To be a good readers, you must read with a purpose. First
determine why you are reading and what you are looking for. Once you have a definite purpose
in mind, consider your familiarity with the material and its level of complexity.
Characteristics of a Good Reader Since reading is more than mere recognition of words on a
page, you must strive to be efficient reader. Besides having a flexible rate of speed, the efficient
reader also can grasp the larger meaning that a word conveys; he sees the larger unit that the
individual word helps to form: the phrase, the clause, the sentence, even the paragraph and the
larger units, such as the essay, chapter, or book itself.
While reading your eyes would sometime move back because you felt you missed something
or if you wish to make sure you grasp the meaning. About 90% of the time your eyes will seem
to be fastened on words while the other 10% they will seem to be moving.
Your long pauses are commonly called fixations, while the returns to an earlier point are
called regressions.
It is when the eyes are fixed that meaningful reading takes place, when the image on the retina of
the eye gets translated into meaning by the brain. How long fixation lasts depends on the amount
of time that it takes the brain to translate the sign on a page into meaning. While the eyes are
moving, images are blurred, and nothing can be translated by the brain.
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UNDESIRABLE READING HABITS

One who reads at 225 wpm or less is usually the victim of one or more bad habits, which
include:
1. lip reading Lip readers are slow readers. Are you? If you move your lips while you are
reading, you limit your reading rate to the number of words you speak per minute which is
really not very many.
2. vocalizing words Poor readers often speak the words they read, a habit even more
common than in lip reading. Do you lip read? This is not advisable for it limits you to
reading word by word.
3. sounding words in the inner ear Many readers hear the words they read. These
auditory readers, though not pronouncing words aloud or silently, are actually pronouncing
them in mind. You can eliminate this habit by proacticing reading through units, by getting
away from hearing words.
4. pointing to words with the head or finger Another habit of poor readers is to follow
along the line of print with their head and finger. The eyes can move rapidly and accurately
enough by themselves; they do not require help from other poarts of the body, so moving a
pointing finger and swinging the head from the first word to the last are wasted movements.
They slow you down.
5. constant regression - Even efficient readers sometimes regress when theyre reading but
they do so deliberately-they are aware of their regressions. When they go back, it is for a
reason. They find the material difficult and realize at least another fixation is necessary. Or
they wish to examine critically an idea of the writer, or study an unfamiliar word, or check a
fact.

Poor readers, on the other hand make many necessary regression for the following reasons:
1. They usually are reading word by word and have to regress frequently in order to get any
meaning;
2. their vocabulary is insufficient;
3. they lack confidence.
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DEALING WITH PARAGRAPH

The Technical writer should be careful about the length of his sentences. The amont of
difficulty a reader experiences in reading a given tex is positively correlated to sentence length
and number of syllables per word. Since technical subject matter often requires the use of a
complex technical vocabulary and the expression of complex ideas, the use of shorter words and
sentences simple in structure will help a lot in the readability of difficult material.
A. Paragraph Structure and Length
Typically, a paragraph begins with the topic sentence which state the main idea to be
developed. The other sentences of the paragraph develop, support, and clarify this central idea.
But this topic sentence may appear in the middle, ir it may appear last as a summary or
generalization based on material already presented. Sometime, it doesnt appear at all, in so
many words, but is implied.
In technical writing, the topic sentence comes first in the paragraph, or, at the very latest
just after whatever transitional sentences appear. When the writer states his thesis or main idea at
the start of the paragraph, he uses the rest of the paragraph for proof, discussion, or other kinds
of amplification. Sometimes he does the opposite and give his details, facts and examples at the
beginning and then concludes by stating the main idea.
Two things govern paragraph length: unit of thought and eye releif for the readers. The
use of one or more very short paragraphs achieves an especially forceful effect. All sentences in a
paragraph must be about the same topic, but paragraphs should not be too long. One or more
breaks on every page of a report is ideal in technical writing.
Paragraph Writing for Functional Purposes
Your proficiency in English is shown by the ability to use functional English.
Functional English is the English that people use in order to communicate with a purpose.
The functional purposes that language service in connection with rhetorical modes are generally
the following:
1. Narrative
a. to tell what happened or how an incident occurred
b. to show steps in a process or sequence in procedure
c. to give direction on how to reach a place or achieve an objective
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In this type of functional English use the parts of speech that abound are verbs and adverbs.
1. Descriptive
a. to describe a person or persons
b. to describe an event or idea
c. to describe a place
In this type of function the part of speech abounds is the adjective.

Narration in Description of Process

One of the most common function of narration (not in the sense of story telling but of
relating sequence) is in description of process, considering that process is a series of actions done
in sequence.
The careful step-by-step exposition of a process necessitates the use of narration in the
sense of observing sequence of action or order of occurrence. In this sense the development
techniques used is chronological.