The Communication

Process
Technical Communication and
Improving Communication Skills

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 Why is Communication important?
• Critical for success in the world of engineering and in your
personal, academic and professional life.

• Allows you to first get a job and then perform your job well by
fulfilling your duties, learning new skills, and maintaining good
working relationships with your colleagues

• Engineers, especially, must be able to communicate within

their teams and also be able to communicate complex
information to a variety of audiences with different
knowledge backgrounds.

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 Why is Communication important?
• Poor communication reduces quality, weakens
productivity, and eventually leads to anger and a lack
of trust among individuals within an organisation.

• Whereas effective communication leads to

understanding, rising productivity and excellent
quality work produced.

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 What is Communication?
Communication is
• Transmission of a • Involves a Sender
message and a Receiver
• Exchange of ideas, • Either verbal/spoken
information, facts or non verbal/actions
and opinions • Involves a dynamic
• Is a two-way process process

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 The Communication Process
• Key components in the communication
process
1. Message
2. Encoding
3. Channel/Medium
4. Decoding/understanding
5. Interpretation
6. Feedback

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 The Communication process

IDEA/MSG ENCODING MEDIUM/CHANNEL

Sender Receiver

FEEDBACK INTERPRETING DECODING

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 Sending and Receiving Messages
Sender Receiver
1. IDEA: Forms message 4. Decode: understands the
2. Encoding: chooses the most language, words &
suitable language, words, gestures used
gestures. 5. Interprets: check that all
3. Medium/Channel: selects aspects of the message is
the most effective method understood
of sending the message 6. Feedback: confirms
e.g. email, text, telephone, message is received and
memo, radio, TV, understood. Gives
newspaper etc appropriate response.

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 What is technical Communication?

• Not limited only to “writing.”

• The goal of technical communication is to transmit important

information as effectively and efficiently as possible—
information that allows you and the people around you to do
your jobs well.

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 Improving Communication

• Adopt an audience-centered approach

• Develop intercultural sensitivity
• Improve workplace sensitivity

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 Audience-Centered
Communication
Biases

Education

Age

Status

Values
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 Written Intercultural Skills

•Use plain English • Be brief

•Be clear • Use transitions
•Avoid slang and idioms
• Use proper addresses
•Write short paragraphs
• Cite numbers carefully

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 Oral Intercultural Skills

Speak slowly,
Listen Check for
be accurate
Carefully Understanding

Watch Body Learn Foreign

Adapt
Language Phrases
Your Style

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 Communication governed by social
situations
• Each person has a role to play
in any given social situation
ROLES • This is guided by the status
the role holds and therefore
rules.
YOURSELF • These ‘rules’ govern the way
a person communicates in
each social situation
• When these rules aren’t
STATUS RULES followed there can be
communication breakdown.

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 Levels Of Communication
a. Intra-personal – occurs within oneself
b. Interpersonal –two way, face-to-face
c. Mediated –two way, not face-to-face
d. Person to Group –one way, face-to-face
e. Mass Communication –one way, not face-to-
face (use of intermediate means to reach large
audience)

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 Communication Directions
Vertical

Horizontal

Diagonal

Vertical : Upward –
Vertical : Downward –
Performance Appraisals
Policies
Attitudes
Procedures
Reports
Job Instructions
Suggestions
Feedback
Horizontal : Task coordination
Conflict resolution Diagonal : Crossing parameters
Sharing information Inter-departmental

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 Directions
Vertical
• Downward – easy to implement because
decision making usually flows from the top,
e.g., indoctrination, policy and procedures,
instructions
• Upward – more complex but is an effective
way of gauging employee, attitude, feeling
and morale

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 Directions
Horizontal
• task co-ordination
• interpersonal rapport
• resolution of conflict
• problem solving
• sharing of information

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 Directions

Diagonal
• Involves crossing parameters – is effective
when there is close working relationship and
understanding between two supervisors.
• May provoke conflict among employees.

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 Communication Networks
A network is a group of people who
communicate in any given social
situation or setting
Such as; members of a family, a
lecturer and students in a class, guests
at a wedding, a sports team, a youth
club, mechanics in a garage, FNU
students’ association etc.
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 Networks are:
Influenced by:
a. number of people involved
b. complexity of the message
c. volume and urgency of the message
d. confidentiality of the material

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 Networks
B A C Star Shaped
• Centralized leadership, but most
efficient.
• Fewer errors, less time needed for
D task.
• Accommodate less changes

B C
E

T shaped A
• Centralized leadership
• Only ‘A’ has high morale while
others suffer frustration, boredom and
lack of interest D E

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 Networks
Chain
B C • No definite leadership pattern
due to no. of ppl involved.
• Extremely inefficient due to
A D no. of ppl

F E A B
Circular
• No definite leadership pattern
• Best pattern in changing C
environment
• High morale
• opportunity for independent E D
action & self expression

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 Networks
Cluster/Grapevine
I
• Organised & fast
G E • Carry not only rumour, but great deal
of accurate information.
J M • Can be used to provide insights into
D A B problems

A
F H C K L
B C
Random
• Unorganized /fast network
•
•
Contains rumor but accurate I J KD E F
Good for upward communication
• But can give rise to distortion of
msg
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G H 26
 Conclusion
• Be mindful that not everyone around you knows the same
information you do or even sees the world in the same way as
you do.
• An effective communicator is sensitive to their audience’s
needs and understanding.
• Understand that the process of communicating is dynamic
and creative.
• Ultimately, the goal of this course is to help you develop the
tools and critical thinking skills you need to be an effective
communicator in your personal, academic and ultimately your
professional life.

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 References

Hall, L. Wahlin, L. nd. Technical Communication: Strategies and

Applications. [Online]. Available at:
https://osu.pb.unizin.org/engrtechcomm/chapter/what-is-techni
cal-communications/
[Accessed 4 February 2018]

Pinner, D & Pinner, D. 2003. Communication Skills. 4th ed.

Auckland: Pearson Education New Zealand.

Sanchez, N. nd. Communication Process. [Online]. Available at:

https://web.njit.edu/~lipuma/352comproc/comproc.html
[Accessed 4 February 2018]
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