Communication Skills

OB COMMUNICATION SKILLS

OB1 Read to acquire meaning from written material and to apply the information to a task

OB2 Apply verbal skills to obtain and convey information

OB3 Record information to maintain and present a report of business activity

OB4 Write internal and external business correspondence to convey and obtain information effectively

OB5 Use social media to communicate with a business's stakeholders

OB6 Communicate with staff to clarify workplace objectives

Verbal Communication

Communicating verbally means exchanging information through the use of words. You can communicate verbally through writing or through speech.

Nonverbal Communication

Communicating nonverbally means exchanging information without the use of words.  Body language, dress, eye contact, gestures, etc...

Effective Communication is key to life at home, school, and work. It must be concise, sensitive concrete.  

Barriers to Communication - These are just a few of many barriers that can get in the way of effective communication. Learning to identify and overcome communication barriers will make your communication better, for both yourself and others.

• • Language

  • Jargon is specialized language known to only a certain group of people

  • Environment

  • Bad timing

  • Information Overload

Communication may seem simple—a speaker sends a message that is received by a listener, and the listener responds, sending a new message back to the speaker. Unfortunately, there are often disruptions in the process. But there are ways to minimize them. One effective communication tool is active listening.  Active listening means paying close attention and letting the speaker know you understand.

There are three reasons for using active listening.

1. The most common reason is gathering information.

2. Active listening is also helpful when you are forming an opinion.

3. It helps you connect to others.

Hearing and listening are distinctly different activities, one merely physical and the other a mental activity that helps you understand the meaning behind the complex sounds you hear.

To overcome distractions, you must develop an active-listening frame of mind. Your goal is to completely understand the speaker’s meaning. 

• Eliminate environmental distractions as much as possible. This means evaluating the setting. Is there anything, such as lighting, that can be improved? Is the room quiet? Are you reasonably comfortable?

• Be willing to put in the time and effort required, even though it means setting aside your own issues. Active listening is impossible without your undivided attention.

• Put yourself in the speaker’s place. By empathizing with the speaker, you make yourself aware of thoughts.   and feelings that may not be stated outright. 

• Be open to the message the speaker wants to send. You want to hear whatever it is, whether you agree or disagree. Be ready simply to listen.

• Most important, be genuine. Insincere questions and responses are disrespectful and disrupt the communication process.

active-listening skills:

• Collect all the information possible. You’re already an expert at interpreting facial expressions, now pay attention to other nonverbal cues. Observe gestures and other body language. Listen, not just to the words being spoken, but to the person’s tone of voice. The best speakers use voice and body language to reinforce their messages. A speaker who says s/he is excited but sits slumped at a table sends a mixed message. On the other hand, a speaker who is truly excited about the message will be up and walking around, perhaps gesturing and coming close to the audience to make eye contact.

• Respond with your own appropriate nonverbal cues such as eye contact, nodding, and smiling. Don’t fake this, though. A speaker can usually tell, and it will hurt the process, not to mention your credibility.

• Use a verbal acknowledgment response, if appropriate. In one-on-one or small-group conversations, a short verbal response lets the speaker know you are paying close attention. “I see,” “I understand,” and “Uh-huh” are the most common examples. Other responses might be, “Tell me more,” “What else?” and “That is an interesting point.”

• Repeat critical information. If the message depends on an important bit of specific information, repeat it back to the speaker. Telephone numbers, web addresses, page numbers, and even names fall into this category.

• Paraphrase the message to test your understanding. Once again, you have to put your brain to work and use your own words, not the speaker’s words. You might begin by saying, “Do you mean that ...? Follow with your understanding of the message, stated calmly in your own words.

• Ask questions if you need clarification. Did you ever settle down to get started on a big assignment only to discover you had no idea how to begin? Remember to ask questions to clear up misunderstandings, not to voice your opinion. Never, never (never!) leave the room without understanding the message completely.

Questions

1.  Gabriella is writing a professional report about the trends occurring in a specific industry. What source would provide Gabriella with the most relevant, up-to-date information?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Online message board

• Trade publications

• Mailing lists

• Archived government periodicals

2.  It is important for employees to apply written directions in the order they are presented to

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• formulate plans.

• correct mistakes.

• prioritize daily tasks.

• perform tasks properly.

3.  The following statement appears in the Conrad and Associates employee handbook: "After three years of service, employees receive three weeks of paid vacation." This statement is an example of a business

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• process.

• procedure.

• policy.

• program.

4.  One way for an audience to show that it supports a speaker's opinion is by ____________ the speaker.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• heckling

• applauding

• ignoring

• tolerating

5.  To be able to better understand and follow directions on the job, employees often

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• ask questions.

• review notes.

• do research.

• practice tasks.

6.  Which of the following is a barrier to effective listening:

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Open-mindedness

• Empathy

• Concentration

• Distractions

7.  An important factor in effective verbal communication is

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• reading from a script.

• developing mannerisms.

• having a pleasant voice.

• enunciating rapidly.

8.  If a message recipient is frowning and has clenched fists, the emotional response that s/he is most likely displaying is

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• sadness.

• anger.

• joy.

• nervousness.

9.  To provide a legitimate, effective response to an inquiry, you should

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• answer the question with a question.

• make your answer as long as possible.

• answer the question immediately.

• actively listen to the question.

10.  What should Jake do after giving verbal directions to his classmates?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Verify their understanding

• Notify the teacher that the classmates have all necessary information

• Repeat the instructions

• Express concerns about the project

11.  Why is it important to use communication styles that are appropriate to the target audience?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• To analyze feedback

• To effectively convey information

• To organize presentations

• To quickly establish control

12.  Businesspeople are more likely to accept a new idea if the idea will

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• involve a lot of risk.

• require additional resources.

• impact the economy.

• improve a situation.

13.  What should you do if you phone an important customer and the customer indicates that you have called at a bad time?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Explain that the call will be short.

• Try to continue the conversation.

• Ask the customer to call you back.

• Offer to schedule a second call.

14.  Participating in group discussions at school is important because it helps you to

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• boast about your knowledge and expertise.

• learn how to control the group's conversation.

• express your opinions in an aggressive way.

• gain confidence when speaking to other people.

15.  Your supervisor has asked you to prepare a marketing status report for each of the company's six regional offices. The most appropriate way to organize the information is

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• by site location.

• by sales function.

• in chronological order.

• in reverse sequence.

16.  Yvonne wants to create a visual aid that will easily show how her company budget is divided among three departments. Which visual aid should she use?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• A pie chart

• A bar graph

• A line graph

• An area graph

17.  Which of the following is a guideline for developing effective written communication:

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Be trite

• Be repetitious

• Be wordy

• Be thorough

18.  Maria, a human resources manager, wants to send a message to everyone in her office about an upcoming change in the company's insurance policy. She should deliver this message

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• through a letter.

• verbally.

• in a memo.

• with an informal email.

19.  When writing email messages to businesspeople, it is best to avoid using 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• modifiers.

• conjunctions.

• initialisms.

• antonyms.

20.  A business letter that presents its message in as few words as possible would be described as having

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• clarity.

• courtesy.

• conciseness.

• completeness.

21.  Kevin developed a letter stating that his company will be offering discounts on certain products for a limited time. Kevin's letter is an example of a(n)

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• instructional guide.

• request for data.

• informative message.

• expression of personal opinion.

22.  One characteristic of letters of inquiry that businesses write to request information from other businesses is that they are

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• short.

• complex.

• social.

• formal.

23.  Which of the following would be an effective way to communicate a job-related suggestion to your supervisor:

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• An executive summary

• A letter of transmittal

• An office memorandum

• A personal letter

24.  Holding a telephone conference call is an efficient way for multiple employees to communicate at the same time when they

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• require visual aids for discussion.

• work in different cities.

• perform different job functions.

• lack text messaging capabilities.

25.  Which of the following is not a good technique for participating in a staff meeting:

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Follow the instructions of the group leader, even if you have a better idea for organizing the meeting

• Understand the goal of the meeting prior to its start

• Avoid arguing with other participants, even if you strongly disagree with their point of view

• Contribute at least one opinion to every staff meeting in which you participate