SECRETARIAT TRAINING

INSTITUTE

COMMUNICATION
SKILLS
SYED ANWAR-UL-HASAN
BOKHARI
DEPUTY CONSULTANT, NRB
NOVEMBER 29, 2004

INTRODUCTION TO
COMMUNICATION

KEY TO SUCCESS

WHAT YOU SAY

HOW YOU SAY

WORDS ARE THE MOST POWERFUL

DRUG USED BY MANKIND.
(RUDYARD KIPLING)

TO LISTEN CLOSELY AND REPLY

WELL

IS

THE

HIGHEST

PERFECTION WE ARE ABLE TO

ATTAIN

IN

THE

CONVERSATION.

ART

OF

LA ROCHEFOUCAULD

CONVERSATION SKILLS

WHEN TO SPEAK AND WHEN TO LISTEN

HOW TO MOVE A CONVERSATION FROM THE
PAST TO THE PRESENT AND TO THE FUTURE
WHY CONVERSATIONAL LINKING IS
NECESSARY
HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARALLEL
AND SEQUENTIAL CONVERSATION
HOW TO RAISE ENERGY LEVELS IN
DISCUSSIONS
HOW TO MOVE BETWEEN PROBLEMCENTRED CONVERSATION AND SOLUTIONCENTRED CONVERSATION

WHAT IS AN
ORGANIZATION?

A GROUP OF PEOPLE ASSOCIATED

FOR BUSINESS, POLITICAL,
PROFESSIONAL, RELIGIOUS, ATHLETIC,
SOCIAL, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

ITS ACTIVITIES REQUIRE HUMAN BEING

TO INTERACT, REACT COMMUNICATE.

ORGANIZATIONS FACILITATE TO EXCHANGE

INFORMATION, IDEAS, PLANS, ORDER NEEDED
SUPPLIES, MAKE DECISIONS, RULES,
PROPOSALS, CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS ETC.

ORGANIZATIONAL
COMMUNICATION

VIRTUALLY EVERY MANAGEMENT FUNCTION AND

ACTIVITY E.G. PLANNING, CONTROLLING,
DECISION MAKING, LEADERSHIP AND STAFFING,
CAN BE CONSIDERED COMMUNICATION.

ORG. PERFORMANCE CORRELATES DIRECTLY

WITH THE QUALITY OF MANAGERIAL
COMMUNICATION.

AN AVERAGE MANAGER SPENDS MORE TIME IN

COMMUNICATING THAN DOING ANYTHING ELSE.

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION ?

COMMUNICATION IS THE PROCESS

OF TRANSMITTING INFORMATION
FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER.

THE TRANSFER OF INFORMATION

AND UNDERSTANDING FROM ONE
PERSON TO ANOTHER PERSON.
(Keith Davis)

CONTED

COMMUNICATION IS A SOCIAL
PROCESS.
COMMUNICATION IS LIKE
CHAIN PROCESS, MADE UP OF
IDENTIFIABLE LINKS.
A PROCESS OF
TRANSMITTING AND
RECEIVING VERBAL AND NONVERBAL MESSAGES THAT
(MURPHY AND HILDEBRANDT)
PRODUCE A RESPONSE

COMMUNICATION REFERS TO
THE ACT, BY ONE OR MORE
PERSONS,

OF

SENDING

AND

RECEIVING MESSAGES THAT ARE

DISTORTED BY NOISE, OCCUR
WITHIN A CONTEXT, HAVE SOME
EFFECT,

AND

PROVIDE

SOME

OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK

(JOSEPH A. DEVITO)

COMMUNICATION IS REPRESENTED BY:

10% WORDS WHAT WE SAY
30% SOUNDS TONE
60% BODY LANGUAGE HOW WE SAY
IT

WHY TO COMMUNICATE?

COMMUNICATION SATISFACTION
COORELATES WITH JOB SATISFACTION
AND JOB PERFORMANCE.

COMMITMENT CORRELATES WITH JOB

SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTIONS OF
GOOD ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE.

EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OCCURS WHEN

THE MESSAGE RECEIVED IS AS CLOSE AS
POSSIBLE AS THE MESSAGE INTENDED TO
BE SENT MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING.

COMMUNICATION IS EFFECTIVE ONLY IF

PEOPLE:
-

UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER

STIMULATE OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION

ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO THINK IN NEW

WAYS.

SEVEN Cs OF
COMMUNICATION

COMPLETENESS CONTAINS ALL

FACTS THE READER OR LISTENER
NEEDS FOR DESIRED ACTION.

CONCISENESS

CONSIDERATION

CONCRETENESS

CLARITY

COURTESY

CORRECTNESS

ORGANISATIONAL BENEFITS OF
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS

MAKE DECISIONS

COORDINATE WORKFLOW

SUPERVISE OTHERS

DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS

BETTER UNDERSTANDING IN THE

WORKPLACE IN GENERAL

COMMUNICATION TODAY

SIGNIFICANT SOURCE IN MANAGING

AND LEADING ORGANIZATIONS.

OPPORTUNITY TO INVOLVE AND

MOTIVATE PEOPLE TO COMMON GOALS.

OPPORTUNITY TO COOPERATION WITH

STAKEHOLDERS.

CHALLENGE TO CONFIRM THE STATUS

IN SOCIETY.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND

TOP EXECUTIVES

COMMUNICATION SKILLS OCCUPY AS MUCH AS

90% OF A TOP EXECUTIVES WORKING DAY.

85% OF BUSINESS EXECs. RATED BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION AS VERY IMPORTANT, WHEREAS
ONLY 20% RATED KNOWLEDGE OF PRINCIPLES OF
MANAGEMENT AS VERY IMPORTANT.

FORTUNE 500 EXECs. RANK ORAL

PRESENTATIONS, MEMO WRITING, AND REPORT
WRITING AS THE TOP 3 NECESSARY
COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

HUMAN COMMUNICATION

AREAS OF HUMAN
COMMUNICATION

INTRAPERSONAL TO THINK, REASON, ANALYZE,

REFLECT.

INTERPERSONAL TO DICOVER, RELATE,

INFLUENCE, PLAY, HELP.

SMALL GROUP SHARE INFORMATION, GENERATE

IDEAS, SOLVE PROBLEMS, HELP.

ORGANANIZATIONAL INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY,

RAISE MORALE, INFORM, PERSUADE.

PUBLIC INFORM, PERSUADE, ENTERTAIN

MASS ENTERTAIN, PERSUADE AND INFORM

PURPOSES OF HUMAN
COMMUNICATION
TO DISCOVER

TO

TE
LA
RE

PL
AY

TO

HUMAN
COMMUNICATION

TO

PE
RS
UA
DE

TO

P
L
E
H

PROCESS AND
CONTEXT OF
COMMUNICATION

BASIC COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
NOISE

NOISE
FEEDBACK

SENDER
---------PERCEPTION
--------IDEA

ENCODE
NOISE

UNDERSTANDING
---------PERCEPTION
--------RECEIVER

MEDIUM

DECODE
NOISE

ELEMENTS OF
COMMUNICATION

SENDER / ENCODER

MESSAGE

MEDIUM

RECEIVER / DECODER

FEEDBACK

COMMUNICATION
CONTEXT

PHYSICAL CONTEXT

CULTURAL CONTEXT

SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL
CONTEXT

TEMPORAL (TIME) CONTEXT

PHYSICAL CONTEXT

TANGIBLE
OR
CONCRETE
ENVIRONMENT E.I. ROOM OR
HALLWAY OR PARK.

EXERT INFLUENCE ON THE

CONTENT (WHAT WE SAY) AS
WELL AS THE FORM (HOW WE
SAY IT) OF THE MESSAGE.

CULTURAL CONTEXT

REFERS TO THE COMMUNICATORS

RULES AND NORMS, BELIEFS AND
ATTITUDES THAT ARE TRANSMITTED
FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER.

DIRECT EYE CONTECT BETWEEN CHILD

AND ADULT SIGNIFIES DIRECTNESS
AND HONEST IN ONE CULTURE AND
DEFIANCE AND LACK OF RESPECT IN
OTHER.

SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL
CONTEXT

INCLUDE
STATUS
RELATIONSHIPS
AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS, THE ROLES
AND THE GAMES THE PEOPLE PLAY,
AND THE CULTURAL ROLE OF THE
SOCIETY
IN
WHICH
THEY
ARE
COMMUNICATING.

INCLUDE
FRIENDLINESS
OR
UNFRIENDLINESS,
FORMALITY
OR
INFORMALITY, AND SERIOUSNESS OR
HUMOUROUSNESS OF THE SITUATION.

TEMPORAL CONTEXT

TIME OF DAY AS WELL AS TIME OF

HISTORY

FOR MANY PEOPLE MORNING IS NOT

A TIME FOR COMMUNICATION; FOR
OTHERS IT IS IDEAL

APPROPRIATENESS AND IMPACT OF

MESSAGES DEPEND, IN PART, ON THE
TIME IN WHICH THEY ARE UTTERED.

TYPES OF
COMMUNICATION

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

NON-FORMAL COMMUNICATION

ORAL COMMUNICATION

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

NON-VERBAL COMUNICATION

INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION

ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION

NON-ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION

AGGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION

ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION

CONFIDENTLY EXPRESSING WHAT YOU

THINK, FEEL AND BELIEVE.
STANDING UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS WHILE
RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.
CONVEYING MEANING AND
EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT HUMILATING
OR DEGRADING OTHERS.
BASED UPON RESPECT FOR YOURSELF
AND RESPECT FOR OTHER PEOPLES
NEED AND RIGHTS

NON-ASSERTIVE
COMMUNICATION

RELUCTANCE OR INABILITY TO EXPRESS

CONSISTENTLY WHAT YOU THINK, FEEL AND
BELIEVE.

ALLOWS OTHERS TO VIOLATE YOUR RIGHTS

WITHOUT CHALLENGE.

REFLECTS LACK OF RESPECT FOR YOUR OWN

PREFERENCES.

OTHER CAN EASILY DISREGARD YOUR

THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND BELIEVES.

AGGRESSIVE
COMMUNICATION

EXPRESSING YOURSELF IN WAYS THAT

INTIMIDATE, DEMEAN, OR DEGRADE
ANOTHER PERSON.

PURSUING WHAT YOU WANT IN WAYS

THAT VIOLATES THE RIGHTS OF
ANOTHER PERSON.

THIS IS WHAT I THINK. YOU ARE

DUMB FOR THINKING DIFERENTLY.

DISTORTION IN PERSONAL
COMMUNICATION

IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT THE PROCESS

BY WHICH A SENDER CONSCIOUSLY ATTEMPTS
TO INFLUENCE THE PERCEPTIONS THAT THE
RECEIVERS FORM. COMMONLY USED
IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT STATEGIES ARE: INGRATIATION:
USING FLATTERY, SUPPORTING
THE OPINIONS OF THE OTHER PERSON, DOING
FAVOURS, SMILING EXPRESSIVELY IN SUPPORT OF
THE PERSON ETC.
SELF-PROMOTION: COMMUNICATING ONES
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES IN A HIGHLY POSITIVE AND
EXAGGERATED WAY.
FACE SAVING:
COMMUNICATING APOLOGIES,
MAKING EXCUSES, PRODUCING JUSTIFICATIONS ETC.

INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION NETWORK
(ICN)

ICN REFERS TO PATTERN OVER TIME OF

COMMUNICATION FLOWS BETWEEN
INDIVIDUAL.

IT EMPHASIZES COMMUNICATION
RELATIONSHIPS AMONG INDIVIDUALS OVER
TIME, RATHER THAN ON THE INDIVIDUALS
THEMSELVES.

NETWORK INVLOVES THE ONGOING FLOW OF

ORAL, WRITTEN, AND NONVERBAL SIGNALS
BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE OR BETWEEN ONE
PERSON AND ALL OTHER NETWORK MEMBERS
SIMULTANEOUSLY.

MESSAGES AND
CHANNELS OF
COMMUNICATION

MESSAGES AND
CHANNELS

COMMUNICATION CHANNEL IS THE

MEDIUM
THROUGH
WHICH
THE
MESSAGE PASSES.
RARELY TAKES PLACE OVER ONE
CHANNEL. MAY USE TWO, THREE,
FOUR
DIFFERENT
CHANNELS
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
VOCAL CHANNEL: SPEAK & LISTEN
VISUAL CHANNEL: GESTURE
OLFACTORY
CHANNEL:
EMITING
OR
DETECTING ODORS
TECTILE CHANNEL: TOUCHING ANOTHER
PERSON

SPECIAL MESSAGES

FEEDBACK MESSAGES

FEEDFORWARD MESSAGES

FEEDBACK MESSAGES

POSITIVE ----- NEGATIVE

PERSON-FOCUSED ----MESSAGE FOCUSED

IMMEDIATE ----- DELAYED

LOW MONITORING ----- HIGH

MONITORING

SUPPORTIVE ----- CRITICAL

CONSTRUCTIVE
FEEDBACK

BASED UPON TRUST BETWEEN SENDER

AND RECEIVER
SPECIFIC RATHER GENERAL
GIVEN AT A TIME WHEN THE RECEIVER
APPEARS TO BE READY TO ACCEPT IT.
CHECKED
WITH
THE
RECEIVER
TO
DETERMINE WHETHER IT SEEMS VALID
INCLUDES BEHAVIOURS THE RECEIVER
MAY BE CAPABLE OF DOING
DOES NOT INCLUDE MORE THAN THE
RECEIVER
CAN
HANDLE
AT
ANY
PARTICULAR TIME.

FEEDBACK SKILLS

EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU SEE AND HEAR

DESCRIPTIVE RATHER EVALUATIVE FEEDBACK

CONCENTRATE ON PARTICULAR POINTS

OUTLINE THE POSITIVE POINTS.

INDICATE WHAT CAN AND SHOULD BE

DONE

BUILD ON WHAT PEOPLE WANT

CHOOSE YOUR TIME

REACH AN AGREEMENT

FEEDFROWARD
MESSAGES

OPEN THE CHANNELS OF COMM.

PREVIEW FUTURE MESSAGES

ALTERCAST

(PLACE THE RECIVER IN A SPECIFIC ROLE

AND REQUESTING HIM TO RESPOND IN TERMS OF ASSUMED

ROLE)

TO DISCLAIM

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION

PROCESS BARRIERS
SENDER BARRIER
ENCODING BARRIER
MEDIUM BARRIER
DECODING BARRIER
FEEDBACK BARRIER

PHSYSICAL BARRIERS

SEMANTIC BARRIERS

PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

NOISE

PHYSICAL
COMPUTER

PASSING OF CARS, HUM OF

PSYCHOLOGICAL

SEMANTIC

CULTURAL
POLITICAL
EMOTIONAL
ECONOMIC

COGNITIVE OR
MENTAL INTERFERENCE I.E. BIASES AND
PREJUDICES IN SENDER AND RECEIVERS, CLOSEDMINDEDNESS.
DIFERENT LANGUAGES, USE OF
JARGON OR OVERLY COMPLEX TERMS.

INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZATION
STRUCTURE ON COMMUNICATION

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
FORMALLY PRESCRIBED PATTERN OF
INTER-RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE
VARIOUS UNITS OF AN ORGANIZATION
THE NATURE AND FORM OF
COMMUNICATION VARY GREATLY AS A
FUNCTION OF PEOPLES RELATIVE
POSITIONS WITH AN ORGANIZATION

ORGANIZATION CHART
DIAGRAM SHOWING THE FORMAL
STRUCTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION AND
INDICATING WHO IS TO COMMUNICATE
WITH WHOM

INTERNAL
COMMUNICATION

DETERMINATION OF TASKS,
PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES

ANALYSIS OF THE EMPLOYEES

KNOWLEDGE AND IMAGE OF THE
ORGANIZATION

DETERMINATION OF FOCUS AREAS IN

DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION

RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESOURCES

EXTERNAL
COMMUNICATION

REPUTATIONAL
MANAGEMENT

REPUTATION CAPITAL

ORGANIZATION CHART AND

FORMAL COMMUNICATIONS
SECRETARY

Upward Communication

Information

AS

DS

Sr. JS/JS

DS

SO

DS

SO
Horizontal Communication
Efforts at Coordination

DS

Downward Communication

Instructions
and Directives

IMPROVING UPWARD
COMMUNICATION

FORMAL GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE AND OPINION

SURVEYS

SUGGESTION SYSTEMS

OPEN-DOOR POLICY

INFORMAL GRIPE SESSIONS

TASK FORCES

EXIT INTERVIEWS

BECOMING A BETTER
COMMUNICATOR

EFFECTIVE LISTENING
TOLERATE SILENCE
ASK STIMULATING OPEN-ENDED
QUESTIONS
ATENTIVE EYE CONTACT, ALERT
POSTURE AND VERBAL ENCOURAGERS
PARAPHRASE
SHOW EMOTION
KNOW YOUR BAISES AND PREJUDICES
AVOID PREMATURE JUDGEMENT
SUMMERISE

EFFECTIVE WRITING
KEEP WORD SIMPLE
DONT SACRIFICE COMM.
FOR RULES OF COMPOSITION
WRITE CONCISELY
BE SPECIFIC

CHANGE AND
COMMUNICATION

UNSUCCESSFUL CHANGE IS MOSTLY

MISSING OR POOR COMMUNICATION.

THE LINEAR (ONE-WAY, TOP-DOWN)

MODEL DOES NOT WORK ANY MORE.

EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION

WATCH THE LANGUAGE

FOLLOW THROUGH
DEAL WITH UNCERTAINITY
BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER
MANAGE CONFLICT
RESPOND, DONT RE-ACT
GIVE FEEDBACK
INVITE PARTICIPATION
KEEP YOUR TEAM UP-TO-DATE
CONNECT PERSONALLY WITH EMPLOYEES
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF COMMUNICATION
RESOURCES

PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES

TECHNOLOGY SHRINKS INTERACTION

AND DIALOGUE.

TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

TOO COMPLEX ISSUES.

SHORTAGE OF COMMON MEANINGS

AND INTERPRETATIONS.

EVERYONE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

HIS / HER INFORMATION PURCHASE.

THANK YOU

CONTACT:
NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION BUREAU
ROOM NO. 3053, CABINET BLCCK, ISLAMABAD
TELE: 9216106
EMAIL: bsyed@hotmail.com
WEB: www.policy.hu/bokhari