2. OBJECTIVES
By the end of the session,
participants should be able to:
• Define communication.
• Describe the process of
communication.
• List at least 3 qualities of effective
communication.
3. • List at least 3 barriers to
effective communication.
• Plan messages effectively.
• Utilize speaking skills to enhance
communication.
4. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Communication is a process
whereby a message is sent from one
person to another person or a
group of persons, with the intention
of receiving a feedback and
facilitating some change or action.
5. THE OBJECTIVES OF
COMMUNICATION
To be received (heard or read)
To be understood
To be accepted
To get action (change of
behaviour or attitude)
6. COMMUNICATION PROCESS
SENDER MESSAGE
Credible Clear
Confident Concise
Knowledgeable Precise
Respectable Simple
RECEIVER CHANNEL
Patient Appropriate
Good Listener Acceptable
Committed Accessible
Interested Convenient
7. NOVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
(Communicating without words)
Facial expression -a smile, a frown
Gestures- movement of hands and
body to aid in explaining or
emphasizing verbal message
Posture- how we stand or sit.
Orientation- facing or turning away
8. Eye contact- whether we look at the
person or not, and the length of time
that we look
Proximity- distance standing or
sitting from person
Appearance-physical grooming
and choice of clothes
Non-Verbal aspects of speech-
variations of pitch, stress and timing,
quality and tone of voice.
9. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
*Language - use of words not
understood by the other party.
*Environment - disruptive and
noisy
*Attitude - e.g. uncaring,
uninterested
*Disability - hard of hearing
10. *Differences in perception -
the way we view the world is
largely determined by our past
experiences, so people of
different ages, nationalities,
cultures, education, sex, and
personality will perceive
situations differently.
11. *Lack of interest - one of the
greatest barriers to overcome is
the receiver’s lack of interest in
your message. You must
therefore angle your message to
appeal to the interest and needs
of the receiver.
12. *Why- am I communicating;
what am I hoping to achieve; what
is my purpose?
13. *Where and when (Place and
context)- do I need to remind
them of the facts?
*What- do I want to say; need
to say; what do they need to
know? What can I omit?
14. *How- (tone and style) am I
going to communicate my
message?
With words or pictures? Which
medium- written or spoken?
*How am I going to achieve the
right effect?
15. PLANNING YOUR MESSAGE
B. THE MECHANICS
* Write down your purpose -
what you are trying to achieve.
* Assemble the information - if it
is a long message from a letter or
report etc., jot down all the
points that you need to make.
16. *Group the information - which
messages can be linked
(Departments, etc.)?
*Put information into logical sequence
(e.g. order of importance, ascending
orders of complexity).
*Produce a skeleton outline - makes
presentation of the message easier.
17. *Write and edit draft - check for
ambiguities, awkward expressions
and errors.
*Write final draft - use words the
receiver will understand; avoid
certain colloquialisms (e.g. to cut a
long story short); avoid verbosity—
omit unnecessary words.
18. SPEAKING SKILLS
Clarity – Be able to express your
ideas clearly, using simple language
and arranger your information so that
it can be easily followed. Utter your
words distinctly so that they are easily
recognizable.
19. Accuracy – Make sure your
words say exactly what you mean. The
facts you use should be correct.
Sincerity – Be natural. There is
always a danger when talking to strangers
or people of higher status of becoming stiff
and awkward and trying to put on an act.
20. Relaxation – The best way of
getting rid of unnatural speech
characteristics is to relax. When our
muscles are tense we have difficulty
expressing ourselves naturally.
Awkward movements are also the
result of tension. Deep breathing is
helpful.
21. Eye contact – Direction and
length of gaze are important factors in
synchronizing speech and signifying the
desire to be friendly. A speaker who
never looks at his/her audience may be
conveying messages like, “I am not very
interested in you; I am not very sure of
myself; I am not very sure about what I
am saying”; or even, “Don’t believe
what I am saying.”
22. Appearance – Your
appearance reflects how you see
yourself. Your self-image is critical.
People see the speaker and form
judgments about you even before you
speak. Two critical factors to consider
are:
• Personal cleanliness and tidiness
• Dress and appearance appropriate
to the situation.
23. Posture – Someone who
props up the wall or slouches while
communicating is conveying a
message to the listeners which may
surprise them. His/her posture
may suggest that he/she is either
tired, bored, or careless, or all
three!
24. Posture affects the quality of your
voice. If you slouch over, hang your
head or let your shoulders droop,
the quality of your voice will not be
good, because your breathing will be
affected.
25. You will not be able to draw as much
air into your lungs, nor would you
have complete control over how you
let out the air. In addition the throat
muscles, jaw and vocal chords would
not be able to operate as freely as
they should, resulting in muffled,
poorly pronounced words.
26. MORE SPEAKING SKILLS
Pitch – When people are
frightened or tense, their vocal cords
stretch tightly and their voices tend to
squeak.
27. A simple exercise could prove
helpful. Take a deep breath. Then,
as you breathe out, say several
short syllables, e.g. “She gave us all
a short talk on art.” The tightness
tends to disappear as you exhale. It
is impossible to breathe out and
keep the muscles tight at the same
time.
28. Volume – Learn how to project
your voice so that you can be heard at
great distances without yelling or
straining. The right volume depends on
the situation.
29. You should therefore note:
• Where you are speaking – in a
small room, or a large hall; in a
room where sounds carry well or in
a room where sounds echo; indoors
or outdoors.
• The size of the group to which
you are speaking.
Background noise, e.g. noise of fans
or air conditioning units.
30. Difficulty in expressing yourself
naturally, and awkward
movements are the result of
tension. Deep breathing,
pausing for a moment and
smiling, are simple techniques
that can enable you to relax.
31. Diction and accent –
Diction is the way in which you
pronounce your words, and is
acquired. To some extent it is
affected by accent. Diction
depends upon articulation and
enunciation, which are terms used
to describe how you pronounce
words.
32. • Articulation refers to the
way people pronounce
consonants.
• Enunciation refers to the way
people pronounce vowels.
33. Vocal tension – blurred indistinct
speech can be caused by a tight, rigid
jaw or tight lips. If your throat is tight
then it is almost certain that your jaw
will be tight also. (Do this simple
exercise. Test your jaw movement.
Tighten –half close your jaw and say
“a cleverly devised scheme”; now relax
your jaw and let your lips and mouth
move freely as you say the phrase
again.
34. Speed – The speed at which
you talk affects the message that
you are sending. While speaking
very quickly conveyed a sense of
urgency, speaking rapidly all the
time, pouring out your words in a
great rush, may cause your
listeners to switch off. Speaking
too rapidly may also make it
difficult for you to be understood.
35. On the other hand, speaking too
slowly may allow your listeners
minds to wander or may result in
them becoming bored and lose
tract of what you are saying. A
good speaker varies their pace
according to the relative
importance of what he/she is
saying. More emphasis is placed
on important statements.
36. Pause – Long pauses
between words or a series of
words causes you to weary
your audience, however, if
carefully used, it can be
effective in getting the
message across.
37. Tone – The inflection (up
and down pitch) of your voice
also affects the way your
message is received.
Variations in tone are often
associated with pitch and
speed in giving interest and
emphasis to you speech.
38. Your tone can betray your
attitudes and emotions. You
can even make the same
words mean several different
things by the tone you give it.
39. QUALITIES FOR GOOD SPEAKING
Alertness – This sends a
message of interest.
Pleasantness – It conveys a friendly
tone to your voice.
Distinctness – This quality facilitates
hearing and understanding
without straining.
Expressiveness – This puts feeling
into your voice.
40. SIX Cs OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
(whether in speaking or writing)
Clarity
Conciseness
Courtesy
Constructiveness
Correctness
Completeness
