MCM301 Communication Skills Short Notes shared by

Parishy
 MCM301 Communication Skills Short Notes shared by Parishy

MCM301 Short Notes

Shared by Parishy
([email protected] (mailto:[email protected]))
**QUESTION: What is communication?

**ANSWER: Communication is a process, which involves sharing of information

between people through a continuous activity of speaking, listening, and understanding.

**QUESTION: What do we study in this course?

**ANSWER: This course will help you in improving your communication skills

generally and business communication skills specifically by equipping you with the

necessary proficiency and factors to be kept in mind for successful communication.

**QUESTION: What are the different elements or factors involved in the process

of communication?

**ANSWER: Sender Message Channel Receiver Feedback

**QUESTION: Why studying communication or communication skills is

important?

**ANSWER: Communication is a learned skill. Most people are born with the physical

ability to talk. But in order to speak well and communicate effectively we have to learn

the art and improve upon our ability to talk.

**QUESTION: What do we mean by noise in communication?

**ANSWER: Noise is any type of barrier that hinders the process of communication.

For example, a disturbing sound in the background when two persons are talking on

telephone, poor use of vocabulary, etc.

**QUESTION: What is feedback?

**ANSWER: Feedback is the receiver’s response towards a message. It is important

because it helps sender analyzing the success of the whole process of communication. It

may also help in identifying the barriers (if any) to communication.

**QUESTION: What is Mass Communication?

**ANSWER: Mass communication is the process of sending messages to large, public,

dissimilar, anonymous, distant audiences using some intermediate instrument of transfer.

**QUESTION: What is Mass Media?

**ANSWER: Mass Media are the mediums or media used for mass communication like

newspaper, magazine, radio, television, VCR, etc.

**QUESTION: What is the difference between communication and mass

communication?

**ANSWER: Communication is the process of sharing information at all levels i.e. it

may include person to person communication, group communication, mediated

communication (e.g. talking on telephone) etc. But mass communication is specifically

the sharing or transfer of information that takes place at mass level (i.e. involving large,

dissimilar, anonymous audiences) via mass media.

**QUESTION: What is probing and encoding?

**ANSWER: Probing is the fourth category of feedback in which the other person

attempts to gain the additional, informative and investigating material for feedback or we

can say that he tries to find out the truth. Encoding is the process of transforming

information from one format into another. The opposite operation is called decoding.

**QUESTION: What is mediated communication?

**ANSWER: Mediated communication occurs when two (or a few) people use some

intermediate means for carrying their messages. They do not communicate face to face

and thus do not have direct feedback. Mediated communication often uses a mechanical

or electrical device to transmit or receive messages. Examples include the telephone,

closed-circuit television, radio, radar, and the communication satellite. Mediated

communication also occurs through letters, reports, forms, and interoffice memoranda.

**QUESTION: What is the difference between mediated and mass

communication?

**ANSWER: Mass communication includes messages sent to large, public, dissimilar,

anonymous, distant audiences using some intermediate instrument of transfer. The

instruments include electronic (for example, radio, television, tape, and film) and print

(for example, newspaper, magazine, book, pamphlet, brochure, direct-mail campaign).

The "mass media," as they are often called, have grown to include the print media of

books, newspapers and magazines, the electronic media of television, radio, and

audio/video recording, and the new media of computers and computer networks.

Mediated communication occurs when two (or a few) people use some intermediate

means for carrying their messages. They do not communicate face to face and thus do not

have direct feedback. Mediated communication often uses a mechanical or electrical

device to transmit or receive messages. Examples include the telephone, closed-circuit

television, radio, radar, and the communication satellite. Mediated communication also

occurs through letters, reports, forms, and interoffice memoranda.

**QUESTION: What is the difference between impromptu and extemporaneous

speech?

**ANSWER: When you speak extemporaneously you are literally making up the words

of your speech as you go. That does not mean that you do not do preparation. Rather, as

you rehearse you work from an outline or speaker notes that remind you of the
progression of ideas in your speech. The impromptu speech occurs with little or no time

for preparation. There are reduced chances for analyzing the audience, and therefore

organizing and encoding requires a fast-thinking speaker. Some communication experts

say that an impromptu speech is delivered without any preparation or on the spur of the

moment and an extemporaneous speech is given without any notes, but some thought is

given to the topic.

**QUESTION: What basic characteristics distinguish nonverbal from verbal

communication?

**ANSWER: Nonverbal communication is interpersonal communication through

nonlinguistic means and in verbal communication we use words (in writing or spoken) to

communicate. In the verbal communication process, the verbal and nonverbal messages

need to be consistent with one another; when they contradict with one another, the

nonverbal message typically expresses true feelings more accurately than does the verbal

element.

**QUESTION: What is the significance of body language in communication?

**ANSWER: Body language is clearly central to good communication and is

particularly important when attempting to communicate across cultural and language

barriers. In some cultures, the spoken word is by far the most important communication

tool like for native Americans but in other cultures, however, the way words are spoken

along with the gestures, posture and facial expressions that accompany those words is of

greater significance.

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**QUESTION: What is slang?

**ANSWER: Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not

considered standard in the speaker's dialect or language. Slang is very often colloquial;

the language and dialect tend to be specific to a particular territory.

**QUESTION: How do emotional appeals differ from logical appeals?

**ANSWER: An emotional appeal calls on human feelings, basing the argument on

audience needs or sympathies; however, such an appeal must be subtle. A logical appeal

calls on human reason

o Action-oriented listening style : A listening style in which the

listener's primary concern is understanding and organizing facts to
accomplish a task or get a job done.
o Agenda : A list of topics to be covered in a meeting. Agendas also
usually note the meeting's time, length, and location and the members
who will attend. Complete agendas also provide background
information and outcome goals.
o Audition interview : A type of interview in which a prospective
employer asks the candidate to demonstrate (rather than describe)
his/her ability to perform a job-related task.
o Authoritarian leadership style : A leadership style in which the
designated leader uses legitimate, coercive, and reward power to
control members.
o Authority rule : A group decision-making method in which a
designated leader makes a final decision, either with or without
consulting group members.
o Award presentation : A type of presentation in which the speaker
describes an award and explains the reasons the recipient is receiving
it.
o Bar chart : A chart consisting of horizontal or vertical bars that
depict the values of several items in comparative terms.
o Behavioral interview : An employment interview in which the
candidate is asked to give concrete examples of past behaviors that
show how he or she behaved in certain situations.
o Biased language : Any statement that seems to be objective but
actually conceals the speaker's emotional attitude.
o Brainstorming : An approach to idea generation that encourages
free thinking and minimizes conformity.
o Briefing : An informative presentation that succinctly informs
listeners about a specific task at hand.
o Career research interview : An informational interview to help a
candidate define and achieve career goals.
o Cause-effect pattern : An organizational arrangement which
shows that events happened or will happen as a result of certain
circumstances.
o Channel : The method or medium used to deliver a message (e.g.,
face-to-face communication, written memos, or the telephone).
o Chronological pattern : An organizational arrangement that
presents points according to their sequence in time.
o Claim : A statement asserting a fact or belief.
o Closed QUESTIONs : QUESTIONs that restrict the interviewee's
responses, usually to yes or no, a number or item from pre-selected
items, or an either-or response.
o Co-culture : A group that has a clear identity within the
encompassing culture.
o Coercive power : The ability to influence others that arises because
one can impose punishment or unpleasant consequences.
o Cohesiveness : The degree to which group members feel part of
and want to remain with the group.
o Collectivist culture : A culture with strong social frameworks in
which members of a group (such as an organization) are socialized to
care for one another and for the group.
o Column chart : A visual exhibit consisting of vertical columns that
depict the quantity of one or more items at different times; used to
show changes in quantity over time.
o Communication climate : A metaphor used to describe the
quality of relationships in an organization.
o Communication networks : Regular patterns or paths along
which information flows in an organization. See also Formal
communication networks, Informal communication networks.
o Comparative advantages organizational plan : An organizational
strategy that puts several alternatives side by side and shows why one
is the best.
o Computer conferencing : A form of technology that allows
individuals to work on a single document via computer, making
changes that can be viewed by other participants.
o Conflict phase : The second of Aubrey Fisher's four group
problem-solving phases; characterized by members' taking strong
stands that result in conflict within the group.
o Consensus : A decision-making method in which the group as a whole
makes a decision that each member is willing to support.
o Content-oriented listening style : A listening style in which the
listener hears details and analyzes and evaluates what is said.
o Context : The environment of physical, social, chronological, and
cultural variables that surrounds any process of communication.
o Contingency approaches to leadership : Leadership theories
which assert that the most effective leadership style is flexible,
changing as needed with the context.
o Counterfeit QUESTIONs : Utterances that appear to be
QUESTIONs but are actually statements, forms of advice, traps, or
attacks on the speaker.
o Credibility : The persuasive force that comes from the
audience's belief in and respect for the speaker.
o Criteria satisfaction organizational plan : An organizational
strategy that sets up standards (criteria) that the audience accepts and
then shows how the speaker's idea or product meets the criteria.
o Critical incident QUESTIONs : Interview QUESTIONs that
ask the interviewee about a specific situation rather than a
hypothetical one.
o Culture : The set of values, beliefs, norms, customs, rules, and
codes that leads people to define themselves as a distinct group,
giving them a sense of commonality.
o Decoding : The process of attaching meaning to words, symbols, or
behaviors.
o Democratic leadership style : A leadership style in which the
designated leader encourages members to share decision making.
o Designated leader : A leader whose title indicates a leadership
role, either by appointment or by group selection.
o Diagnostic interview : An interview in which professionals (e.g.,
doctors and lawyers) gather information on their patients' or clients'
needs.
o Direct QUESTION (in a group) : A QUESTION addressed (by
name) to a particular individual.
o Downward communication : Communication that flows from
superiors to subordinates.
o Electronic mail (e-mail) : A communication system whereby
messages are exchanged via computer networks.
o Emergent leader : A leader chosen by the group, either officially or
informally.
o Emotional intelligence : Aptitude and skills needed for interacting
well with others. Refers to interpersonal communication skills rather
than cognitive or intellectual abilities.
o Employment interview : An interview designed to judge the
qualifications and desirability of a candidate for a job.
o Encoding : The intentional process of creating a message.
o Equivocal terms : Words with more than one meaning. Equivocation
can lead to unintentional misunderstandings. In contrast, 'strategic
ambiguity' is often used in business to promote harmony and soften
the blow of unpleasant messages.
o Ethnocentrism : The inclination to see all events from the
perspective of one's own culture and to evaluate one's own culture as
superior and other persons or cultures as inferior.
o Expert opinion : A decision-making method in which a single
person perceived as an expert makes a decision for the group.
o Extemporaneous presentation : A type of delivery in which the major
ideas are planned and rehearsed but the speech is given
spontaneously from notes.
o Factual QUESTIONs : QUESTIONs that ask for verifiable, factual
information rather than opinion.
o Fallacy : An error in the logic of an argument.
o Feasibility report : A type of presentation that evaluates
potential action steps and makes recommendations about how to
proceed.
o Feedback : The recognizable response of a receiver to a sender's
message.
o Flip chart : A large pad of paper, attached to an easel, that is used to
create and/or display visuals.
o Formal communication networks : Officially designated paths of
communication designed by management to indicate who should
communicate with whom.
o Forming stage : A phase in problem-solving groups characterized
by tentative statements and getting-acquainted types of
communication.
o Functional roles : Types of behavior that are necessary if a group is
to do its job effectively.
o Goodwill speech : A speech with the primary aim of creating a
favorable image of the speaker's cause in the minds of the audience.
o Graph : A visual display that shows the correlation between two
quantities.
o Groupthink : A condition in which group members are unwilling
to critically examine ideas because of their desire to maintain
harmony.
o Handout : Document(s) distributed during or after a presentation.
o Hidden agenda : A group member's personal goal that is not made
public.
o High-context culture : A culture that relies heavily on subtle, often
nonverbal cues to convey meaning and maintain social harmony.
o High-level abstractions : Terms that cover a broad range of possible
objects or events without describing them in much detail.
o Highly structured interview : An interview that consists of a
standardized list of QUESTIONs, sometimes in precise order and
wording, as in research interviews.
o Horizontal (lateral) communication : Communication in which
messages flow between members of an organization who have equal
power or responsibility.
o Hostile work environment : Verbal or nonverbal behavior that has
the intention or effect of interfering with someone's work or creating
an environment that is intimidating, offensive, or hostile.
o Hypothetical QUESTIONs : QUESTIONs that ask an interviewee
how he or she might respond under certain circumstances.
o "I" language : Language in which the communicator describes
his or her feelings, needs, and behaviors without accusing others.
o Immediacy : Verbal and nonverbal behaviors that indicate
closeness and liking.
o Impromptu presentation : A type of delivery in which the
speaker has little or no preparation time before presenting his or her
remarks.
o Indirect QUESTIONs : QUESTIONs that get at information the
interviewer wants to know without asking for it directly.
o Individualistic culture : A culture whose members are inclined to put
their own interests and those of their immediate families ahead of
social concerns.
o Informal communication networks : Patterns of interaction that are
based on proximity, friendships, and shared interests.
o Instant messaging (IM) : An Internet-based tool that allows the
exchange of typed messages between two or more people in real time.
o Interview : A two-party, somewhat structured conversation in which
at least one person has a specific purpose.
o Intranet : An infrastructure that allows people within an
organization to exchange information in digital form.
o Investigative interview : An interview designed to discover the causes
of an incident or problem.
o Jargon : Specialized terminology used by members of a particular
group. The word is used in a derogatory sense when applied to
language that is overly obscure.
o Laissez-faire leadership style : A leadership style in which the leader
gives up power and transforms a group into a leaderless collection of
equals.
o Latitude of acceptance : The range of positions or arguments a
person would accept with little or no persuasion.
o Latitude of noncommitment : The range of positions or arguments a
person neither accepts nor rejects.
o Latitude of rejection : The range of positions or arguments a
person opposes.
o Leading **QUESTIONs : **QUESTIONs that direct the
interviewee to **ANSWER in a certain way, often by indicating the
**ANSWER the interviewer wants to hear.
o Llife-cycle theory of leadership : An approach to understanding
leadership that suggests that a leader's attention to tasks and
relationships should vary depending on the organizational maturity of
subordinates.
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o Manuscript presentation : A type of delivery in which the
speaker reads word-for-word from prepared remarks.
o Memorized presentation : A type of delivery in which the speech
is memorized and recited word-for-word from memory.
o Message : Any symbol or behavior from which others create
meaning or which triggers a response.
o Moderately structured interview : A flexible interview in which
major topics, their order, **QUESTIONs, and probes are planned
but not rigidly adhered to.
o Motivated sequence organizational plan : An organizational
strategy that presents a topic in terms of five sequential concepts:
attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.
o Motivational speech : A speech aimed primarily at generating
enthusiasm for the topic being presented.
o Negotiation : Discussion of specific proposals for the purpose of
finding a mutually acceptable agreement or settlement.
o Networking : The process of meeting people and maintaining
contacts to get career information, advice, and job leads.
o Noise : Any factor that interferes with a message. Such factors
are also called barriers or interference.
o Nominal group technique (NGT) : A five-phase method for giving
group members' ideas equal chance at consideration.
o Nonstructured interview : An interview that consists of a topical
agenda but no planned, specific **QUESTIONs.
o Nonverbal communication : Communication that consists of
messages sent by nonlinguistic means, whether visually, physically, or
vocally.
o Norming stage : A phase in problem-solving groups characterized
by an end to conflict and emergence of harmony within the group.
o Norms : Informal rules about what behavior is appropriate in a
group. Explicit norms are made clear by speaking about them or
writing them out. Implicit norms are not openly discussed but are
known and understood by group members.
o Online meeting : A type of virtual meeting in which computer users
create a chat room and exchange typed messages in real time.
o Open **QUESTIONs : **QUESTIONs that invite a broad, detailed
response.
o Opinion **QUESTIONs : **QUESTIONs that seek the
respondent's judgment about a topic.
o Organizational chart : A drawing or model that shows the levels of
authority and reporting relationships in an organization.
o Organizational culture : A relatively stable picture of an organization
that is shared by its members.
o Orientation phase : The first of Aubrey Fisher's four problemsolving
phases of groups; characterized by tentative statements and
getting-acquainted types of communication.
o Overhead **QUESTION : A **QUESTION directed at all
members of a group, inviting a response from any member.
o Panel interview : An interview conducted by a group of
**QUESTIONers with whom the candidate will work, who are
commonly from different levels within an organization.
o Paralanguage : Nonlinguistic vocal qualities such as rate, pitch,
volume, and pauses.
o Paraphrasing : Listening to another and restating what has been
said in your own words. Both feelings and factual content can be
paraphrased.
o People-oriented listening style : A style of listening in which the
listener is most concerned with creating and maintaining positive
interpersonal relationships.
o Performance appraisal interview : An interview, usually conducted
by a superior, in which the quality of a subordinate's work is
discussed.
o Performing stage : A phase in problem-solving groups
characterized by members' active endorsement of group decisions.
o Persuasion : The act of motivating an audience, through
communication, to voluntarily change a particular belief.
o Pictogram : A visual support that employs an artistic or pictorial
variation of a bar, column, or pie chart.
o Pie chart : A round chart that is divided into segments to illustrate
percentages of a whole.
o Presentation software : Computer software programs (e.g.,
Microsoft PowerPoint) that create displays used in presentations.
Such programs typically include capabilities for creating special
audio, visual, and transition effects, speaker notes, and handouts.
 
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o Primary QUESTIONs : Interview QUESTIONs that introduce a
new topic or a new area within a topic.
o Problem-oriented messages : Messages that aim at meeting the
needs of both the sender and the other party.
o Problem-solution pattern (organizational plan) : An organizational
arrangement in which the speaker first convinces the audience that a
problem exists and then presents a plan to solve it.
o Proposal : A type of presentation that advocates for a particular
position or action.
o Receiver : Any person who perceives a message and attaches
meaning to it, whether the message was intended for that person or
not.
o Reflective-thinking sequence : A seven-step problem-solving
approach developed by John Dewey.
o Reinforcement phase : The fourth of Aubrey Fisher's four group
problem-solving phases; characterized by members' active
endorsement of group decisions.
o Relational messages : The dimension of messages that focus on
how communicators feel about one another.
o Relational roles : Functional roles that help facilitate smooth
interaction among members.
o Relative words : Terms that only have meaning in relationship to
other (unspecified) terms.
o Report : An informative presentation that describes the state of an
operation.
o Research interview : An interview designed to gather data on
which to base a decision.
o Reverse QUESTION : In groups, a QUESTION asked of the
leader which the leader refers back to the person who asked it.
o Rhetorical QUESTION : A QUESTION with an obvious
ANSWER, which does not call for an overt response.
o Sales presentation : A type of presentation aimed at persuading
others to purchase a product or service.
o Self-monitoring : The process of paying close attention to one's own
behavior and using these observations to shape the way one behaves.
o Sender : Any person who sends a message, whether intentionally
or unintentionally.
o Short-term orientation : Cultural orientation that seeks quick payoffs
for effort rather than deferred gratification in pursuit of long-range
goals.
o Social orientation : Cultural orientation that places a greater
priority on personal relationships than on accomplishing tasks.
o Spatial pattern : An organizational arrangement that presents
material according to its physical location.
o Specific goal : A concrete statement of what response a speaker is
seeking as the result of his or her remarks.
o Statistics : Numbers used to represent an idea.
o Status report : A type of informative presentation that reviews the
purpose, progress, obstacles, and milestones of a project.
o Storming stage : A phase in problem-solving groups characterized
by members' taking strong stands that result in conflict within the
group.
o Stress interview : An employment interview in which the candidate is
subjected to the pressures typically encountered on the job.
o Style approach to leadership : An approach to studying leadership
based on the assumption that the designated leader's style of
communication affects the group's effectiveness.
o Supporting material : Material that backs up claims in a
presentation.
o Survey interview : An interview conducted with a number of people to
gather information for conclusions, interpretations, or future action.
o Task orientation : Cultural orientation that places a greater priority
on accomplishing tasks than on managing personal relationships.
o Task roles : Functional roles that are needed to accomplish a group's
mission.
o Teleconferencing : A technology that allows participants in two
or more locations to see and speak with each other.
o Thesis statement : A single sentence that summarizes the central idea
of a presentation.
o Time-oriented listening style : A listening style in which the listener
thinks most about efficiency and prefers a fast pace. Such listeners
often appear impatient.
o Topical pattern : An organizational arrangement in which ideas are
grouped around logical themes or divisions of the subject.
o Trait approach to leadership : A leadership theory based on the
belief that all leaders possess common traits that make them effective.
o Transition : A statement used between parts of a presentation to help
listeners understand the relationship of the parts to one another and
to the thesis.
o Transparency : A clear sheet used with an overhead projector to
cast an image on a screen.
o Triangle of meaning : A model illustrating the indirect relationship
between an object, idea, process, or other referent and the word (or
other symbol) used to represent it.
o Trigger words : Terms that have such strong emotional
associations that they set off an intense emotional reaction in certain
listeners.
o Upward communication : Communication that flows from
subordinates to superiors.
o Video conferencing : The holding of a meeting or conference by
means of audio and visual transmissions that enable two or more
geographically separated persons to see, hear, and talk to each other.
o Voice mail : A technology that allows telephone callers to record
messages in their own voices for the receiver to hear later.
o Win-lose orientation : An approach to negotiation that assumes
that any gain by one party is only possible at the expense of the other
party.
o Win-win orientation : A collaborative approach to negotiation
which assumes that solutions can be reached that meet the needs of all
parties.
o Work group : A small, interdependent collection of people with a
common identity who interact with one another, usually face-to-face
over time, to reach a goal.
o "You" language : Language that often begins with the word you and
accuses or evaluates the other person.