Tip 1

If you don’t care what people think and say, you already passed the first
step of success!

Chapter One

Overview of communication

1.1. Definitions of Communication

When people are asked to define communication, some define communication as “the process
of transferring ideas from one person to another”. When you see this definition on surface it
seems sound. However, it is incorrect way of defining communication. Why do you think it is
so? Because the words transferring and from one person to another inaccurately imply that
communication is like pouring liquid from a pot to another pot.

In other words, the definition implies a simple, one way action where person A takes
knowledge from his or her head and simply pours (transfers) it into the head of person B, the
same way the water poured to a pot. Person B may refuse to accept A’s ideas and May,
instead, wish to present his or her own ideas (give feedback) unlike the pot.

The word ‘communication’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘communis’ which means to
make common. Communication, thus, is the process of sharing facts, ideas, information,
feelings, knowledge, and opinions and so on in common.

Communication has been defined differently by many experts in the area. The following are
some of the definitions of communication.

 Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one

person to another- Haimann.

1 Abdu Kamil-Administrative and Business Communication (2015 E.C.)

  Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when wants to create
understanding in the minds of others- Alien.
 Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another whether or
not it elicits confidence but the information transferred must be understandable to the
receiver- G.C. Brown.
From the above interrelated definitions, it can be understood that communication is not a mere
transmission of information, idea, knowledge etc; the message should be given meaning and
understood by the receiver as the sender intended it.
1.2. Importance of communication
Effective communication has a clear advantage (importance) to an individual, to a manager and
to an organization.
To an individual, effective communication skills are means of social and professional
development. An effective communication is believed to have better chances of securing job
positions, promotion opportunities, and social life and so on.
Importance of communication to an organization
Effective communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the
basic functions of management, i.e, planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling.
Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication
serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the
manager who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also
requires effective communication with others about their job. Of course staffing too, similarly
leaders as manager must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the
team goal. Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication. Thus, we can say
that “effective communication is a building block of successful organization”. In other words,
communication acts as organizational blood.
Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They spend great time on face to
face or telephone communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues and others.
Managers also use written communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral
communication is not possible. Organizational objectives can be better achieved if managers and
non-managers are better equipped with communication skills.

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The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows:
1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about
the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their
performance.
2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-
making process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions.
3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well
informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual.
Organization magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written
communication help in molding employee’s attitude.
4. Communication also helps in socializing. In today’s life the only presence of another
individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without
communication.
5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps
controlling organizational member’s behavior in various ways. There are various levels
of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an
organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role
efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus,
communication helps in controlling function of management.

An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering

and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication analyze the
reason for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the primary
responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication system in the
organization.

Communication is one of the three managerial skills (conceptual skills, human/interpersonal

skills and technical skills).

1.3. Elements of Communication

Communication has elements including sender, message, receiver, setting, noise and feedback.
A. Sender/ Encoder: is a person who initiates (starts) the communication process. The
sender sends a message using words or non word symbols.
3 Abdu Kamil-Administrative and Business Communication (2015 E.C.)
 B. Message: is the main idea, concept, emotion, desire or feeling the sender wants to share
with the receiver. The message can be shared by using verbal symbols or non verbal
symbols. Verbal symbols (word) are so limited and complicated that they may be
interpreted in different ways. In other words, one word may have different meanings to
different people according to their background, experience etc.
C. Medium: medium is the carrier of the massage. It could be written or spoken words or
other non-word symbols.
D. Receiver/decoder: is a person for whom the message is intended (the targeted person).
The receiver decodes (interprets) the words or other symbols sent by the sender into the
meaningful thought.
E. Setting/context: is the environment within which communication takes place.
Communication can take place in a formal or an informal context. And according to the
specific context, communicators are expected to choose their words, their appearance etc.
F. Noise: is any factor that negatively affects a message from being correctly interpreted by
the receiver. There are different types of noises.
a. External noise; noise that comes from unfavorable environment. Examples of
external noise include sound, poor ventilation, inadequate light, and hot sun.
b. Internal noise; noise that occurs in the minds of the communicators. It is
thinking about something different from what is being communicated.
c. Semantic noise; noise related to words. It is emotional reaction to words.
Discriminatory words and ethnic remarks can be good example of semantic
noises.
G. Feedback: is the response the receiver gives as a result of the message. Feedback can be
verbal or non-verbal. It is very important in communication that it lets parties of the
communication to see whether the message has been shared as intended. Feedback
enables the sender to check whether the receivers are interested, bored, confused, etc.
Hence it will be an opportunity to the sender to adjust their presentation.
1.4. The communication process
The process of communication is highly related to the elements of communication. When people
communicate either by speaking, writhing or by using nonverbal means, the communication

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process is much more than a single act of speaking or writing. The process is made up of a series
of interrelated events. In a communication process there are at least the following five steps.
a) The sender has an idea
b) The idea becomes a message
c) The message is transferred
d) The receiver gets the message
e) The receiver reacts in some way (give feedback)

The communication process is believed to be effective only when each of the above steps is
successful. The entire process of communication may be repeated until the idea is shared as
intended.

The basic communication model below shows how the various elements of communication
come together and make communication happen.

Noise/ Barriers
Sender’s Message Received Receiver’s
idea idea

Feedback

Communication becomes more effective when it is a two way process, where all parties of the
communication have role in the process. A two way communication process can be depicted by
the following diagram.

Message /
Feedback
Sender Receiver
Receiver Sender
Message /
Feedback

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1.5. Barriers to Communication
Barriers to communication are any factors, manmade or natural, which negatively affect
communication. The barriers can be categorized in to the following four major groups.
1. Physical/ External/ Mechanical Barriers
These external barriers are further divided in to defects in channel and defects in
organizational systems.
 Defects in channel: barriers beyond the communicators’ control. Such defects
are not caused by lack of communication skills on the part of the
communicators. E.g. problems in telephone system, noise (sound).
 Defects in organizational systems: if a message is to pass through many
levels/ channels/ people, there will be loss or distortion of information. This
happen because of editing, judgment, information overload, distance between
communicators.
2. Semantic barriers: are language related barriers. They include difference in
language and using technical jargons.
3. Difference in perception
No person sees things exactly the same way as another; each has a unique set of
experiences, a unique perceptual “filter” through which he or she compares and
interprets messages. Making up this filter is the unique blend of education and all of
the life experiences of the receiver. While the word “communication” implies that a
common meaning is shared between sender and receiver, this is not always the case.
Under optimum circumstances, the meaning attributed to the message by the receiver
will be close to what was intended by the sender. In most situations, however, the
meaning is only an approximation, and may even be contrary to what was intended.
The deference in perception can be caused by any of the following
I. Abstracting: focusing on some details of the communication and ignoring or
omitting others.
II. Hasty generalization: selecting few aspects of reality and making them
representative of the whole.
III. Difference in age: significant difference in age may be accompanied by
difference in experience or in likes and dislikes.

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 4. Socio-psychological barriers
Socio-psychological barrier can be caused by
a) Source credibility: the trust that the receiver has in the words and actions of
the sender. Source credibility is about how trustworthy the sender is to the
receiver.
b) Value judgment: assessing to overall value to a message before receiving the
entire message. This could be caused, among others, by past experience with
the sender.
c) Status block: when a person communicates with a person with different title
or position. For instance, when a person communicates with their superior or
subordinate the communication may be negatively affected if either of the
parties thinks that they know everything (on the part of the superior) or that
they are less important (on the part of the subordinate) the communication
may become less effective.
d) Closed mind: closed mindedness may be caused by limited intellectual
background/ education, limited reading, narrow interest and so on.
e) Self image: self image is how you see yourself. This may be how you see
yourself physically or your opinion of whom and what you are. It is important
as it affects your confidence.
Self image includes:
What you think you look like
How you see your personality
What kind of person you think you are
What you believe others think of you
How much you like yourself or you think others like you
The status you feel you have

How you see yourself is vital because this will affect your behavior, your thinking and how you
relate to others. People respond to you either positively or negatively according to how confident
you are. Your confidence in relationships depends on the image you have of yourself.

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 f) Emotionality: it is highly probable that an emotional communicator may
become irrational. Hence, effective communication requires that the
communicators control their emotions such as fear and anger. It is also wise to
communicate with someone when they are emotionally stable.
g) Filtering: is cutting negative information from a message and passing only
the positive ones.

Overcoming barriers to communication

It is everyone’s responsibility to solve communication problems. In an organizational context,

individual employees and managers should play their parts. But more is expected from the more
senior and the better educated members of an organization.
External barriers are expected to be solved by an organizations management while other barriers
can be solved by making effective use of the principles of communication.

Tip 2

See the challenges in your life as a fuel to fire you up. You are bigger
than any of the problems that you face. Look around and you will find
opportunities silently waiting for you to recognize them. Become
unstoppable and determined to reach your goals.

Do not let anyone convince you that you cannot achieve your dreams.
They do not know you. They have no idea of who you really are. Do not
waste your time trying to convince them. Keep working your plan and
handle your business. Action speaks louder than words. Remember you
have GREATNESS within you!

8 Abdu Kamil-Administrative and Business Communication (2015 E.C.)

 Chapter Two

2. Types and levels of communication

There are different types of communication when we categorized based on media and
organization.

2.1. Types of Communication Based on Media

When it is classified based on media, we have verbal communication and non-verbal

communication.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is communication through words. The words could be either spoken or
written. A message can be communicated using words (verbal communication). Some key
components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking and language.

Written Communication

Written communication can be paper based such as letters and memorandum or electronic
documents such as e-mail, SMS, and text chats. Any communication using written words is
written communication. The use of written communication is almost indispensable for formal
business communication and legal instructions. Commonly used written communication includes
books, brochures, contracts, memorandum, press releases and reports. To make written
communication effective, appropriate writing styles, grammar, and vocabulary and in general the
principles of effective communication should be applied.

Oral Communication

Oral communication is communication using spoken words. Spoken words can be used in face to
face conversation, telephone conversation, video conference, lectures and the like. The
effectiveness of oral communication depends on the clarity of speech, volume, speed and the use
of non-verbal communication.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Oral and Written Communication

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Advantages of oral communication

a. Immediate feedback
b. Time saving- it is very fast and it saves time
c. Economical- saves money needed for stationary etc.
d. Personal touch
e. Flexibility-gives opportunity to adjust the speech, the word use etc.
f. Group communication- makes group communication such as meetings easier
Disadvantage of oral communication
a. Poor retention- receivers cannot retain oral messages in their memory for a long period.
b. No record for future reference and evidence.

Advantage of written communication

a. Wide access- not limited by the distance between a sender and a receiver
b. Precision and accuracy- written massages are usually prepared with due care
c. Permanent record- repeated reference and legal evidence
Disadvantage of written communication
a. Time consuming- preparation and sending the message
b. Costly
c. Rigidity- on the spot adjustment and clarification of points cannot made
d. Delayed feedback
Non Verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is sending and receiving messages without the use of words. It can be
intentional or unintentional.
Better than the verbal communication, non-verbal communication reveals the sender’s feelings,
likings and preferences more spontaneously and honestly.
Nonverbal communication highly influences face to face communication. Various research
findings show that more than 50% of the face to face communication is non-verbal. Types of
non-verbal communication includes(but is not limited to) eye contact, volume of speech, dress,
personal space between communicators (proximity), posture, time, silence, pictures, paintings,
signs, symbols and gestures. Various cultures have different non-verbal language and effective
communication across cultures requires understanding of these non-verbal languages. There are,
10 Abdu Kamil-Administrative and Business Communication (2015 E.C.)
however, some non-verbal communication types that are believed to be common in most
cultures. These include expression of happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and so on.
Some nonverbal communication types in different cultures
 Personal space (proximity) - the definition of appropriate space between communicators
differs from culture to culture. For instance, Americans do not get too close unless they
are among close friends, husband, wife, family members, relatives, etc. Arabs, on the
contrary, stand very close to each other.
 Eye contact- in face to face communication eye contact enables us to maintain and
regulate interaction. In western and other cultures it is considered as a positive quality.
But the period for which the eye contact is to be maintained should be brief. Otherwise it
may send a message that you did not want to send. In Arabic culture prolonged eye
contact is a sign of trust and truthfulness. In Japan, some parts of Africa, Latin America
and the Caribbean, however, avoidance of eye contact shows respect.
 Dress- how one is dressed has various meanings in different situations. The important
point here is to know what appropriate dressing for the particular context is.
 Posture- the way in which someone sits, stands, etc.
Bowing for instance is not common in the US. But it shows respect in Japan. You can
think of what the meaning of bowing is in Ethiopia or your particular culture.
A hand in pocket- is disrespectful in Turkey.
 Gestures- body movement.
Some cultures are said to be animated i.e. people move their hands and other parts of
body more frequently than other in other cultures.
Various cultures have different gestures to say the same thing. For instance to point to
something or a place people in some cultures use their index finger while others use the
entire hand.
 Facial expression- the facial expressions during crying, smiling, anger etc may be
similar across cultures. Some cultures encourage exaggeration of facial expressions
some others suppression of them.
 Time- Punctuality, lateness, waiting before entering an office or a room, choosing the
appropriate time to make phone calls all are related to time and have clear meanings to
communicate.

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  Silence- absence of sound; complete quite can serve many functions. It can have
different meanings according to the context in which it is used.
Among other things, it can mean hostility/unfriendliness, disagreement, respect,
rudeness and so on.
 Paralanguage- the way in which we say (speak) words. It is, among others, about
volume and speed of speech.
Usually, high volume and fast speech may show anger or excitement. Soft and slow
speech may show sadness.
2.2. Types of communication from point of view of organization
We have two types of communication when we classify it based on organization. These are
formal communication and informal communication.
Organizational communication is communication within an organization. It is communication
among members of an organization. It is also about who communicates with whom and through
what channels etc.
Formal communication
Formal communication is communication through official channels. Some characteristics of
formal communication are:
 It is intentional, planned
 It can be depicted on an organizational chart
 It is directly related to organizational goals
 It is communication between or among organizational positions
 It is further divided in to horizontal, vertical and diagonal communication

Horizontal communication

It is communication between or among people (employees) of the same levels (positions). It may
include communication of a middle level manager with another middle level manager or
communication between two non-managers. Horizontal communication can occur within a
department or across departments. Task coordination and information sharing related messages
are communicated through this type of communication.

Vertical communication (upward communication and downward communication)

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 Upward communication- is transmission of messages from lower to higher levels. For instance,
a first level manager must communicate with a middle level manager or a non-manager may
communicate with a first level manager. Usually, the messages transmitted through this type of
communication are job related problems, grievances and suggestions for improvement.

Downward communication- is communication that flows from upper to lower levels. It can be a
communication from top level manager to a middle level manager or from a middle level
manager to a first level manager. Instructions, orders, directives and procedures are among the
common types of messages that are communicated through this type of communication.

Diagonal communication

It is communication between or among people of different levels and departments (functional

areas). Diagonal communication is said to be more efficient and fast.

Top level

Down

Middle level Middle level Hori Middle level

Dia Up

1st level 1st level 1st level

Informal communication

It is a communication, which is not deliberately designed by the organization. It is rather created

by informal groups in order to satisfy their needs to interact and share information among
themselves. In the informal communication, information flows in unstructured and unpredictable
ways.

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 Informal communication is also known as grapevine or grapevine communication. The following
are some of the characteristics of informal communication.

 It is spontaneous i.e. it is not planned or managed

 It is more relaxed/ flexible/ informal with no rigid rules
 It is quick
 It doesn’t have specific channels
 It has no topic, time, or place boundaries

The messages communicated through the grapevine are considered as rumor or gossip. But
various researches have shown that more than 70% of the information communicated through the
grapevine is accurate.

Why do the owners/workers of gas station at Addis Ababa turn off the lights in their gas stations
and tell their customers that they don’t have fuel? This is because they have got some
information (mostly accurate) through the grapevine that there will be a rise in fuel price may be
the next day and they plan to sell the fuel they already have for more money.

There are times when the grapevine becomes especially active. This include

 When employees have some information that something unwanted is going to happen to them
 When an organization is about to introduce changes (e.g. BPR, appointment of a new manager)
 When information from the formal channel is limited

The grapevine/ the informal communication has some advantages and some disadvantages

Advantages of informal communication

 Can be used to quickly spread information

 Serves social purpose
 Reduces stress
 Helps to identify dissatisfaction of employees

Disadvantage of informal communication

 Wastage of time- reduced productivity

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 Hostility against executives
 Emphasizes only the negative effects of change
 Jeopardizes the goodwill of an organization

Conclusion, the informal communication cannot and should not be restricted. If a manager
attempts to do so, the grapevine may become more active and produce undesirable results.
Hence, what is expected of a wise manager is exploitation of the grapevine and keeping the
formal communication channels open.

2.3. Levels of Communication

Communication takes place at different levels, namely intrapersonal, interpersonal, public and
organizational.

Intrapersonal communication

Intrapersonal communication is communication within us. It is also called ‘self-talk’. Human

beings communicate with themselves at an individual level. Sometimes individual
communication may also involve uttering of words with audible sounds. A person thinks about
possible impacts of the decisions that they are going to make – this is an example of self-talk. Or
a person who reminds themselves to do or not to do something – they are having intrapersonal
communication. Intrapersonal communication is so important that it influences one’s self esteem.

E.g. a student who failed an exam may say to himself “I am worthless, I will never graduate…”
another student who also failed an exam may say to himself “I failed just one test; I will work
hard and improve may result…”

Let us consider another example. A student who is about to give a speech in our administrative
communication class may say to himself “I didn’t have any such experience of speaking before
people and I am likely to give a bad speech” another student in the same situation may tell
himself “this is my opportunity I will grab it and try my best to give an impressive speech.”

The intrapersonal communication that an individual has with himself affects his communication
at other levels.

Interpersonal communication

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Interpersonal communication is communication between or among people. For interpersonal
communication to happen at least two people are needed. Interpersonal communication can be
either Dyadic- two persons communication or small group. Small group communication requires
a minimum of three people. The number of people involved in a small group communication
should not be many persons (public).

Some researchers in the area say that the maximum number of persons in a small group
communication should not exceed 15. In interpersonal communication there is direct and person
to person interaction and more chance for feedback.

Public communication

Public communication is communication with a public i.e. audience of several persons. In public
communication the public is mainly receiver. The speaker dominates the communication. The
sender and receiver may not know each other. And the feedback from the audience is expected to
be limited.

Organizational communication

Organizational communication includes the first three levels, namely intrapersonal,

interpersonal, and public communication. The very distinguishing characteristic feature of
organizational communication is that an organization acts like a person i.e. the organization
communicates like a person. You can think of legal personality of organizations. An organization
may initiate messages, send them to individuals or other organizations. Or the organization may
receive messages from individuals or other organizations. Who is sending a message when
students of AAU are informed on EBC that their registration takes place on a specific date? It is
AAU.

Tip 3

Do not let your past dominate your future!

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 CHAPTER THREE

PRINCIPLES (7CS) OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

To compose effective written or oral messages, application of certain communication principles

is a requirement. These principles provide guideline for choice of content and style of
presentation, adapted to the purpose and receiver of your message. These principles are not only
limited to sentence level, they are also applicable to all forms of communication, from mere
utterances and sentences to complete documents or presentations. To some extent the principles
overlap because they are based on a common concern for the audience, whether that audience
consists of listeners or readers.

These principles are called “seven Cs” because each principle begins with the letter C, and they
are seven in number. They are completeness, conciseness, clarity, consideration, concreteness,
courtesy and correctness.

1. Completeness
Whenever people communicate, they have purpose that they want to achieve as a result
of the communication i.e. there is a feedback that they expect from the other party. And a
complete message is the one that contains all the facts the receiver needs to give the
intended feedback from the reader or listener. Completeness is a very important quality of
a message because:
 A complete message can bring the desired response without the need for
additional messages.
 A complete message improves an organization’s image.
To make message complete:
A. Answer all questions asked
When you reply to an inquiry, make sure that all the questions asked by the other party of
the communication are adequately answered.
B. Give something extra, when desirable
Sometimes when you communicate with a person, giving answers to their questions may
not be enough. If you believe that it is desirable to give the person some additional
information, you should do so to make the message complete.

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 C. Check for the five W’s
In your communication answer the five W-questions what, who, when, why, where and
other to make your message complete. This guideline is especially important if the
message of your communication is related to requests announcements and other
informative purposes.
2. Conciseness
Conciseness is communicating using the fewest possible words without sacrificing other
principles, for instance completeness and clarity. Conciseness is about economy of
words. This principle is very important because:
 It saves time and expense for both communicators
 It contributes to emphasis
To make a message concise:
A. Eliminate wordy expressions- eliminate unnecessary words from your message.
B. Omit ‘which’ and ‘that’ clauses whenever possible
C. Avoid unnecessary repetition
3. Clarity
A message is clear when it is easy to understand or when it doesn’t cause confusion.
Communication is all about creating common understanding between or among
communicators. And clarity is the key to create this commonness.
To make a message clear:
A. Choose short, familiar and conversational words- if possible avoid jargons or explain
their meaning.
B. Use shot sentences
C. Use coherent sentences
D. Whenever possible include examples and visual aids
4. Consideration
Consideration in communication means communicating with the receiver in mind. It
understands the receiver’s desires, knowledge level, circumstances, probable reaction etc.
In other words, it is communication from the receivers’ point of view, putting you in the
receiver’s place, understanding them and being sensitive towards them. This
understanding /consideration is called you –attitude.

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 To make a message considerate:
A. Focus on ‘you’ rather than ‘I’ or ‘we’ - because people are more concerned/interested
about themselves
B. Show receivers benefit- when and if it is true and possible, show the receivers what
they can benefit from the communication
C. Emphasize the positive and pleasant facts- stress what can be done, not what cannot
be done
5. Concreteness

A concrete message is specific and definite, but not vague and general. To make a message
concrete, use specific facts and figures.

6. Courtesy
Courtesy in communication is politeness. It is the result of real you-attitude.
To make a message courteous:
A. Be tactful and thoughtful
B. Grant and apologize politely
7. Correctness- be sure that the message you communicate is correct and truth.

Tip 4

Just focus!

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 CHAPTER FOUR

PREPARATION AND DELIVERY OF EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEECHES

Developing pubic speaking skills

The first thing a person needs to know when he/she is developing public speaking skills is fear of
public speaking (Glossophobia). It is the major problem most people encounter when intending
or trying to speak before live audience. Knowing that fear is major problem and common to most
people, it can be solved though practice. Practice is a significant step towards developing public
speaking skill. When some people experience this fear various symptoms such as sweaty palms,
shaky hands, pounding heart, and forgetting what they had to say are observed.

Purpose of speeches

The purpose of a speech could be to inform, to persuade or to entertain. These purposes may
overlap that when a person speaks to inform or persuade they may entertain their audience
during the speech. Or when a person speaks to persuade, they probably give some information
about the issue at hand. Though the purposes overlap, there is always one significant purpose in a
speech.

If the purpose of speech is to inform, the speaker tells the audience something that they don’t
know. Or the speaker teaches, explains, clarifies a concept, a situation or how something work
etc. If the purpose of the speech is to persuade, the speaker tries to convince, to influence the
attitudes, beliefs or to motivate the audience. A speech to entertain is aimed at amusing and
pleasing the audience.

Methods of delivering speeches

There are four methods of delivering speeches. These are presentation styles each with its own
advantages and disadvantages. The methods are impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript and
memorization.

1. Impromptu method

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When a person presents a speech using this method little or no time is given for preparation or
rehearsal. This method is appropriate only for a speaker who knows the topic of their speech
very well. Impromptu method requires the ability to choose appropriate words and to organized
ideas while speaking. The method is usually informal and personal.

2. Extemporaneous Method

When a speech is presented using extemporaneous method, careful planning, preparation and
rehearsals are made. The speaker internalizes the content of the speech, but they do not
memorize actual words and nonverbal behaviors that are going to be used during the delivery.
The speech is not fully written but brief notes (outlines) that will guide the speaker are prepared.
The method allows the speaker to research the required information, organize ideas, prepare
outline, prepare visual aids, and practice. An interesting characteristic of this method is that the
speaker knows what they are talking about. Some other points that can be considered as
advantages of extemporaneous method are it is conversational and interactive that it enables the
speaker to make their audience take part in the communication. Because of its qualities, the
extemporaneous method is the most recommended and most popular method of speech delivery.
When preparing a speech in the extemporaneous method, one should remember that too little
practice causes lack of confidence and nervousness while too much practice may cause unnatural
presentation.

3. Manuscript method

Manuscript style of presentation is reading directly from a text. The method allows the speaker to
plan, research, organize and write the speech word-for-word (in full). The method is used for
official and highly sensitive speeches to avoid any mistake. Official reposts and policy
statements presented (read) in the house of peoples’ representatives are good examples of the
context in which the manuscript method is appropriate. The method has same advantages
including the following.

 It give the speaker total security against forgetting part of a speech

 Precise timing of speech is possible
 It give adequate time for preparation

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 Greatest control of the wording of a speech
The limitations (disadvantages) of the system include the following
 It is unnatural and boring
 It doesn’t allow effective use of nonverbal communication such as eye contact, facial
expressions, gestures etc.
 It is difficult to adopt on the spot
4 Memorization method

It is giving a speech entirely from memory- without using notes. This method and the
manuscript method have similarities. Memorization method like the manuscript method, involves
panning, researching, organizing and writing out the full text of the speech. A speaker who plans
to give a speech using this method tries to memorize the full text.

Some of the advantages of this method are:

 It gives the speaker ample time for preparation
 it gives the speaker the opportunity to carefully choose words
 The speaker can estimating the precise timing of the speech

Guidelines of preparing a speech which should be considered before delivery

The speech designing phase has a series of steps which are discussed below.

1. Determine the purpose of your speech

Determine what you want to do with your with your speech. Is it to inform to persuade or to
entertain? Answer this question and proceed with other steps of preparation.

2. Analyze your audience

Audience analysis is all about understanding your audience in terms of their interests,
knowledge, number etc. Analysis of audience is important because the speech should be tailored
to fit the specific nature and mix of your audience.

3. Gather information relevant to your speech

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To able to deliver a successful speech you should gather up-to-date and comprehensive
information from various sources.

4. Organize the speech

Your speech should be organized into three parts, namely introduction, body and conclusion. In
other words tell your audience what you are going to tell them, tell them and tell them what you
have told them.

Introduction

This part should be used to motivate your audience to attend your speech. To that effect you can
begin your speech with a joke (if you can), with a question etc. It should also give the preview of
main points of the speech.

Body

The body part of the speech presents the major points of the speech. These points should be
logically organized for instance, chronologically or a cause-effect fashion.

Conclusion

In this part of your speech you should summarize the major points, give a clear indication that
you are concluding your speech.

5. Prepare visual aids

There are various types of visual aids that can be used to enhance the quality of a speech. Some
of these are black or white boards, overhead projectors, computerized presentations, graphs,
drawings, maps, photographs, charts and so on.

Visual aids have many benefits during speech delivery. These include
o They facilitate listeners’ understanding
o They make the speech more interesting
o They serve as speakers memory aid
o They reduce speaker’s nervousness

23 Abdu Kamil-Administrative and Business Communication (2015 E.C.)

If the particular speech you are going to deliver calls for the use of visual aids, you should
prepare them in advance. And the visual aids should be visible to your audience.

6. Practice practice practice!

Perhaps the most important guideline of speech preparation is practice. Practices should not be
confused with memorization. It is studying your material so that you know what you are going to
talk about. In other words practice is intended to internalize the subject matter. When practicing
a speech, it is recommended to use everything that the speaker will use in the actual presentation.
A speaker can practice using the brief note, by timing themselves, by using visual aids…etc.

Effective delivery of speeches (Guideline to be considered during actual delivery)

By now you have prepared your speech considering the above guidelines. And it is time to
actually give the speech in front of audience. To make your speech successful consider the
following tips.

1) Fear- you already know that fear is the major problem in public speaking. Accept
that fear/nervousness is natural and everyone feels nervous. Control your fear and
try to build confidence through preparation.
2) Do not read your presentation word by word. Do not memorize your speech.
Whenever possible you should avoid the two M’s (manuscript reading and
memorization)
3) Maintain eye contact- establishing an eye contact at the beginning of your
speech and maintaining it is very important.
4) Gestures- as a speaker you should not put your hands in your pockets and you
should not fold arms during speech delivery.
5) Vocal delivery- it includes volume of speech, speed of speech and pauses.
Volume- your speech should be managed in such a way that your voice can be
heard to everyone without problem. But you should not shout at your audience.
For the purpose of emphasis you can use different volumes of speech.
Speed- speaks at a natural speed that is neither too fast nor too slow. Different
speeds of speech can be used to make your speech interesting.

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 Pause- from time to time gives yourself and your audience a break.
6) Movement- when delivering a speech makes natural and purposeful moves.
7) Use your time wisely
8) Dress- dress according to the setting in which you are going to present your
speech i.e. formal dressing for formal speeches.

Tip 5

What do you really want?

You in the next 2 years…

You in the next 5 years…

You in the next 10 years…

Thank You!!!

25 Abdu Kamil-Administrative and Business Communication (2015 E.C.)