Notes on Nine Principles of Effective Communication and Related Models (Transcript Summary)

Nine Principles of Effective Communication (Osborne, 2009; cited by Wakat et al., 2018)

Clarity
- Alignment among idea (abstract), image (visual/embodiment), and word (expression).
- Every part of an utterance/read content is part of a larger mental jigsaw puzzle; pay attention to how idea, image, and wording fit together for clear communication.
- Practically, check that what you mean, what you picture, and how you say it all line up.
Concreteness
- Communication should be factual and grounded in truth; distinguish factual content from fictive or fake news.
- Establish sources and evidence to support concreteness.
Courtesy
- Show respect and goodwill toward the audience (whether in consultation, small group, or a larger audience).
- Tactful delivery influences how statements are received in both spoken and written forms.
Correctness
- Adherence to grammatical rules and proper structure.
- In oral communication, correctness is harder to gauge in real time; recordings/curated material later reveal accuracy and grammar; written text offers more time for review.
Consideration
- Mind the audience; emotions impact how words are received.
- Choose words carefully because language can influence feelings and outcomes.
Creativity
- Engage the audience from the start; hook interest within the first 15 seconds (Australian classroom reference).
- For teachers as public speakers, investing in people is essential; hook, sustain, and guide toward the communication goal.
Conciseness
- Time is fleeting; favor simplicity and directness.
- KISS: Keep It Short and Simple; economy of words prevents unnecessary elaboration aimed at impressing others rather than communicating.
Cultural Sensitivity
- Communicating to a global audience requires awareness of cultural and demographic differences (finance/status, religion, gender, language, politics, etc.).
- Strive for inclusivity and respect across cultures.
Captivating/Impactful Communication
- Not only attract attention but also direct and sustain it to achieve the communication goal.
- It’s the entire trajectory of the message from hook to goal realization.

Models of Communication

Aristotle’s Greco-Roman Model
- Focus: the occasion for the speech.
- Prepared speech tailored to a specific audience to achieve a particular effect.
- Greeks known for oratory and lawmaking; emphasis on occasion and audience response.
Lasswell’s Model
- Focus: the message and its effect, considering channel, receiver, and context.
- Core questions: Who (source) says what (message) in which channel (medium) to whom (receiver) with what effect?
- Practical example: in workplace communication, the medium (phone, SMS, email) and the expected effect influence how you respond.
- Real-world cue: magical interview phrases imply perceived outcomes (e.g., “I want to see you in the next interview” or “we’d like to see you grow with our company”).
Schramm’s (SRAM) Model
- Focus: the variety of roles in the communicative loop (encoder, decoder, interpreter, encoder again).
- Emphasizes the bidirectional/interactive nature of communication and role-switching between sender and receiver.
Shannon–Weaver Model
- Focus: source → encoder → channel → decoder → receiver, with noise affecting transmission.
- Example in transcript: before Ondoy, a weather warning from Doctor Mahar vs. a celebrity’s post created competing messages; the audience faced noise in choosing which to retweet, illustrating how noise and competing signals influence reception and action.
- Key idea: the reliability of transmission depends on minimizing noise and selecting credible channels.
Berlo’s SMCR Model
- Source, Message, Channel, Receiver.
- Emphasizes matching skills, attitudes, and knowledge between source and receiver; both should share the same social system and culture to reduce friction.
- Principle: a good public speaker should meet the audience where they are and treat them well to elicit a positive response.
Speech Act Theory (Austin and Searle)
- Three illocutionary acts in communication:
- Locutionary: what is said or written (the literal utterance).
- Illocutionary (often referred to as the act): what is done in saying it (the performative purpose).
- Perlocutionary: the effect on the audience (intended or unintended).
- Workplace examples:
- Onboarding: HR greets and orients a new hire (locution and illocutionary acts).
- “Love letter” in a workplace joke or context may imply resignation or termination (perlocutionary effect).
- Expressions of wanting to explore opportunities can imply intent to resign.
- Practical note: be mindful of post-work communications (e.g., emails sent after hours) and understand local regulations or norms (e.g., some jurisdictions discourage after-hours work contact).
Ethical Communication Considerations
- Ethical communicators respect their audience, whether in a one-on-one consultation, a training session, or a mass audience.
- Build bridges made of love, understanding, compassion, and truth (reference to Sergio Mendes 1966), emphasizing that truth and ethical use of information matter.

Authenticity of Information and Data in Communication

Truth and data use
- In today’s context, data is foundational for informed decision-making; data becomes information through processing.
- Ethical communicators do not falsify information; credibility hinges on truthful, sourced data.
Data as a resource
- Data are the raw inputs; the processing of data yields information that informs prudent decisions.
- Careers in data-driven fields are growing; the phrase “data is the new oil” or “data is the new land” underscores its value.
Survey integrity and bias
- Surveys are most credible when conducted by credible sponsors and firms with transparent methods.
- If a survey is credible, there is less need to falsify results; aim for accuracy to enable prudent decisions.

Notable Details, Examples, and Implications

The first 15 seconds to hook an audience (Creativity principle)
- In classrooms and public speaking, securing attention early sets the stage for engagement and goal attainment.
- Practical takeaway: design openings that capture attention quickly and clearly state the purpose.
The “three inches” of water analogy in Ondoy example (Shannon–Weaver context)
- Small physical forces (a few inches of water) can have outsized effects on movement and safety, analogous to how small signals/noise can affect message reception.
The importance of timing in feedback and response (Perlocutionary aspects)
- The pace of feedback, and whether responses occur within or outside expected hours, has practical legal and organizational implications (e.g., work-hour regulations; auto-responders).
Global audience and inclusivity (Cultural Sensitivity)
- Communicators must be aware of diverse backgrounds, languages, politics, and social norms to avoid exclusion or offense and to maximize effectiveness.
Practical career lens
- Emphasis on data literacy, ethical use of information, and the ability to translate data into actionable communication for informed decision-making.
Relationships between speaker and audience
- Effective communication requires mutual respect, audience awareness, and alignment of intent with audience needs; the outcome is improved collaboration and working relationships.

Key Terms to Remember (LaTeX-formatted references)

First 15 seconds: $15 ext{ seconds}$
Three inches of current: $3 ext{ inches}$
Work hours example: $8:00 ext{ AM} ext{ to } 5:00 ext{ PM}, ext{Mon--Fri}$
Retweet counts in Ondoy example: $<100 ext{ times} ightarrow ext{Doctor Mahar}$ , $>100 ext{ times} <br /> ightarrow ext{Artista}$
Core model questions (Lasswell): $ext{Who says what in which channel to whom with what effect}$
Economic principle: $ext{KISS} = ext{Keep It Short and Simple}$
Data to information: $ext{data} <br /> ightarrow ext{information} <br /> ightarrow ext{prudent decision}$
Ethical stance: $ext{truth} ext{ and } ext{accuracy in data}$