A.

BASIC COMPETENCIES

UNIT OF COMPETENCY: PARTICIPATE IN WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

MODULE TITLE: PARTICIPATING IN WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
MODULE DESCRIPTION: This module covers the knowledge, skills and
attitudes required to obtain, interpret and convey
information in response to workplace requirements.

SUGGESTED DURATION: 4 hours

QUALIFICATION LEVEL: NC II
PREREQUISITE: Receive and Respond to workplace Communication. (NC I)

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of this module the students/ trainees will be able to:

LO 1.1 Obtain and convey workplace information

LO 1.2 Complete relevant work related documents.
LO 1.3 Participate in workplace meeting and discussion

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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PARTICIPATE IN WORKPLACE COMMUNICATIONS

What is communication?
Communication is the process by which people attempt to share meaning: our
ideas or thoughts. These ideas or thoughts are transmitted by symbolic messages
which may comprise spoken or printed words or images or gestures or ‘looks’. So, the
simplest diagram or ‘model’ of communication between two people, a sender and a
receiver of the message, may look like this.

LO 1.1 Obtain and convey workplace information

Effective Communication
Communication is the process of exchanging information and ideas. There are
many means of communication. To be an effective and valuable member of your
workplace it is important that you become skilled in all of the different methods of
communication that are appropriate. This module looks at different types of
communication and associated technology, but before that it is important to understand
the communication process.
The Communication Process for communication to occur it must pass from a
sender to a receiver. This must occur irrespective of the form of communication. For
communication to be effective it must be understood by the receiver and be able to be
responded to. This means that total communication involves speaking, reading,
listening, and reasoning skills. As communications pass from the source to the receiver
there is plenty of opportunity for its original meaning to change or alter. Therefore
listening, reasoning and feedback is an important part of the process as it is an
opportunity for the sender to make sure the receiver has understood the message. The
other consideration is the “noise” associated with the communication – what else is
happening, what are the distractions, the baggage etc. Noise can have a big impact on
the message the receiver decodes.

Parts of Speech
The words that we use can be divided into these classes:
 noun – A noun is a type of word that represents a person, thing, or place, like
mother, apple, or valley.
 verb – A verb is a type of word that describes an action or a state of being, like
wiggle, walk, run, jump, be, do, have, or think.
 pronoun – A pronoun is a substitute for a noun. Some pronouns are: I, me, she,
hers, he, him, it, you, they, them, etc.
Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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  adjective – An adjective is a word that describes something (a noun). Some
adjectives are: big, cold, blue, and silly. One special type of adjective is an
article, a word that introduces a noun and also limits or clarifies it; in English, the
indefinite articles are a and an, the definite article is the.
 adverb – An adverb is a word that tells “how,” “when,” “where,” or “how much”.
Some adverbs are: easily, warmly, quickly, mainly, freely, often, and
unfortunately.
 preposition – A preposition shows how something is related to another word. It
shows the spatial (space), temporal (time), or logical relationship of an object to
the rest of the sentence. The words above, near, at, by, after, with and from are
prepositions.
 conjunction – A conjunction is a word that joins other words, phrases, clauses or
sentences. Some conjunctions are: and, as, because, but, or, since, so, until, and
while.
 interjection – An interjection is a word that expresses emotion. An interjection
often starts a sentence but it can be contained within a sentence or can stand
alone. Some interjections are oh, wow, ugh, hurrah, eh, and ah.

Sentence Construction
A sentence is a collection of words that convey sense or meaning and is formed
according to the logic of grammar. Clear, short sentences are preferable, and more
effective, than long, complex ones.
The simplest sentence consists only of a noun, a naming word, and a verb or
action word. For example, in the sentence “Mary walked”, Mary is the naming noun and
walked is the action verb.
Mary is the proper noun in the example sentence above but can be substituted in
following sentences by the pronoun she. A pronoun is a word that can be used instead
of a noun when a noun has already been mentioned. Other pronouns are he, we, they
and it.
Most sentences have a subject noun and an object noun. For example, consider
the sentence “Mary walked towards the hotel”. Mary is the subject noun (a person or
thing performing the action of walking), and the hotel is the object noun (a person or
thing towards which the action is directed)
Adjectives describe nouns. Adjectives usually come before the noun.
They are sometimes known as ‘describing words’. When two adjectives are used
to describe one noun, they are set apart with the use of a comma.
For example: The lazy dog dozed. The hairy, lazy dog dozed.
Adverbs describe verbs. The adverb should always follow the verb. For example:
Mary walked slowly or Peter ran away quickly.

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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Tense
Verbs, or action words, are expressed in tenses; past, present or future. The
tense of a verb is its setting in time. For example: Mary walked (past tense) Mary walks
(present tense) Mary will walk (future tense) There are also other, more complex tenses
not covered here. An important point is to be consistent in your use of tense. Decide
whether you are explaining an event in the past, present or future and then be
consistent in the use of that tense until there is a good reason for changing. The
incorrect use of tenses is one of the most common mistakes of grammar. For example,
consider the following sentence: “Marianne describes the new techniques, how they
varied in approach and attitude”. The verb describes is in the present tense but varied is
in the past tense. The correct tensing of the sentence should be: “Marianne describes
the new techniques, how they vary in approach and attitude”.

LO 1.2 Complete relevant work-related documents

Types of Forms
In every workplace you will be required to complete forms. Each workplace will
have forms specific to their requirements. You must make sure that you know which
forms to fill in, when you need to use forms and where to find the necessary forms.

When filling in a form:

 read the form carefully
 fill in all the required details
 only include necessary information
 write clearly and simply
 check that you have completed it properly
 send or give it to the appropriate person, or file in the appropriate place

Work instructions are the most basic tool used in every business or organization
to help workers follow a sequence of steps. Inadequate work instructions are likely to
result in a variety of problems in the workplace that could range from:
 returned products
 loss of materials
 customer complaints
 liability issues
 poor work performance

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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 Work instructions can have a major impact on the effectiveness and productivity
of workplace. If instructions are difficult to follow, workers will make errors in
implementing the steps.
A good work instruction is a detailed sequence of steps that workers need to
follow each time they perform a task. The purpose of a work instruction is to organize
steps in a logical and systematic way so that workers can easily follow it independently.
This means a consistent format for your work instructions is important. Workers can
read the information faster and absorb it more quickly if it follows a consistent font and
format. It also makes the development of further work instructions far simpler as you
have a template to follow.

Technical Writing
Technical writing is a type of writing where the author is writing about a particular
subject that requires direction, instruction, or explanation. This style of writing has a very
different purpose and different characteristics than other writing styles such as creative
writing, academic writing or business writing.

Tips for Good Technical Writing

Regardless of the type of document which is written, technical writing requires
the writer to follow the properties of knowing their audience, writing in a clear, non-
personal style and doing extensive research on the topic. By including these properties,
the writer can create clear instructions and explanations for the reader.
 Know your audience. An expert in the field will understand certain
abbreviations, acronyms, and lingo that directly applies to such a field. The
novice will not understand in the same manner and, therefore, every detail
must be explained and spelled out for them.
 Use an impersonal style. Write from a third person perspective, like a teacher
instructing a student. Any opinions should be omitted.
 The writing should be straightforward, to the point, and as simple as possible
to make sure the reader understands the process or instruction. This at times
may appear as simply a list of steps to take to achieve the desired goal or
may be a short or lengthy explanation of a concept or abstract idea.
 Know how to research. Gather information from a number of sources,
understand the information gathered so that it can be analyzed thoroughly,
and then put the information into an easy to understand format to instruct
those who read it. The more inexperienced your audience, the more
information you will need to gather and explain.
 Be thorough in description and provide enough detail to make your points;
but, you also have to consider that you need to use an economy of words so
that you do not bore your reader with gratuitous details. A good technical
Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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 writer can make a difficult task easy and can quickly explain a complex piece
of information.

LO 1.3 Participate in workplace meeting and discussion

It’s a bit of a cliché. Say the word "meeting" in any work environment – cultural or
corporate – and you’ll often hear sighs or groans about wasted time. But any group
work effort requires people to come together frequently over a period of time. Whether
in a small cultural organization, where perhaps only two or three people attend a half-
hour meeting to discuss one agenda item, or in a larger organization, where there may
be many participants at a meeting with multiple presenters, meetings can be an
effective way of sharing information and reaching decisions. They can also be a huge
waste of time with no particular benefit. Cultural employees are frequent multi-taskers,
stretched in different directions in often under-resourced organizations. Their time is
valuable and costly. As a cultural manager who plans and runs meetings, you need to
ask yourself whether the amount of preparation involved and the outcomes achieved
have been worth the time invested by you and the participants. As cultural managers,
you’re always busy planning, preparing for and running meetings with your own staff,
with other members of the organization or the sector, or simply contributing to other
people’s meetings. This guide looks at your role as a meeting leader and as a meeting
participant. In Leading Meetings, we examine how to plan and conduct meetings
effectively: defining your desired outcome, preparing for the meeting, making
discussions constructive, handling interruptions and conflict, and generating ideas. This
section also considers the role of an independent facilitator. In Contributing to Meetings,
we consider how to participate effectively in meetings that you’re not running: the
importance of listening and getting your point across successfully.
Each individual in a team has talents and abilities that can contribute to a solid
work relationship which is needed to be productive in the job. As a team, members have
to identify who excel in technical expertise, who are keen in problem-solving and
decision-making, and who are adept in active listening, giving good feedback, and
conflict resolution.
Identifying these skills helps a team perform effectively. This is otherwise known
as team synergy through a coordinated effort of performing these abilities. Diversities
even in skills and talents are common. But sharing these skills for the benefit of the
team can build a solid work relationship among the individuals. For a relationship to
become healthy, learn to appreciate each other’s talents. Being recognized by fellow
colleagues for the effort contributed for the team is heartwarming and rewarding.

Relationship with a Team

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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 Typically, in a work setting, every working individual belongs to a team where a
group of members work together with similar functions and work description, though not
necessarily similar in interests. Also, individuals in a team generate a collaborative effort
to achieve common goals, and may need to give up individual autonomy in order to
attain those goals. The organization as a whole can make up a team and this
component is by far the largest to be called as such.
If you are paired up with another work colleague on a project, you are already
called a team. Regardless of the population of the members and diversities in a team,
building a relationship is a crucially important factor grounded on teamwork. Team
members who develop a common strategy in working such as using a discussion in the
interaction process or assigning tasks are manifesting teamwork. Individuals work
together by sharing individual objectives and eventually come up with a unified goal.
Being a part of a team also entails commitment in the job and the responsibility. In order
for a team to be harmonious, a good working relationship has to be established.

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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L0 1.2 COMPLETE RELEVANT WORK RELATED DOCUMENTS

ASSESSMENT CRTERIA:
1. Ranges of forms relating to conditions of employment are completed accurately
and legibly.
2. Workplace data is recorded on standard workplace forms and documents.
3. Basic mathematical processes are used for routine calculations.
4. Errors in recording information on forms. Documents are identified and rectified.
5. Reporting requirements to superior are completed according to enterprise
guidelines.

CONTENTS:
1. Basic mathematics
2. Technical writing
3. Types of forms

CONDITIONS:
The students/trainees must be provided with the following:
1. Paper
2. Pencils/ball pen
3. Reference books
4. Manuals

METHODOLOGIES:
1. Group discussion
2. Interaction
3. Lecture
4. Self-paced learning

ASSESSMENT METHODS:
1. Written test
2. Practical/performance test
3. Interview

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
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LO3. PARTICIPATE IN WORKPLACE MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
1. Team meetings are attended on time.
2. Own opinions are clearly expressed and those of others are listened to without
interruption.
3. Meeting inputs are consistent with the meeting purpose and established
protocols.
4. Workplace interaction are conducted in a courteous manner appropriate to
cultural background and authority in the enterprise procedures.
5. Questions about simple routine workplace procedures and matters concerning
conditions of employment are asked and responded.
6. Meeting outcomes are interpreted and implemented.

CONTENTS:
1. Sentence construction
2. Technical writing
3. Recording information

CONDITIONS:
The students/trainees must be provided with the following:
1. Paper
2. Pencils/ball pen
3. References (books)
4. Manuals

METHODOLOGIES:
1. Group discussions
2. Interaction
3. Lecture
4. Self-paced learning

ASSESSMENT METHODS:
1. Written test
2. Practical/performance test
3. Interview

Driving NC II Date Developed: Document Number:

Automotive and
Developed by: Issued
Land by:
Transportation Ma. Louella B. Gavan
Sector Revision
#: