COMMUNICATION

Effective Communication

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION HABITS HAVE CHANGED COUNTLESS LIVES. NOW WHAT ABOUT YOURS?

COMMUNICATION
Communication skills are the highest single factor that contribute to building winning associations.
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In a complex and culturally diverse world, the ability to communicate effectively has become increasingly important.

In our professional as well as personal lives we are constantly using language to convey our thoughts and ideas to others.

Effective communication skills are essential in

everything we do or say.

The Communication Process

Although all of us have been communicating with others since our infancy, the process of transmitting information from an individual (or group) to another is a very complex process with many sources of potential error. In any communication at least some of the "meaning is lost in simple transmission of a message from the sender to the receiver.
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In many situations a lot of the true message is lost and the message that is heard is often far different than the one intended. This is most obvious in cross-cultural situations where language is an issue. But it is also common among people of the same culture.
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The Communication Process

Sender

Encoding

Feedback

Message

NOISE
Channel

Decoding

Response

Receiver

Communication is so difficult because at each step in the process there is a major potential for error. By the time a message gets from a sender to a receiver there are four basic places where transmission errors can take place and at each place, there are a multitude of potential sources of error. Thus it is no surprise that social psychologists estimate that there is usually a 40-60% loss of meaning in the transmission of messages from sender to receiver.
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It is critical to understand this process, understand and be aware of the potential sources of errors and constantly counteract these tendencies by making a conscientious effort to make sure there is a minimal loss of meaning in your conversation. It is also very important to understand that a major part of communication is non-verbal. This means that when we attribute meaning to what someone else is saying, the verbal part of the message actually means less than the nonverbal part. The non-verbal part includes such things as body language and tone. 9

Barriers to Effective Communication

There are a wide number of sources of noise or interference that can enter into the communication process.

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Barriers to Communication
Physical Barriers Status Barrier Faulty Transmission / Poor Retention Barriers to
communication Socio Psychological

Language

By-passed instructions
Cross Cultural Barriers

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Physical Barrier
Obstacles that prevent a message from reaching the intended recipient and beyond the control of persons concerned.
Noise Time and Distance Faulty Instruments

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Faulty Transmission / Poor Retention

Successive transmission of the same message are decreasingly accurate. Approx 30% of communication is lost each time it is transmitted. People retain around 50-60% of the communicated message.

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Language Barrier
When people belonging to two different language groups try to communicate. (Different meanings/interpretations attached) When the message is badly expressed. Vague words, lengthy sentences, poor construction of sentence, repetition. Use simple words and clear sentences
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By-passed Instructions
It is a form of language barrier. Often instructions given by superiors and not clearly understood by subordinates as certain words have double meaning. Words with dual meaning ring, fall. Similar sounding words Flour/Flower, See/Sea, Week/Weak,
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Cross cultural barrier

Culture is a shared set of values and attributes of a group. Hence when the sender and receiver are from different cultural groups a cross cultural barrier is formed.

Character Language Non verbal behavior Space Paralanguage

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Socio Psychological
Resistance to change sticking to old beliefs Unclarified Assumptions making assumptions based on what we hear she is untidy, Thats a good product Different perceptions. Closed mind- Rigid mind, not open for discussion. Fear losing job, superiors, fear of being laughed at. Halo Effect. Abstracting Selecting some facts & omitting others. Slanting Reflecting biased thinking. Inferences- conclusions drawn from evidence Defensiveness- Acts or behaves in support of something, shows anxiety to avoid criticism or attack hidden flaws. 17

Status Barrier
Occurs due to organizational structure. Each organization has a hierarchy which creates various status levels. Hence a Jr. Accounts executive giving suggestions to the CFO may be regarded as insubordination. Hence Status block is lack of free flow of information between superiors and subordinates due to respective positions. 18

FEEDBACK

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Constructive Feedback: Developing your Skills

Effective feedback is absolutely essential to organizational effectiveness. People must know where they are and where to go next in terms of expectations and goals-yours, their own, and the organization. Feedback taps basic human needs-to improve, to compete, to be accurate; people want to be competent.
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Feedback can be reinforcing; if given properly, feedback is almost always appreciated and motivates people to improve. Be aware of the many reasons why people are hesitant to give feedback; they include fear of causing embarrassment, discomfort, fear of an emotional reaction, and inability to handle the reaction.
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It is crucial that we realize how critical feedback can be and overcome our difficulties; it is very important and can be very rewarding but it requires skill, understanding, courage, and respect for yourself and others. Withholding constructive feedback is like sending people out on a dangerous hike without a compass. This is especially true in today's fast changing and demanding workplace. 22

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

Effective Feedback has most of the following characteristics:

Descriptive Avoid accusations Describe your own reactions Suggest more acceptable alternative Be specific rather than general. Focus on behavior Takes into account the needs of both the receiver and giver
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Feedback is useful when well-timed Sharing of information, rather than giving advice It concerns with what is said and done, or how, not why It is checked to ensure clear communication

Constructive feedback opens the way to a relationship which is built on trust, honesty, genuine concern and mutual growth.
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Effective communication is an important tool that can help make or break our relationships, careers and our future irreversibly. Regardless of what business we are in, on the domestic front and in our social lives we all stand to benefit from more effective communication skills.
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Business Communication in Organizations

Business communication defines most organizations, resulting in effective marketing campaigns, productive interpersonal relationships among co-workers and successful customer service resolutions. Since audiences demand different kinds of communications in different situations and settings, effective business communication professionals understand how to tailor messages for maximum results. 26

Function
Although most casual observers of corporate behavior focus on a companys external marketing, business communication happens throughout every organization, using multiple channels for many kinds of desired results.

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Effective business communication includes a two-way cycle of messaging and feedback designed to achieve a specific reaction.
Efficient, appropriate, thoughtful messages often correlate to successful companies staffed by engaged professionals.
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Features
The feedback cycles required for effective business communication can take different forms, especially when aided by modern technology. In addition to speech and written text, business professionals must understand how to communicate effectively via e-mail, text message and even social media status update.
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New tools allow business professionals to combine personal messages with automated responses, such as vacation auto-responder messages, to help process large amounts of information. Many effective communicators find ways to cut through the clutter of overflowing inboxes with handwritten notes or direct phone calls.
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Considerations
Messages must take on the characteristics of the medium chosen for communication, making it more challenging when team members speak, read and learn differently from each other.

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For instance, a manager with a highly visual learning style may not respond as intended to a dense report from an employee with strong writing skills. Likewise, a company director accustomed to highly analytical spreadsheets may not appreciate the lack of density inherent in a text message.

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Misconceptions
Despite a cultural trend toward casual communication, studies indicate that spelling and grammar still play major roles in how audiences evaluate business professionals.

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Critics of millennials, workers born between 1977 and 1998, often advise younger professionals to double-check their communication for tone, relevance and especially presentation. Older decisionmakers may refuse to conduct business with young representatives using unprofessional communication.
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Effects
In most organizations, effective communication offers the best opportunity to make an outstanding first impression. Using powerful words, images and messages, business professionals can craft strong internal partnerships while developing the foundation of a solid client base.
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However, the second half of the feedback cycle can really cement interpersonal relationships.
By building a reputation as an engaged listener, a professional can set up next actions that solidify her commitment to acting on requests or adjusting after responses.

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The Scope of Business Communication

We are social being, to live or to exist in the society we have to communicate each other, we spend more time in communicating than doing anything else. Thus different kinds of activities, like personal, social, national, global, political, religious, cultural, financial and so on are within the scope of communication.
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The Scope of Business Communication

The scope of business communication are as follows: From personal context: An individual can do nothing without communication. He or she can achieve his or her goal in life and maintain proper relations with relatives, friends and others through effective communication.
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 From social context:

Men in societies communicate with each other on various occasions such as meetings, functions etc. and contribute for social development. From organizational context: Communication involves proper planning, decision making, controlling, directing, coordinating etc. and plays a role to achieve organizational goals.

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 From political context:

Political parties depend on various media of communication to face their opposition and get power. Radio, television, newspaper, meeting, public gathering, press conference are used to communicate.

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 From religious context:

Without proper communication it is not possible to give perfect concept about each religion to their followers. Religious group depend on interpersonal, intergroup and mass communication to preach their religion.

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 From global context:

Every nation of present world depends on each other in different affairs. For this reason UN, EU, NAFTA, SAARC, & all other international summits, conferences & so on are formed to maintain international communication.

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 From national context:

Effective communication system helps general public to participate various government activities through their elected representatives and coordinate among the various government authorities and departments to develop socio-economic condition of the country.
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 From the context of business:

Effective communication helps management or owners to maintain good relation between internal (i.e. employees) and external parties to maximize production, sales, and profit of the business or industry. From financial context: All financial matters of various organizations and parties are settled under effective communication system. 44

Objectives Of Communication
Information
Requests Instructions Orders Advice/Suggestions

Education/Training
Warning Motivation
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Organizational Communication
Organizational communication refers to the forms and channels of communication among members of organizations such as corporations, nonprofits or small businesses. Studies have found a strong relationship between the levels of communication in an organization and job performance and satisfaction. Organizational communication can be formal or informal, flow in various directions and make use 46 of various media.

Directions of Communication/ Channels of Communication

An organization is a body of people working together for a well defined goal & to achieve its goal each member of the organization has to be in a state of constant touch with the others- in short, each member needs to communicate effectively. There are TWO types of communication in organizations- Internal & External
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Internal Communication
Internal communication is classified under Formal & Informal communication. Internal formal communication has a serious, official mode of discussion. Such type of organizational communication takes place upward, downward, horizontal, vertical & consensus.
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Downward communication- It flows from the managerial and executive levels to the staff through formal channels such as policy manuals, rules and regulations and organizational charts. Upward communication- is initiated by staff and directed at executives; it frequently takes the form of a complaint, a request, suggestions, opinion surveys. This creates a sense of 49 participation in the employees.

Horizontal communication- This is also known as lateral communication. It occurs when colleagues ( between equals at any level) in an organization meet to discuss issues of common interest, resolve problems & conflicts, share information and develops team spirit.

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Vertical Communication- This combines both downward and upward communication. The top management sends information to the employees and also devises ways of eliciting information from their employees. Thus, the lines of communication are kept open. This keep the organization in a healthy state. Enlightened management have realized that communication is essentially interactive in nature, demanding the interchange of roles of the sender & the receiver. 51

Consensus- This is a method of coming to a decision or to a solution of a problem after a free and frank discussion between members of an organization. This gives the employees a sense of participation & involvement in the affairs of the organization. They commit themselves to the policy arrived at by consensus and work with greater dedication.
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Informal Communication
Informal communication in an organization is termed as Grapevine. It is called so because it stretches throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we know is a social animal. Despite existence of formal channels in an organization, the informal channels tend to develop when he interacts with other people in organization. It exists more at lower levels of organization.
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Internal business communications play a vital role in the functioning of a workplace. Grapevine communication, or informal organizational communication, helps to support formal methods of business communication. Examples of grapevine communication include lunch break conversations between co-workers and car pool dialogues.
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The 'grapevine' is the informal communication network found in every organization. The term can be traced back to the United States Civil War in the 1860s. Since battlefronts moved frequently, army telegraph wires were strung loosely from tree to tree across battlefields, somewhat like wires used to support grapevines.

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The wires were used to carry telegraph messages created in Morse code (the electronic alphabet, invented in 1844) because the telephone wasnt invented until 1876. Since the lines often were strung hastily during battle, and messages were composed in a hurry, the resulting communication tended to be garbled and confusing. Soon, any rumor was said to have been heard 'on the grapevine'.
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Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is that when an organization is facing recession, the employees sense uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due to which they form unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential treatment and favor some employees giving a segregated feeling to other employees.
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Thus, when employees sense a need to exchange their views, they go for grapevine network as they cannot use the formal channel of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in cafeteria, the subordinates talk about their superiors attitude and behavior and exchange views with their peers. They discuss rumors about promotion and transfer of other employees. Grapevine spreads like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such communication 58

How to deal with grapevine

If managers and supervisors dont attend to the communication needs of their staff, there is no vacuum of information. Instead, the informal avenue of rumors grows, frequently putting a destructive slant on organizational happenings when employees are uncertain. Some people say that up to 70% of the information employees receive is via the grapevine.
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Information via the grapevine invariably moves much faster than through formal communication channels. This is its greatest attribute. Emails have now joined the grapevine communication channels, making it even faster.

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Four Types of Grapevine Rumors

Wish fulfillment - identifying the wishes and

hopes of employees. 'Bogey rumors' - exaggerating employees' fears and concerns. 'Wedge-drivers' - aggressive, unfriendly and damaging. They split groups and dissolve allegiances. 'Home-stretchers' - anticipating final decisions or announcements. They tend to fill the gap during 61 times of ambiguity

Research shows that grapevine information tends to be about 80% accurate. Since many rumors start from someone's account of an actual event, there are strong elements of truth in many rumors. However, grapevine information often contains big errors as people put their own interpretation onto an event or information they have seen, and then pass it on in a process of partial or selective recall. 62

Why do people spread rumors? Humans are social animals we need to talk to others. Chat about others helps to strengthen existing relationships. Besides entertainment value, gossiping can raise people's self esteem we feel more important by getting information first and by the interest it creates.
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It is rare to find people at different levels discussing rumors or gossiping with each other. When two people share a rumor or gossip it has the effect of putting them on a relatively equal footing. The grapevine can play an important part in the management by walking around approach.
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When managers move around the office without a particular objective, they can pick up relevant rumors. This information would not have become available if the manager had stayed in their office all day. Managers can sometimes purposely send messages through the grapevine to test the likely reaction to a possible management decision. This can allow feedback to take place and adjustments made before final decisions are made. 65

Thus the grapevine can contribute to a more inclusive workplace. The appropriate manager should confirm true rumors or true parts of rumors to staff as soon as possible. Management should avoid playing word games with the truth or parts of the truth in order to minimize bad news. Their credibility will suffer massively if they try this 66

Pros & Cons of Grapevine Communication

Advantages of grapevine communication: Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets to know some confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes the details then to his closest friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it spreads hastily. The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies. Thus, the feedback 67

obtained is quick compared to formal channel of communication. The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing group cohesiveness. The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value. The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where 68 formal communication does not work.

Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication: The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours. Thus, it does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs. The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report. 69

 The productivity of employees may be

hampered as they spend more time talking rather than working. The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives. The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false negative information about the high level people of the organization.
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7Cs of Communication
When you are writing or reading, always keep in mind the 7Cs of effective communication: Completeness Clarity Conciseness Concreteness Correctness Courtesy Consideration
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Completeness
Your business message is termed complete when it contains all facts that the reader or listener needs for the reaction you desire. Several differences exist between senders & receivers since they differ in their mental filters-such as differing viewpoints, backgrounds, needs, experiences, attitudes, status & emotions. Thus, communication senders need to assess their messages through the eyes of receivers to be sure 72 they have included all relevant information.

Guidelines for completeness: Provide all necessary information-5Ws & 1H Answer all questions asked Give something extra, when desirable

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Conciseness
Conciseness is saying what you have to say in the fewest possible words. A concise message is complete without being wordy. Conciseness is a prerequisite to effective business communication. Conciseness contributes to emphasis; by eliminating messages are inherently more interesting to recipients.
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To achieve conciseness, observe the following suggestions: Eliminate wordy expressions Include only relevant material Avoid unnecessary repetition

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Consideration
Consideration means preparing every message with the message receivers in mind; try to put yourself in their place. Three specific ways to indicate considerations are: Focus on you instead of I & We Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver Emphasize positive, pleasant facts 76

Concreteness
Concrete communication means being specific, definite and vivid rather than vague and general. The following guidelines will help make your messages concrete: Use specific facts and figures Put action in your verbs Choose vivid, image-building words
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Clarity
Clarity is to get your meaning across just as intended- accurately- this is the purpose of clarity. Guidelines for clarity in messages: Choose precise, concrete and familiar words Construct effective sentences and paragraphs Length Unity Coherence 78 Emphasis

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Courtesy
Courtesy stems from a sincere you-attitude. Courtesy in communication is politeness that grows out of respect and concern for others. The following are suggestions for generating a courteous tone: Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative Use expressions that show respect Choose nondiscriminatory expressions
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Correctness
Correctness is correct expression by way of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Three characteristics of correctness are: Use the right level of language Check accuracy of figures, facts, and words Maintain acceptable writing mechanics
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Listening

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Developing Communication Skills: Listening Skills

Active, effective listening is a habit, as well as the foundation of effective communication. As a listener we can work on the listening process in the following ways:

Focus on the subject content Avoid distractions Keep your prejudices & opinions aside Ask questions Listen with empathy & do not interrupt the speaker Attend to non-verbal cues, body language, not just words; listen between the lines Take control of your emotional state 82 Practice supportive listening, not one way listening

Basic Modes of Listening

There are three basic modes of listening: Passive listening- We focus on the listening but not on verifying. Combative listening: We listen for weak points when we may attack the speaker. Active listening: This involves the process of feedback The listener is genuinely interested in what the speaker is feeling & thinking. He/she reviews his/her understanding of the subject 83 before reacting, and recapitulates it in

their own words, and then responds to it. He/she does not evaluate, offer opinions, advise, analyze or interrogate. We all act and respond on the basis of our understanding, and too often there is a misunderstanding that neither party in the conversation is aware of. With active listening, a misunderstanding is immediately known and can be rectified.
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There is a distinction between hearing words and listening for the message. We are effective listeners only in the latter case. You need to place yourself in the speakers shoes and look at the world through the speakers eyes in order to understand his/her perspective. You cannot remain a passive listener if you wish to be an active participant. You need to be actively involved in the 85 communication process.

Active listening
Active listening has three phases:

Listening Understanding Responding

There are four main responses:

To reflect on the feelings or the underlying feelings To restate what was heard in other words and then reflect on the content of what was said Asking appropriate questions 86 Summarizing what was heard

1) Reflection involves focusing on the speakers

feelings: You sound so upset. I guess that made you rather annoyed. 2) Restatement involves absorbing what you just heard and expressing it in your own words: Speaker: The child is frightened. Listener: It appears that the school authorities are too strict. If your understanding is wrong, the speaker will correct you. This technique helps in exploring the problem. 3) Questioning helps the person talk and opens the path to communication: Always remember, feelings come before facts, and the person is more important than
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the problem. There are several types of questions that elicit subjective answers and mostly cannot be answered by yes or no. Ask open-ended questions such as: Can you explain what you meant by Do you mean that. How often does this happen? Place hypothetical questions such as: Suppose we did this project in .manner, 88 how would the boss react!

4) Summarising: Summarising is assimilating what has been heard, briefly going over it together, and agreeing on the problem/situation and the next course of action. Some of the benefits of active listening are: It helps people to spot the flaws in their reasoning when they hear it played back without criticism. Active listening helps people become less afraid
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of negative feelings. It promotes a warm relationship between people and helps to solve problems. Sometimes a person just needs to be heard and acknowledged before he/she is willing to consider an alternative or soften his/her position. If we accurately understand the other persons view, we can be more effective in helping. Active listening helps identify areas of agreement
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so that the areas of disagreement are put in perspective and are diminished rather than magnified. Next time, after your conversation, test your ability to benefit from listening to that conversation. Analyze and ask yourself: Who did more listening? What did I learn from the other person? What questions should I have asked?

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 What questions should I have answered more

thoroughly? Was I absolutely certain I understood everything? Did I ask for clarification? Did I practice acknowledgement? Did he/she practice acknowledgement? Were both parties attending? Was the conversation balanced?
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 Did anyone keep changing the subject?

Did anyone get angry? Did anyone appear sad or unhappy? Was everyone paying attention? What will I do different in my next conversation?

The ability to listen is a SKILL that can be honed with practice & time. This skill can and will improve all your relationships with friends, 93 partners, colleagues and superiors.

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Reading Nonverbal Communication Cues A large percentage (studies suggest over 90%) of the meaning we derive from communication, we derive from the non-verbal cues that the other person gives. Often a person says one thing but communicates something totally different through vocal intonation and body language.
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These mixed signals force the receiver to choose between the verbal and nonverbal parts of the message. Most often, the receiver chooses the nonverbal aspects. Mixed messages create tension and distrust because the receiver senses that the communicator is hiding something or is being less than candid.
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Nonverbal communication is made up of the following parts: 1. Visual 2. Tactile 3. Vocal 4. Use of time, space, and image

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Visual- Kinesics
This often called body language and includes facial expression, eye movement, posture, and gestures. The face is the biggest part of this. All of us "read" people's faces for ways to interpret what they say and feel. This fact becomes very apparent when we deal with someone with dark sunglasses. Of course we can easily misread these cues especially when communicating across cultures where gestures can mean something very different in another culture.
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For example, in American culture agreement might be indicated by the head going up and down whereas in India, a sideto-side head movement might mean the same thing.

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Facial Expressions There are five basic physical descriptions of facial expressions: Neutral expression- pleasure, mask, respect, thoughtful, and quiet attention. Relaxed expression- love, pleasure, and submission. Tense expression- fear, surprise, determination, contempt, & extreme interest.
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 Uplifted expression- happiness, anxiety, love,

rage, astonishment, and attention. Droopy expression- distress, suffering, grief, dismay, and shock. Facial expressions portray the actual emotions felt by an individual & accurately accompany the spoken words. Sometimes, facial expressions, as with other body language and non-verbal components,
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may contradict the verbal expressions, and may give the real message. Facial expressions may be practiced and may be used to complement the spoken message. Facial expressions convey the attitude/mood of the communicator. The face has the capability to produce messages and at the same time facial expressions are open to various interpretations of the receiver.
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Mouth movements give away various clues. We purse our lips, sometimes twist it sideways when we are thinking. We use this also on the occasion of holding back an angry comment. We use our mouth to extend it from chin to chin (right to left) to indicate smile. We also use our mouth by twisting it sideways to indicate sarcasm.
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Raising or lowering the eyebrows, squinting the eyes, swallowing nervously, clenching the jaw, yawning, sneering, smiling broadly these voluntary and involuntary facial expressions supplement or entirely replace the verbal message. Yet all convey information. The human face is most complex & versatile, serving many different functions.
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Visual-Posture.
We also look to posture to provide cues about the communicator; posture can indicate self-confidence, aggressiveness, fear, guilt, or anxiety. The Right Posture- Get your posture right & you will automatically feel more confident & start feeling better. Keep your head level both horizontally and vertically upright. This straight head positionauthoritative & serious.
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 If you want to be in the listening, receptive

mode, tilt your head just a little to one side. You can shift the head from left to right at different points in the conversation. Legs need to be kept as still as possible in most situations. The angle of the body in relation to others gives an indication of our attitudes & feelings towards them.
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A few postures & the message they convey: Slumped posture- low spirits, lack of confidence Erect posture- confidence, high spirits & energy Lean forward- open and interested Lean away- defensive or disinterested Crossed arms- defensive Uncrossed arms- openness, willingness to listen
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Gestures
Gestures are observed actions. Gestures such as a wave of a hand have a specific & intentional meaning such as a hello or a goodbye. Gestures make a large portion of your message. A speaker simply standing & talking with no movement is dull. However, it does not mean that all gestures enhance communication, some can be detrimental.
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There is no correct gesture for any given situation. Ideally, a persons gesture should flow with the vocal channel so as to enhance the content. And, they should agree with the vocal message. Use of good gestures at the proper time lends credibility.
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Unnatural gestures: Playing around with clothing, pen etc; touching the body and so on hurt credibility. Finger tapping, foot tapping, lip licking and smiling too often show lack of confidence. Beneficial gestures: They are usually performed with the hands, arms, and head. They should be used to emphasize a point. Gestures must be used to show dynamism & 110 participation. Use of hand & arm gestures.

Types of gestures: Conscious gestures Spontaneous gestures: 4 types o Iconic gestures- some feature of the action o Metaphoric gestures- representational o Deicitics- spatialize, locate physical space o Beat gestures-baton like movements that do not change in form with the content of the accompanying speech. 111

Oculesics- Eye contact

This includes eye contact or the avoidance of eye contact. Oculesic movement if frequently associated with kinesic movements. Eye contact- a powerful & direct form of non-verbal communication. It has different connotations in a cross-cultural context. A major feature of social communication is eye contact.

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Types of eye contact: Direct eye contact Downward glances Shifty glances Fleeting glances Eye behaviour is usually divided into two categories: Gaze & Mutual Gaze Gazing serves 4 functions- regulatory, monitoring, cognitive, and expressive. 113

Tactile- Haptics
This involves the use of touch to impart meaning as in a handshake, a pat on the back, an arm around the shoulder, a kiss, or a hug. We use the tactile form of non-verbal communication many-a- time while talking to people. Touch can convey many factors such as intentions, feelings- both positive & negative, relationship, respect, and so on. 114 In business- touch suggests dominance.

Vocaliscs- Paralanguage
Your voice quality & the extra sounds you make while speaking are also a part of nonverbal communication called paralanguage. Paralanguage includes: Tone ( direct, commanding, loud, harsh, soft, disguised, gentle, pleased, sharp, scheming, volatile, rage, boisterous etc) Inflection (spread-narrow)- changing tone of our voice to emphasize key words
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 Inflections vary by: Stressing- Ive got a BIG project Stretching- Ive got a b---i---g project

Pausing- Ive got-----a big project

Pitch(high-low)- determined by the speed of

vibration of the vocal folds; the higher the pitch, the faster the rate of vibration and the lower the pitch, the slower the rate of vibration. Tempo/Pacing-rate at which someone speaks 116

 Intensity or Volume (loud-soft)

Articulation(precise-imprecise)
Rhythm(smooth-jerky)- not appreciated in

business communication, used in oratory commonly to express emotions The other sounds you make, such as throat clearing and sighing. Dysfluency- break in fluent speech- Phew, Ahhah! Uh-oh, Mmmm, Uh-huh, Hah-uh, Shhh
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The meaning of words can be altered significantly by changing the intonation of one's voice. Think of how many ways you can say "no"-you could express mild doubt, terror, amazement, and anger among other emotions. Vocal meanings vary across cultures. Intonation in one culture can mean support; in another, anger.
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Physical Space- Proxemics

For most of us, someone standing very close to us makes us uncomfortable. We feel our "space" has been invaded. People seek to extend their territory in many ways to attain power and intimacy. We tend to mark our territory either with permanent walls, or in a classroom with our coat, pen, paper, etc. We like to protect and control our territory. For Americans, the "intimate zone" is about two feet; this can vary from culture to culture. This
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zone is reserved for our closest friends. The "personal zone" from about 2-4 feet usually is reserved for family and friends. The social zone (4-12 feet) is where most business transactions take place. The "public zone" (over 12 feet) is used for lectures.
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Use of Time- Chronemics

Use of time can communicate how we view our own status and power in relation to others. Think about how a subordinate and his/her boss would view arriving at a place for an agreed upon meeting. Use of time communicates about how you respect time and value it. Monochronic & Polychronic time & cultures. 121

Artifacts, Things
Similarly, we use "things" to communicate. This can involve expensive things, neat or messy things, photographs, plants, etc. Image: We use clothing and other dimensions of physical appearance to communicate our values and expectations.

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The use of gestures, movements, material things, time, and space can clarify or confuse the meaning of verbal communication. The tone of your voice will probably have a greater impact on how your message is interpreted than the actual words. A "majority" of the meaning we attribute to words comes not from the words themselves, but from nonverbal factors such as gestures, facial 123 expressions, tone, body language, etc.

Non-verbal cues play 5 roles

Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a person's eyes can often convey a far more vivid message than words and often do Complementing: they may add to or complement 124 a verbal message.

For e.g. A boss who pats a person on the back in addition to giving praise can increase the impact of the message Accenting: non-verbal communication may accept or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can underline a message

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Skillful communicators understand the importance of nonverbal communication and use it to increase their effectiveness, as well as use it to understand more clearly what someone else is really saying. But one must also consider the differences that exist in non-verbal communication across cultures.
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Verbal Communication
The importance of speaking effectively in public is extremely crucial for professional success. With the latest communication technology at hand, professionals now spend more time speaking than writing. It is therefore essential to hone our oral communication skills.
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3-T Principle
The effectiveness of written communication is dependent on three key factors: thinking, planning and executing. All communication works on the 3-T principle: Tell them about what you are going to tell them Tell them Tell them that you have told them
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Organize your material into an introduction, body and conclusion. In the opening statement give your speakers/ readers an overview of the topic. Then go on to talk about the main relevant ideas and thoughts in an interesting, lucid and informative manner. When concluding, reiterate the main points and make a lasting impression.
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Importance of logical thinking

In communication it is essential to recognize the importance of logical thinking. Precise data (facts) by themselves are insufficient. To be meaningful, data must be organized to create information, i.e. help the reader understand.
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There are two important tests to apply when converting data into information:

Relevance Is a particular piece of data really needed? Unnecessary data damages understanding and ultimately undermines confidence. Therefore, any data that do not either aid understanding or promote confidence should be eliminated.

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Misconceptions The logical link between data must be made explicit to prevent the reader from coming to false conclusions.

To

ensure that a logical link is clear, place the two pieces of data as close to each other as possible, preferably right next to each other.

When data are widely separated, their logical

relationship is masked and the reader is unlikely to make the connection.

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