Author: Dr.

Aslam Saja

Speak with Confidence

Inspire your Audience
Present to Progress
Express to Impress

Communication Skills for

STEAM Students
Sections ID31004 –
Presentation Skills

Section 1 Business Writing

Section 2 Successful Presentation

ID41004 –
Report Writing

Section 3 Professional Report Writing

Section 4 Technical Report Writing
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Introduction:
Basics of Communication Skills

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Effective Communication is important
for Engineers
?
- Communication is just one part of being a good engineer
or engineering student

- A great deal of communication is not of the formal type

- Communication is an important element in working with

people

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Goal of Communication ?

To achieve a high level of interaction

between relevant individuals in
order to meet the business objective
in the most effective way.
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Examples of Communication ?
 Exchange of information
 Spreading of news to the transmission of data
 Transportation links between centres of human
habitation

Interaction between two or more human being in

order to exchange information
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Communication Circuit – Ideal Vs. Reality
Ideal
........................
. .
Sender Receiver
(Receiver) (Sender)

. .
........................
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Communication Circuit – Ideal Vs. Reality
Reality
........................
. ..Leakage
. Blockage

Sender Receiver
(Receiver) (Sender)

. . . Interference

........................
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Communication Circuit Reality
Leakage Only part of the message
reaches the receiver

Blockage Difficulty of understanding

the message

Interference External factors interrupt the

transmission of the message
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 Communication Circuit
Four Principal components
• Message
• Sender
• Receiver
• Medium of transmitting the message
between them

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Types of communication

Oral/Verbal Written

Contexts of communication
Social
Communication

Non-Verbal

Professional Colloquial
Communication Communication

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 Types of communication

Oral/Verbal Written

Speech
Non-Verbal Oral/Verbal
/Visual Writing
Written Gestures
Match the following media with the correct
type of communication mode Non-Verbal/ Body Language
Visual
Physical contact

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1. Oral Communication Examples:
• Telephone conversations
• Formal meetings
• Presentations
• Entertaining visitors and clients
• Interviewing people for jobs and for
appraisal purposes
• Negotiating contracts
• Making speeches
• Persuasive and counselling activities
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2. Written Communication Examples:
•Letters
•Faxes and telexes
•Reports
•Memoranda
•Contracts
•Notices

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3. Non-Verbal/Visual Communication Examples:
•Charts and graphs
•Overhead viewgraphs
•Transparencies
•Films and videos
•Photographs
•Physical objects
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Major barriers to effective communication

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Major barriers to effective communication (1/3)
Ineffective communication by initiator/sender,
due to:
- Lack of skill in presentation
- Inadequate information
- Language difficulties
- Excessive use of specialized terminology
- Inadequate preparation (Failure to identify the
type of receiver or audience)
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Major barriers to effective communication (2/3)
Fault by the receiver, due to:
- Lack of listening skills
- Failure to allot time for receiving information
- Lack of interest in the subject
- ‘A closed mind
- Incorrect expectations
- Inability to understand or impatience with the
technology used
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Major barriers to effective communication (3/3)
Due to problems in delivery medium, such as:
- Poor acoustics in the room where a meeting is
held
- Projector bulb blowing during an important
presentation
- Fax machine omitting a critical line of
information in a fax message

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Improving communication – 6 steps guide

Define Acquire Select

Evaluate Deliver Prepare

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Improving communication – 6 steps guide
Steps Actions Tasks
1 Define The objective at an early stage
2 Acquire Background information on all key aspects
3 Select The most appropriate mode(s) for the occasion
4 Prepare Thoroughly and rehearse with a friendly
audience
5 Deliver With confidence, conviction and conciseness
6 Evaluate The performance and refine based on
experience

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Effectiveness of communication

Elements Effectiveness
Words or message 7%
Voice 38%
Appearance 55%

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Illustrative Examples through Case Studies - 1
Case Study Context - Communication via presentation
The Sri Lanka Department of Trade (DT) launched a programme for
developing resources from the oceans and invited parties to put in bids for
performing six feasibility studies at a fixed cost over a period of six months.
Proposals had to be submitted by a particular date and bidders were then
asked to make supporting presentations on a given day.
The aim of the presentation was defined as ‘clarification’ of the written
proposals before a general audience, including DT officials and other
interested parties. A total of 15 minutes was allocated to each presentation,
and this also included time for some questions.
Since there were between three and five bidders for each feasibility study
the assessors and audience had to listen to 24 presentations in the course of
the day. Overhead slides were used by every bidder.
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Illustrative Examples through Case Studies
Results summary
Presentations Type 1:
In these cases the speaker talked around two to three PowerPoint slides which had
evidently been hurriedly prepared, and there seemed to have been no rehearsal
before the actual presentation.
Presentations Type 2:
Very detailed information on their proposals, in some cases with photocopies of
printed slides were handed out. Here it was difficult to grasp all the information
presented or to be sure what the study would deliver. In most of these
presentations no time was left for questions.
Presentations Type 3:
Some presentations lasted for 10 minutes and a set of simple PowerPoint slides
were used giving relevant information without confusing details. Schedules were
outlined and what would be delivered by the study was clearly stated. Questions
raised were given replies which were concise and to the point.
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Illustrative Examples through Case Studies
Comments on presentations

Type A – Too Little Information: 10 presentations gave very

little information about their proposal.

Type B – Too much information: 12 presentations provided

very detailed information on their proposals.

Type C – Relevant information: Only two presentations

fulfilled the actual requirements
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Illustrative Examples through Case Studies
Type C – Relevant information: Only two presentations
fulfilled the actual requirements

Other successful factors:

- Highlighted key points of the proposal for the decision
makers
- The impression given to decision makers with the
professionalisms

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Illustrative Examples through Case Studies - 2
Case Study Context - Communication in writing
Example 1:
“To summarize, I find it totally unacceptable that most of the vehicles
manufactured by your company have been found unsafe and
unsatisfactory”.

Example 2:
‘There are now clear signs of a slowdown in economic activity in the
US and the UK but activity remains robust, especially in Continental
Europe…. Whether or not the much-mooted soft landing is achieved
remains in the balance, but investors seem to be favoring this
outcome and support equity investment.’
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 Illustrative Examples through Case Studies - 3
Control system selection
What do you think of this
block diagram? Input data
Market needs
Operational requirements
Can you present a better one? Conditions Regulations
National rules
Systems data Control systems defined International rules

Manual Semi-automatic Automatic

Performance Efficiency Cost

Criteria Reliability Capital
Capability Back-ups Operational
Repair

Parameters of performance Parameters of Cost

Capital cost efficiency Overall costs
Maintenance Cost Operational cost of the system

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Illustrative Examples through Case Studies - 3
Control system selection

Input data

Control system

Manual Semi-automatic Automatic

Performance, efficiency, and

cost

Evaluation coefficient

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References for additional reading
Kuo, Chengi., Business Fundamentals for Engineers, University of
Strathclyde, McGraw-HILL , 1992 ISBN 0-07-707423-8
Davies, John W., Communication for Engineering Students, Longman
Group Ltd, 1996, ISBN 0-582-25648-8.

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