THE OFFICE PROFESSIONAL: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Communication is the lifeline of business.  without it, no letters would be sent, no orders would be placed, no contracts signed.  It is the basis of all office functions:

1. THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

     The communication process has four components:  Sender, message, receiver, and response.  If one unit is missing, there is no communication.

          A Sender begins the process when he creates a message expecting the receiver to respond or react in some manner.  Good senders should be specific.  "We will have the shipment on Monday, May 14,"  is much better than "We will have the shipment soon."

  

           The Message is the vehicle that carries the sender's thoughts.  It can be verbal or nonverbal.  To be effective, the spoken message should be concise, cohesive or not jumping from one subject to another, clear or understandable though careful enunciation, and  courteous.   Nonverbal communication includes body language like hand movements, voice quality, facial expressions, or postures all of which communicate as strongly as words. 

           The Receiver is the recipient of the sender's message.  Passive listeners absorb some of the message directed to them but does not receive all the messages.  Active listener's develop good habits of concentration and mental participation and thus absorb most of the intended message.

                The Response or Feedback occurs whenever a message is received.  The receiver may react positively or negatively.  Feedback may not take the form the sender expects but it nevertheless completes the cycle.

2. TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

          Unfortunately, even when the sender tries to produce an understandable messages as the receiver listens, misinterpretations and misunderstandings sometimes occur.  These  may be the result of physical conditions like dull voice or large, noisy rooms.  Emotions can also be a barrier.  A sender may feel pressured, rushed, or nervous.  Individuals interpret ideas from a frame of mind or frame or reference based on their own experiences, education, culture, social status and family patterns.  Thus, words may mean different things to different individuals.

2.1 Work hard at listening actively. Set goals for what you hope to learn.

2.2 Overcome distractions.  Drive distracting thoughts from the mind. Ignore noisy surroundings.

2.3 Be less self-centered but more people oriented. Check if the other person understand the message.

2.4 Check for nonverbal cues.  Pay attention to how others react when you communicate.

2.5 Do not interrupt. Suspend judgment when the other person is speaking.

2.6 Do not plane your response while the person is still speaking.

2.7 Eliminate slang expressions and serious speech defects.  Use correct grammar.

2.8 Take notes but write only the main points of the message.

REFERENCE:

The Administrative Professionals in the Global Office, Lilia A. Alegre, Milagrina A. Gomez, Concepcion B. Mapa, & Zaida R. Lopez