Communication Skills Notes

Scholarship with UPSA

UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, ACCRA

COMMUNICATION STUDIES
BGEC 101: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
WEEK 1
1. Learning Objectives
  • State reasons why the study of communication is essential.
  • Define communication.
  • Name the components of communication.
  • Explain some principles of communication.
2. The Concept of Communication
  • Effective Communication: Helps solve problems in professional life and improves relationships in personal life.
  • Definition: The process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, and messages between individuals or groups through common symbols, signs, or behaviors.
  • Key Elements:
    • Sender
    • Message
    • Channel
    • Receiver
    • Feedback
3. Definitions of Communication
  • Purpose: Fundamental to all human activities and critical to success in individuals and organizations.
  • Categories of Definitions:
    • Technical Definition:
    • Communication as sending and receiving messages (Steinberg, 2006).
    • Process Definition:
    • Viewed as a complex dynamic process of exchanging meaningful messages.
    • Transactional Definition:
    • A process involving message exchange and negotiating meaning to maintain relationships (Steinberg, 2006).
4. Purpose of Communication
  1. Information Sharing: Convey knowledge, ideas, thoughts, opinions.
  2. Influence and Persuasion: Shape attitudes, beliefs, behaviors.
  3. Building Relationships: Establish, maintain, strengthen connections.
  4. Problem-Solving: Identify, analyze, resolve issues.
  5. Expression and Feedback: Express emotions, needs, concerns, and receive feedback.
5. Process of Communication
  1. Sender (Encoding): Initiates the message.
  2. Message: The content being communicated.
  3. Channel: Medium through which the message is sent.
  4. Receiver (Decoding): Interprets the message.
  5. Feedback: Response from the receiver to the sender.
6. Barriers to Communication
  • Physical Noise: External distractions.
  • Psychological Noise: Internal distractions, biases.
  • Semantic Noise: Misunderstandings due to language differences.
  • Nonverbal Distractions: Body language or facial expressions that mislead.
  • Technical Noise: Issues with technology impeding communication.
7. Overcoming Barriers to Communication
  • Avoid prejudice.
  • Consider cultural factors.
  • Use clear language.
  • Manage emotions.
  • Challenge stereotypes.
8. The 7 Cs of Communication
  • Completeness: Message should convey all necessary facts.
  • Conciseness: Use the smallest number of words effectively.
  • Consideration: Tailor message to the receiver's context.
  • Concreteness: Be specific to avoid misunderstandings.
  • Clarity: Use precise and familiar language.
  • Courtesy: Be aware of others' feelings and perspectives.
  • Correctness: Ensure proper grammar and accuracy in facts.
9. Detailed Explanation of the 7 Cs
  1. Completeness:
    • Include all relevant facts for the audience.
    • Consider the receiver’s mindset while crafting the message.
  2. Conciseness:
    • Use minimal words for effective business communication, saving time for all parties.
  3. Consideration:
    • Account for the interests and perspectives of the audience.
  4. Concreteness:
    • Messages should be specific to avoid ambiguity leading to problems.
  5. Clarity:
    • Choose easy and familiar words for better understanding.
  6. Courtesy:
    • Acknowledge the feelings and perspectives of others, not just being polite.
  7. Correctness:
    • Ensure grammatical and spelling accuracy, maintaining acceptable writing mechanics.
10. Activities
  • Class Activity:
    a) Example of a communication process, identify elements.
    b) Factors to consider when encoding a message.
    c) Discuss three barriers to communication and solutions.
11. Assignment
  • Explain understanding of the provided communication process chart in not more than two pages.
12. Further Reading
  • O’Hair, Friedrich, G.W., Dixon, L.D. (2016). Strategic Communication in Business and Professions. Pearson
  • O’Rourke, J. (2015). Effective Communication. Dorling Kindersley Limited
  • Pearson, J.C., Nelson, P.E., Titsworth, S., & Hosek, A.M. (Eds.) (2017). Human Communication. McGraw-Hill Education
Thank You!