Competence in Communication And

Interpersonal Skills

IntroductionHalina Ostańkowicz- Bazan March 2015

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 17 2

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MAIN FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE

The theory I am going to follow is one of the clearest and most influential, which was formulated by the linguist Roman Jakobson (1960).

In Jakobson’s model, each of the elements of the communication process are associated with one of the six macro-functions of language he proposed. There have been many, sometimes conflicting attempts to classify the main functions of language (macro functions) and the elements of communication.

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ROMAN JAKOBSON “LINGUISTICS AND POETICS” (1960)

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Jacobson argues that every oral or written verbal message or ‘speech act’ (parole) has the following elements in common: • the message itself, • an addresser, • an addressee, • a context (the social and historical context in which the utterance is made),

• a contact (the physical channel and psychological connection that obtains between addresser and addressee),

• and a code, common to both addresser and addressee, which permits communication to occur

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Context Message Addresser -----------------------> Addressee Contact Code These six elements or ‘factors’ of communication are associated with a different ‘function’ of language as follows: Referential Poetic /Aesthetic / Literary Emotive-----------------------> Conative Phatic Metalinguistic

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· THE ADDRESSER is the person who originates the message. This is usually the same as the person who is sending the message, but not always, as in the case of messenger, spokespeople and town criers.

· THE ADDRESSEE is the person to whom the message is addressed. This is usually the person who receives the message, but not necessarily so, as in the case of intercepted letters, bugged telephone calls, and eavesdropping.

· THE CHANNEL is the medium through which the message travels: sound waves, marks on paper, telephone wires or word processor screens.

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• THE MESSAGE FORM is the particular grammatical and lexical choices of the message.

• THE TOPIC is the information carried in the message.

• THE CODE is the language or dialect used

• THE SETTING is the social and physical context.

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Types of Communication

There are three types of communication, including:

verbal communication involving listening to a person to understand the meaning of a message,

written communication in which a message is read,

and nonverbal communication involving observing a person and inferring meaning.

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Along with Roman Jacobson's functions of the language model, we can formulate some basic queries.• What is Communication?• The Categories of Communication.• The Communication Process.• Communication Channels.• Principles of Communication.• Interpersonal Communication Skills.• What is an online communication?• The Benefits of Blogging.

More Questions

What happens in the communication process?

How can communication be improved?

How does our perception influence the communication?

How can we deal positively with conflict?

How can we negotiate successful agreements?

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What is Interpersonal Communication?

•Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.

•Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said - the language used - but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language. 13

The Process of Interpersonal Communication.

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Verbal communication is the most common form of communication.

What is verbal communication?

The sharing of information between individuals by using speech. Individuals need to use verbal communication effectively so

• listeners can easily understand spoken words, as well as

• the expression, stress and tone of voice is appropriate.

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Elements of Interpersonal Communication

The Communicators

The MessageNoise FeedbackContext

• The channel refers to the physical means by which the message is transferred from one person to another.

• In face-to-face context the channels which are used are speech and vision, however during a telephone conversation the channel is limited to speech alone.

Channel

• Noise = disruption of interpersonal communication

More effective and efficient communication

While efficiency refers to how well something is done, effectiveness refers

to how useful something is.

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Effective Communication

Happens when the intended meaning of the sender is identical to the interpreted meaning of the receiver.

Persuading and integrity in communication.

•Communication is used for sharing information and influencing other people.

•Persuasion is getting someone else to support the message being presented.

•Straight structures and authorization are important contexts for persuasion.

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Persuasion and integrity in communication

•Expert power and referent power are essential for persuasion.

•Reliability involves trust, respect, and integrity in the eyes of others.

•Honesty can be built through expertise and relationships.

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Sources of noise in communication

•Poor choice of channels.•Poorly written or oral expression.•Failure to recognize nonverbal signals.•Physical distractions.•Status effects.

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Choose the channel that works best.

•Written channels work for messages that:•Are simple and easy to convey.•Require extensive dissemination quickly.•Convey formal policy or authoritative directives.

•Spoken channels work best for messages that:•Are complex or difficult to convey where immediate feedback is needed.•Attempt to create a supportive, even inspirational, climate.

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Making oral presentations

•Be prepared.•Set the right tone.•Sequence points.•Support your points.•Check your technology.•Be professional.

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Be aware of nonverbal signs.

Nonverbal communication takes place through gestures, facial expressions, body position, eye contact, and habit of interpersonal distance.•Mixed messages occur when a person’s words and nonverbal signals communicate different things.•The growing use of communication technologies may cause important nonverbal communication to be vanished.

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Physical distractions.•Include interruptions from telephone calls, drop-in visitors, a lack of privacy, etc.•Can interfere with the effectiveness of a communication attempt.•Can be avoided or at least minimized through proper preparation.

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How can we improve communication?Active listening

The process of taking action to help someone say exactly what he or she really means.

•Listen for message content.

•Listen for feelings.

•Respond to feelings. •Note all cues, verbal and nonverbal.

•Paraphrase and restate.27

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Guidelines of good listening

•Stop talking.

•Make the other person feel comfortable and at ease.

•Show that you are willing to listen.

•Eliminate any potential distractions.

•Don’t answer too quickly; be patient.

•Don’t get annoyed; hold your temper.

•Treat gently arguments and critique.

•Keep asking questions. 29

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Active Listening

Hear What People are Really SayingHow well we listen has a major impact on the quality of our relationships with others.

For instance:

• We listen to obtain information.

• We listen to understand.

• We listen for enjoyment.

• We listen to learn.

Constructive feedback can improve communication

•As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions.

•Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are nice ways to reflect back.

•Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?"

•Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.

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Communication Channels is the term given to the way in which we communicate. There are multiple communication channels available to us today, for example face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports to name just a few.

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Communication theory states that communication involves a sender and a receiver (or receivers) conveying information through a communication channel.Choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective communication as each communication channel has different strengths and weaknesses.

Channel richness and the use of communication media.

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Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

1. Listen, Really Listen2. Up Your Empathy3. Be Brief Yet Specific4. Tailor Your Message to Your Audience5. Put Away the Distractions6. Ask Questions and Repeat the Other Person7. Tell a Story8. Have a Script for Small Talk and Other Occasions9. Get Rid of Unnecessary Conversation Fillers Um's and Ah's 10. Watch Your Body Language

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Diversity provides a lesson for each of us to be okay with and open to those things that set us apart – race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical and mental ability, language (the list goes on) and understanding and accepting of people for who they are.

“Diversity is the one true thing we have in common.”

Being culturally aware provides an opportunity to stand back and consider that there are certain backgrounds, personal values, beliefs and upbringings that shape the things we all do. Something that is considered inappropriate behavior in one culture may be perfectly appropriate in another.

Valuing culture and diversity.

•Ethnocentrism is the tendency to consider one’s culture superior to any and all others.•Ethnocentrism can cause people to:•Not listen to others.

•Address, or speak to others in ways that isolate them.

•Use inappropriate stereotypes in dealing with someone from another culture. 37

How does perception influence communication?

Perception.•The process through which people receive and interpret information from the environment.•People can perceive the same things or situations differently.

•People behave on the basis of their perceptions.

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Perception and communication.

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Perception and attribution.

•The Attribution Theory explains the ways in which we give reasons, for behaviors that we observe, in real life. In other words, •it's how we explain the reasons for our own behaviors, •as well as the behaviors of other people.

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There are TWO types of Attribution:

1. Internal attribution 2. External attribution

• In an internal, or dispositional, attribution, people infer that an event or a person's behavior is due to personal factors such as traits, abilities, or feelings. They explain a behavior, based on a person's personality.

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In an external, or situational, attribution,People infer that a person's behavior is due to situational factors. They don't explain the behavior, based on a person's personality.

Perceptual tendencies and distortions

StereotypesA stereotype is used to categorize a group of people. People don't understand that type of person, so they put them into classifications, thinking that everyone who is that needs to be like that, or anyone who acts like their classifications is one.The stereotype for Goths are black clothes, black makeup, depressed, hated by society.The stereotype for Punks are mohawks, spikes, chains, menace to society, always getting in trouble.

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Halo effects

• Occur when one attribute is used to develop an overall impression of a person or situation.

• The tendency for an estimate or judgment to be influenced by an irrelevant or only loosely associated factor, impression, etc.

Ethical issues in communication…

• We should maintain high ethical standards

• Unethical behavior can lead to short-term gains but long-term losses.

• Ethical dilemmas in online connections : online identity, online language, online confidentiality. and consensus

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The Benefits of Blogging

Helping students with their future professional prospects should be a strong argument in favor of bringing blogging into the classroom. Moreover blogging offers a number of added benefits to the learning process.http://gettingsmart.com/2013/12/benefits-blogging-learning-tool-part-1/

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• Jeremy Hunsinger, Lisbeth Klastrup, Matthew M. Allen Springer Science & Business Media, Jun 17, 2010

• Rational Discourse and Poetic Communication: Methods of Linguistic, Literary, and Philosophical Analysis Roland Posner Walter de Gruyter, 1982 - Language Arts & Disciplines

Communication to Self in Organizations and Cultures 1983), pp. 482-495Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.

• Promoting Social Communication Skills Through Cooperative Learning and Direct Instruction

Robert B. Rutherford Jr., Sarup R. Mathur and Mary M. Quinn Education and Treatment of Children Vol. 21, No. 3 (AUGUST 1998), pp. 354-369

• Antony, M. & Swinson, R. (2000). Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven Techniques for Overcoming Your Fears. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger

• Antony, M. (2004). 10 Simple Solutions to Shyness. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger

• Burns, D. D. (1985). Intimate Connections. New York: Signet (Penguin Books)

• McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (1995). Messages: The Communication Skills Book. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger

• Paterson, R. (2000). The Assertiveness Workbook: How to Express Your Ideas and Stand Up for Yourself at Work and In Relationships. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger

References