Lindo_OralComm_Sem1

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Effective Communication Skills

Competency 3: Uses various strategies in order to avoid communication
breakdown.

Filters used in Communication

In communicating, chances are high that you do not grasp the exact message
intended by the sender. This is for the reason that you base your perspectives on
your personal interpretation of the message. Personal interpretation refers to the
use of prior knowledge, background, beliefs, attitudes, personality, etc. These are
used as basic tools in decoding the meaning of the message.

Given the fact that no two individuals are alike, there would always be a variation in
the perspective. The meanings created always reflect how a person sees it. This is
referred to as the filter. It is defined as the individual through which you
communicate with others. The following are the filters used in communication.
 1. Visual Perceptions

This entails the use of visuals in forming your perspectives of the message.
This is dictated by what you see. A classic example for this is the picture of a
young woman or old lady. Others see a young woman but others see an old
lady. Both visual perceptions are valid. It cannot be said that one picture
does not exist. There are simply different ways in seeing an object. Just like a
situation is seen and interpreted in different ways.

According to Nah (2008), "communication is the thread by which you tie

yourself to the world and the world to you." You use communication in order
to establish a clear connection between you and the world.

2. Language Perceptions

Perceptions also change with words. There are cases when you give your
own interpretations on words. The meaning that you give also changes

For example, the given statement below would yield different perceptions
depending on how a person sees it.

The woman without her man is nothing.

A perception could be similar with this: The woman, without her man, is
nothing. In the same way, it could also be:

The woman without her, man is nothing. Words also yield difference in
perceptions. In cases when you thought the receiver got your intended
message, there are cases when it does not happen. It is important that you
encode your message as accurately and as understandable as possible.

Other Factors Affecting Perspectives

The communication is an intricate and complex process. There are many

factors that come into play. That is why it is expected that meanings created
would be different from message intended.
 Below are other factors which affect a receiver's way of decoding the
message thus, a cause for communication breakdown. These factors are past
experiences, prejudices, feelings, and the environment.

a. Past Experiences

As a communicator, unconsciously or consciously you bring with you your

past experiences in the communication situation. It affects the way you
decode the message. It is shown in how you interpret the message and in
your feedback, reply or response. Whether you like it or not your experiences
in the past play an important role in how you communicate with others. This
is where the term prejudices would come in. Prejudices mean you take the
past experience be associated with the future experiences. Oftentimes, you
associate your past experience with a particular person or group of people.

b. Prejudices

Another cause of communication breakdown is the prejudices. It refers to

taking an isolated experience associated with a person to the future
communication. You categorize your past experience with a single person as
if all your future interactions would out to be the same. This perceived
prejudices or stereotyping stop you from achieving your desired result.

c. Feelings

This refers to two (2) things: (1) the way you feel when you communicate; and
(2) the way you feel about someone when you communicate. Both are
causes for communication breakdown.

How you feel at the time of communication greatly affects the result. If
you feel good, you communicate properly. The opposite if you are not feeling
well. You can lose focus on the intended message. You are consumed with
negative thoughts and negative feelings. You cannot decode and process the
message properly and appropriately.

When you dislike someone whom you talk to, communication would not be
effective. You cannot concentrate on the message and how to extract
meaning from it. All you are thinking of is the person you dislike. It is the total
opposite if you like the person you are talking to. You are much attuned to
the message. You can decode and process it accordingly.

d. Context
 Context refers to the communication situation or the environment where
you are in. It also involves elements such as your culture as well as that of
your receiver, your relationship to your receiver, and the general culture in
your environment.

The context determines the communication style and strategies that you will
use in communicating. The manner you talk with your teacher is different
when you talk to your classmate. Any misuse in Style and strategies leads to
communication breakdown.

e. Self-Concept

Self-concept is another source of communication breakdown. It is defined as

the mental image one has of himself/herself. A person behaves in a manner
consistent with his self-concept. If a person regarded himself as superior to
others then that would reflect in his communication style. The same manner
is true, if he had inferiority complex (he thinks less of himself).

According to Cabbab (1984), a person acts like the sort of a person he/she
conceives himself/herself to be. Thus, communication is affected by self-
concept in a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication doesn’t happen overnight. It is a skill that has to be
cultivated and nurtured. Below are some skills that can be practiced to build on or
develop your communication skills.

1. Active Listening

Some ways to actively listen include: listen twice as much as you speak, listen
with your whole body, be alert and interested in the other person, refrain
from interrupting and reflecting back what you have heard. Remember
– “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be
understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” – Ralph
Nichols.
2. Non-verbal Communication

We transmit information using words, gestures and body language,

subsequently active listening also involves non-verbal communication.
Sometimes you can be unaware of the messages you are sending non-
verbally. Examples of non-verbal signals include tone of voice, eye contact,
facial expressions, silence and hand, arm and leg postures. Are you aware of
the signals your non-verbal communication could be sending?
 3. Asking Questions

When you are in conversation with someone, asking questions shows you
are interested in them. There are many types of questions including – open
(i.e. questions that start with What and How), closed (i.e. questions that start
with Did, Do, Would, Will, Should Could, Have, Must and Is), specific (i.e.
questions that are specific can start with When, Where, Who, Which, How
much, How many and How often), or visionary (e.g. What are your dreams?).

4. Being Clear and Succinct

When you are speaking, be clear, articulate and concise. Less is more when it
comes to speaking and speak plain English.

5. Clarifying and Summarizing

To ensure you are hearing correctly, you can reflect back to clarify what you
have heard and summarize what you have heard from the other person. This
shows you are listening to the other person and also checks you have the
message correct that they are trying to get across.

6. Being Empathetic

Having empathy for another person is the ability to understand and share
the feelings of another.
7. Providing Feedback

It doesn’t matter whether you are giving or receiving feedback, the feedback
process is the vulnerable place to be.

8. Developing Trust and Rapport

What is trust for you? How do you build trust with your friends, family and
colleagues? Is it about doing what you say you are going to do and building
relationships on honesty and integrity? How do you build trust in your
relationships? As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated – “The glory of friendship is not
the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is
the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else
believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”

9. Being Present

Being present links to many of the above skills. Some of the words that relate
to being present include being accepting of the other person you are
communicating with, allowing life to be as it is, cultivating compassion and
having a beginner’s mind. Thich Nhat Hanh so eloquently says – “The most
 precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces
those we love, they will bloom like flower.”

Barriers to Effective Communication

“The greatest compliment that was ever paid to me was when someone asked me what I
thought, and attended to my answer” – Henry David Thoreau

1. Judging the other person.

If you are judging the other person whilst you are talking to them, you could
be criticizing, diagnosing or calling them names. An example of criticizing is
saying “Don’t you understand anything?”

2. Not paying attention to the person you are talking to.

Examples of this include: playing with your mobile phone or electronic

device,

not listening to the thoughts or feelings of the person you are speaking to or
looking away when the other person is talking.

3. Using technical language.

Have you ever been at an event when people are using acronyms or
language relevant only to their profession? If so, you know what I mean!

4. Giving Solutions or unwanted advice.

5. Avoiding the concerns of others.

In a conversation that is avoiding the concerns of others, the listener don’t

address the problem (i.e. the individual’s feelings and concerns are not taken
into account). This can be done in a variety of ways, including diverting the
conversation and reassuring the person.

Types of Communicative Strategy

 1. Nomination- collaboratively and productively establish a topic.

2. Restriction- limitation you may have as a speaker.

3. Turn-taking- process by which people decide who takes the

conversational floor.

4. Topic control- covers how procedural formality or informality affects the

development of topic in conversations.

5. Topic shifting- involves moving from one topic to another.

6. Repair- refers to how speakers address the problems in speaking, listening

and comprehending that they may encounter in a conversation.

7. Termination- refers to the conversation participants’ close-initiating

expressions that end a topic in a conversation.

Activities

Assessment

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