WUC 107/03

Workplace
Communication Skills

Unit 1
Communication for
Career Success
Contents
Course overview 1

Unit overview 3

Unit objectives 5

1.1 Main forms of communication 6

Objectives 6

Introduction 6

Verbal and nonverbal communication 8

Internal and external communication 17

Formal and informal communication 18

Written communication 21

Electronic and technology-related communication 24

Suggested answers to activities 36

1.2 Improving communication skills 40

Objectives 40

Introduction 40

Basic skills expected of employees 43

Reading at the workplace 46

Listening on the job 54

Oral communication at the workplace 58

Team communication 62

Maximising nonverbal communication skills 68

Diversities in the workplace 70

 Cross-cultural communication 71

Suggested answers to activities 76

1.3 The communication process 77

Objectives 77

Introduction 77

The sender, message and receiver 79

Feedback 84

Choosing the right communication channel and media 87

Communication barriers 90

Suggested answers to activities 95

Summary of Unit 1 98

Suggested answers to self-tests 99

References 102
 Course Overview
WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills is a three-credit, one-
semester first level course designed for learners who are enrolled in
degree programmes in the various schools in WOU. This course contains
five study units. Unit 1 introduces communication for career success.
Unit 2 focuses on telephone skills. Unit 3 deals with writing business
letters, memos, emails, SMSes and cross-platform IM services and faxes.
Unit 4 is designed to acquaint you with oral presentations. Unit 5 covers
meetings and negotiations. This course has no prerequisites and has
been designed to take around 18 weeks to complete.

This course emphasises content areas, language and applications. It aims

at developing English language proficiency and communication skills
at the workplace. It also provides various workplace-related exercises
for you to select suitable registers of the English language and employ
appropriate strategies when communicating in the workplace. Relevant
areas in grammar and vocabulary development will be integrated into
the units. Cross-cultural tips for effective communication will also
be discussed.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Use effective communication techniques and channels in both

verbal and written form to relay information efficiently and
effectively.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of effective interpretation,

evaluationand use of telephone communication.

3. Use appropriate form, structure and principles of business

writing inhandling basic workplace documents.

1 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

4. Write and deliver an effective oral presentation.

5. Plan and conduct effective meetings and negotiations.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 2

 Unit Overview
Welcome to Unit 1 of WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills.
This unit focuses on the communication process and on various skills
you will need to communicate effectively at the workplace in a constantly
changing technological environment.

Considering that this is a very comprehensive course covering the entire

workplace communication process, reading the course material alone
will not enable you to achieve all of the objectives of the course. Thus,
additional reading will be required. You are also advised to read some
of the other reference books recommended and refer to the websites
suggested from time to time.

Good communication is of utmost importance in any workplace as

organisations are made up of people. All companies are therefore aware
that success in the workplace today is closely related to the ability of
employees and managers to communicate effectively with each other
and with people outside the organisation. However, they are also aware
that no one is born with the talent to communicate. It is up to the
individual to learn to listen, speak, read, write and communicate in the
best possible way. It is also up to the individual to decide on the most
appropriate way of communicating as the form as well as the tool we
use for communication will have to vary depending on the situation.

To be successful in the workplace, you need to be well versed in

communication skills. You must have, at some time or other, formed
an impression, either good or poor, of a person, based merely on the
person’s body language or oral communication skills.You must, therefore,
be aware that you cannot afford to give a negative impression just
because you subconsciously communicated the wrong message.

3 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

This unit introduces you to various forms of communication at the
workplace and takes you through the whole process of communication.
You will be exposed to a variety of situations where you will have to
decide which of the four most important communication skills of reading,
writing, listening and speaking you should use. You will attempt activities
which will require analytical and critical thinking as well as application of
communication skills. These are related to genuine workplace situations
and will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses in workplace
communication so that you can learn to overcome your weaknesses and
capitalise on your strengths.

This unit is divided into three sections. The first section deals with various
forms of communication. The second section stresses on the basic skills
required for successful communication in diverse workplace scenarios
and gives you an insight into how to improve your communication skills.
The third section analyses the entire communication process so that you
realise the importance of choosing the right communication channel and
media in the course of your communication.

This unit has been designed to take about 3 weeks to complete. Do try
to cover all the activities and exercises within this time frame so that you
will have time to complete your first assignment.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 4

 Unit Objectives
By the end of Unit 1, you should be able to:

1. Describe communication and its purposes.

2. Use the main forms of communication.

3. Apply suitable electronic communication skills.

4. Apply key terms associated with electronic communication.

5. Explain why communication is important in the workplace.

6. Examine the process of communication and how it works.

This unit is divided into three sections. We suggest you work through
one section at a time and attend to all the exercises and self-tests before
moving on to the next section. This way, you will have a better grasp of
the specifics of the sections concerned.

5 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

1.1 Main Forms of
Communication
Objectives

By the end of this section, you should be able to:

1. Define communication.

2. Explain the main forms of communication.

3. Use the most appropriate forms of communication for

different situations.

4. Explain the role of internal and external communication

in an organisation.

5. Apply appropriate modern technology in communication.

Introduction
Communication is the exchange of ideas, thoughts, information and
even feelings between people by listening, speaking, writing, reading or
nonverbal means. Communication is a two-way process. A message is
sent by one party and received by another. If a message is not understood,
then there has been no communication whatsoever.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 6

 When we send messages, we speak or write. When we receive messages,
we listen or read. These are the four communication skills we use both
at home and at work. Of course, these are always accompanied by the
nonverbal signals like body language which help express what we are
saying more effectively.

The person sending the message has an obligation to make the message
as clear as possible. The person receiving the message has the obligation
to listen to or read and interpret the message accurately. If the message
is not understood for some reason, it is the receiver’s responsibility to ask
for clarification. When this happens, it is the sender’s duty to rephrase
his/her message so that the listener understands exactly what the sender
of the message means. When you paraphrase or rephrase a message,
you merely put the same ideas into different words to help the receiver
understand your message better.

Example

Original message

It is necessary to send these items to our office in China without wasting

any more time.

Rephrased message

Send these items to our China office immediately.

Communication occurs in many forms. You can email or telephone your

employer to communicate a message. Your employer is also free to
respond to your message using any form of communication of his/her
choice. The form in which a message is conveyed changes constantly
to suit the situation and the time. Communication can be internal or
external, formal or informal, and written or spoken. In fact, it can just be
a smile, a nod or a shake of the head.

7 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

With new technology like computers, printers, mobile phones,
smartphones and tablets, the tools we use in communication have
changed and we can expect to see more changes in time to come.
However, the basic communication skills of reading, writing, listening
and speaking together with nonverbal cues are still most important for
effective and successful communication.

Verbal and nonverbal communication

Verbal communication is usually accompanied by nonverbal
communication. In fact, nonverbal communication should complement
whatever we say.

Verbal communication

Verbal communication requires the use of words, vocabulary, numbers

and symbols. It is organised in sentences according to the rules of
grammar. Words affect your life as well as those of others. They have the
power to create emotions and move people to take action. When verbal
communication is delivered accurately and clearly, the listener responds
positively and creatively.

Oral or verbal communication is a skill that each and everyone should

develop to improve relationships whether at home or at the workplace.

Talking is definitely more effective and time-saving when compared to

writing. When we communicate orally, we get immediate feedback. If we
are not sure of what the other party means, we can ask for immediate
clarification. Oral communication can mean speaking face-to-face with
a colleague, speaking over the telephone, speaking to a small group at
a meeting or delivering a presentation to an audience of a few hundred.
The major advantage of oral communication is that we get to share
information and clarify issues directly.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 8

 Good oral communication skills are essential if you want to be happy
and effective at the workplace. However, oral communication does not
just convey messages. It has the power to forge relationships or break
them, depending on what we say and how we say it.

Oral communication does not allow us the privilege of revising what

we said. What we have said cannot be taken back. A wrong word or
phrase can result in a strained relationship and even affect the outcome
of any negotiation. With oral communication, we also do not have a
record of what is said. Since documentation is very often necessary in
the workplace, this makes it sometimes necessary to resort to writing.

In verbal communication, listening is just as important as speaking. We

cannot communicate if we do not listen. Unfortunately, not many people
are good listeners. Listening is a skill which needs to be learnt for any
verbal communication to be successful. So, start listening when your
managers and other colleagues speak with you.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is probably the most important aspect of any

communication process. It is made up of the messages we send without
words or speech. Of course, nonverbal symbols are usually accompanied
by speech although it is believed that these nonverbal signals are more
reliable than verbal communication.

Nonverbal language is also very effective and efficient as it can replace

verbal communication. There are certain things we can achieve more
effectively and meaningfully with nonverbal language than with speech.
A wave, a smile and a wink carry specific messages which are instantly
understood.

9 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Nonverbal communication can be both intentional and unintentional.
Some nonverbal symbols are communicated intentionally. You frown to
show your employees your displeasure and you pat someone on the back
when the person has done something you approve of. On the other hand,
there are some nonverbal signals which we send out without being fully
aware of what we are doing. You may slouch or look at the watch when
a meeting is in progress without realising that you have communicated
a negative message to the others who are present.

It is very important to watch out for your own nonverbal signals when
you communicate with others. It is also just as important to interpret the
nonverbal symbols of the person you are communicating with as these
can help you judge the sincerity of the person concerned.

Basic forms of nonverbal communication

There are over 700,000 motions we can make. However, the most
basic forms of nonverbal communication include body language, vocal
characteristics, personal appearance, touching and the use of time
and space.

Figure 1.1 gives you an idea of the most basic forms of verbal
communication.

Body language

Vocal characteristics
Basic forms
of nonverbal Personal appearance
communication
Touching

Use of time and space

Figure 1.1 Basic forms of nonverbal communication

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 10

 Body language

Body language covers a wide range of motions ranging from facial

expressions to eye contact, body movements and posture.

Your face, especially your eyes, reveals the intensity of your emotions. Eye
contact in some cultures is essentially a sign of sincerity and confidence.
Eyes can reveal excitement, boredom and a variety of other feelings. Of
course, some facial expressions are interpreted differently in different
cultures. At the same time, some basic expressions like anger, joy,
surprise and sorrow are understood internationally. If you cry, everyone
knows you are upset. If you laugh wholeheartedly, it is obvious you are
happy. Some feelings do not need to be explained verbally.

Figure 1.2 Different facial expressions

A gesture is the use of your arms to express ideas or feelings. Many

gestures are understood worldwide. A wave of the hand obviously means
“hello” or “goodbye” to most cultures.

11 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

However, many gestures are also misunderstood when communicating
interculturally. For example, the American “okay” sign may be
misunderstood by the French as that gesture is used to mean “zero”
or “worthless” in France. In some cultures, gestures may involve just
the movement of a finger, the chin or the head. These gestures may
sometimes be overlooked.

There is also a tendency to make unintentional movements which can

convey a meaning to your audience. If you fidget, it shows you are
nervous. Simple motions like standing with your hands in your pockets
project a negative image.

Irrespective of what we say, our gestures and our body language reveal
our genuine feelings. So, watch out for the body language of others.
More importantly, be aware of your own body language and what it tells
about you.

Vocal characteristics

Paralanguage refers to the nonverbal symbols that accompany a verbal

message. The tone and intensity of your speech reveal a lot about you.
The speed, the volume and the rhythm of your speech and the pitch
of your voice tell your listener whether you are prepared, confident
or nervous. Changing the tone of your voice and stressing different
words also create different impressions. Depending on how you say it,
a simple greeting like “How are you?” can be an expression of concern
or even indifference. Perhaps, you could try saying the greeting in the
following ways:

How are you? (Stress on the word “are”) This is an expression of concern.

How are you? (Use a flat tone) This could suggest indifference.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 12

 Think of how many ways you can say “no”. By changing the tone of your
voice, you can express mild doubt, terror, amazement or even anger with
just that one word.

Vocal characterisers like laughing, crying, yelling and moaning send their
own messages. Similarly, vocal segregates like “uh-huh”, “uh”, “ooh”,
“hmmh”, “eh”, “mah” and “lah” can indicate informality, acceptance
or uncertainty.

General appearance and dressing

All cultures are concerned about how they look and inevitably make
judgement based on looks and dressing. Although there is nothing much
we can do to change our physical appearance, we can improve our looks
with proper grooming, proper clothing and suitable accessories. With
some imagination, you can easily make yourself create the impression
you want.

Touching

Touch is determined by culture. The handshake is widely accepted as a

gesture of greeting. A firm handshake shows confidence while a weak
handshake may suggest nervousness. Each culture has a clear concept
of what parts of the body one may or may not touch. Although touch may
signify warmth, we have to be very careful as it can be misinterpreted.
This will be covered later in this unit when we discuss cross-cultural
diversities.

Time and space

Time and space can be used to show authority or respect. Some people
make others wait to show their authority while some are punctual to show
respect. People of a higher status also have a say over time and space
as they determine the duration and venue of any meeting or discussion.

13 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Space refers to physical distance between individuals. Generally, we
stand close to people we like and further away from people we fear.
However, standing too far or too close to a person may make the
person uneasy. Here again, the appropriate distance varies from culture
to culture.

In the office, space can also refer to the size of the office which in turn
shows the status of the person occupying it. Usually, we associate
spacious well-located rooms with people of a higher status.

Nonverbal indicators in written messages

It may surprise you to know that nonverbal indicators also appear in

written messages. A dirty envelope or a message with grammatical
or spelling mistakes shows that the sender is careless and probably
unreliable. Error-free clearly printed documents give the impression
that an organisation is efficient and reliable. It speaks volumes about
quality control.

Therefore, be very careful when you prepare documents. Always bear in

mind that aspects such as stationery and the clarity of that photocopied
document are actually very important.

Nonverbal symbols in the environment

Furnishings, colour and music all play a part in the business environment.
Comfortable chairs encourage people to stay longer while plastic seats
or stools are meant to encourage a quick turnover of customers. Soft
music is relaxing and is played in beauty salons and spas. Hot music
would obviously be played in places which the younger generation
would frequent.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 14

 Differences between verbal and nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication differs from verbal communication mainly

because it is difficult to study. There is no way we can master the
nonverbal language of all cultures unless we decide to specialise in the
subject. It is impossible for anyone of us to have in our minds a catalogue
of the cultural differences for each gesture or body movement.

Another major difference between verbal and nonverbal communication

is in terms of intent and spontaneity. Since we have a purpose when
we speak, we usually think before we say anything and we also
have control over our choice of words. Nonverbal communication is,
however, spontaneous. When we communicate nonverbally, we do so
unconsciously. Some emotions automatically appear on our faces and
are beyond our control.

A speaker’s sincerity or deception can be more easily identified through

the person’s body language than through what the person says. Thus,
as mentioned earlier, people tend to rely more on nonverbal cues. If a
person says something but sends out contradictory nonverbal signals,
listeners tend to believe the nonverbal message. Mixed messages create
tension and distrust because the listener senses that the speaker is
hiding something.

Combining verbal and nonverbal language

Nonverbal symbols are normally used to support or reinforce what we

say. Shouting “Get out!” and pointing to the door makes the message
crystal clear.

Sometimes, when the verbal and nonverbal symbols are contradictory,

the listener normally believes in the nonverbal message. For example,
if you say “Yes, go on” and you keep looking at your watch, you are
sending a nonverbal message which does not agree with what you

15 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

have said. Usually, the listener will rely on the nonverbal signal and will
probably believe, in this case, that you actually would prefer to end
the conversation.

Nonverbal communication helps regulate oral communication. Nonverbal

signals can indicate when you want to end a conversation or when you
want to interrupt. Raising your hand will indicate you have something
to say. Shaking your head during a discussion shows you disagree and
wish to say something. Intentionally looking at your watch is a clear
indication that it is time to end the discussion.

Activity 1.1

Analyse the following nonverbal signals exhibited by someone

during a conversation with you at the workplace. What will be
your impression of the person based on each of these nonverbal
signals?

1. Fidgeting when speaking to you.

_____________________________________________________

2. Extends a firm handshake when greeting you.

_____________________________________________________

3. Refusing eye contact and looking in every direction except

at you when speaking.
_____________________________________________________

4. Speaking hesitantly with lots of vocal segregates like “uh”.

_____________________________________________________

5. Leaning close when speaking to you.

_____________________________________________________

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 16

 6. Looking you in the eye when speaking to you.
_____________________________________________________

7. Pointing a finger at you when talking.

_____________________________________________________

8. Gesticulating wildly with both hands when speaking.

_____________________________________________________

Internal and external communication

Irrespective of the size of the organisation, there has to be communication
within members of the organisation as well as communication with the
outside world.Whatever your position in the company, you will have
information others will need to carry out their duties. Similarly, others
will have information essential to you so that you can get your job done.
In fact, without communication, an organisation cannot function at all.

Internal communication

Internal communication refers to the exchange of information and ideas

between members of an organisation. An employee is sometimes in the
position to observe things the supervisor or the manager does not see.
This may be something as simple as a customer’s reaction to a new
product or a fault on the computer. Your superiors need to be given this
information so that action can be taken. Internal communication carries
information up, down and across the organisation. It helps employees
and employers to get their jobs done and enables everyone to identify
problems and to react quickly to address them.

Internal information can be exchanged simply by speaking to the person

concerned personally, by phone, email or fax messages. A memo can
also be sent to pass information along.

17 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

External communication

External communication links the company to the outside world.

This communication may be with customers, suppliers, competitors,
investors, government agencies or even with the media. Most external
communication is part of the business routine but sometimes they are
carefully planned to suit a specific purpose. Advertisements and press
announcements require external communication.

External communication is usually formal but informal contacts are

also important. External communication can be both oral and written,
depending on the situation. We will be elaborating on this later in
this section.

Formal and informal communication

Formal communication follows a hierarchy while informal communication
does not follow any line of authority.

Formal internal communication

Organisational decisions are made by the top management and passed

down to the people who will implement the decisions. The message filters
down through each level of the organisation. Each person who receives
the message must understand and apply it before passing it along.

This downward flow of information can be carried out in a variety of

ways. Meetings may be called to pass the message on. Memos and/or
email messages may be sent. All of these may be done before the entire
downward flow is complete. For example, the company president may
brief his/her managers at a meeting. The managers may send memos
to the employees involved and the employees may email the people
they have been asked to meet. The number of stages involved in this
downward flow will depend on the size and set-up of the organisation.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 18

 It is normal and healthy that there is also an upward flow of information.
As managers cannot be aware of everything that is going on, employees
need to report to their superiors regarding problems, grievances, etc. The
managers then take this information to a higher level so that a solution can
be found. Again, this may involve both oral and written communication.

Information also flows from one department to another. This horizontal or

lateral flow allows employees to share information and to work together
to solve problems. Similarly, any form of oral or written communication
— be it meetings, memos or email messages — can be used as long as
it serves its purpose.

Figure 1.3 shows how formal communication travels within a simple

organisation. The chart shows you how information is passed downwards,
upwards and laterally in an organisation. It is obvious that there will be
many other levels of workers further down the chart who will communicate
in the same manner.

Figure 1.3 Formal internal communication

19 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Informal internal communication

People working in the same organisation will naturally converse as

friends but somehow much of the conversation that transpires is related
to work. Often referred to as the grapevine, informal communication is a
very rapid channel for the transmission of information. However, it is not
always accurate. Any rumour or news, before it is officially announced,
is often common knowledge because workers talk to one another.

Some managers regard this informal communication network as a threat

but intelligent ones sometimes manipulate this to pass on messages to
their advantage.

In any organisation, managers also need to talk to people working under

them so as to understand their colleagues better and to get feedback
which can be used for the betterment of the company.

Informal internal communication is a healthy sign as it shows that there is

a healthy relationship amongst colleagues as well as with management.

Formal external communication

Formal external communication refers to all planned communication

with parties outside the organisation. External communication can
create a favourable or unfavourable impression. All written and
verbal communication with the outside world therefore has to be
carefully prepared.

A letter in reply to a customer’s request is more important than most of

us believe because it is a form of external communication. The language,
tone and content of the letter can reflect positively or negatively on the
company. Reports, websites and official announcements are therefore
all carefully constructed and checked by a specialised group of people
usually in the public relations department.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 20

 The public relations department consists of people who specialise in
dealing with the public. They are the ones who will usually prepare press
releases and deal with the public in the event of any crisis.

Informal external communication

Informal external communication occurs when a member of an

organisation talks or socialises with outsiders. In the course of the
conversation, others get to know more about the company. People, from
friends to business associates, form an impression of your company
based on what you or a member of your company says and based on
your nonverbal signals when you speak of your work.

Executives holding higher positions socialise with executives from other

organisations to establish rapport and to gather information which may
be useful to them. We often see top management personnel of different
organisations getting together after work for a drink or for a night out.
All this is part of the informal external communication process which
contributes to the success of any organisation.

Written communication
Communication is either oral or written. Writing is essential in both internal
and external communication. In written communication, text matter in
the message is a reflection of your thoughts. So, the written message
should be clear, purposeful and concise with correct words used to
avoid any misinterpretation of your message. Written communication
provides a permanent record for future use. It also gives an opportunity
to employees to put their ideas in writing.

There are many types of written documents. The type you select to
convey a message will vary depending on who you are communicating
with and the intent of the message.

21 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 1. Memorandums (i.e., memos as they are often called) are used
for internal circulation of information. A memo is a less formal
way of passing on information in an organisation. Memos can
be sent by a supervisor tohis/her team. Memos can also be
sent to colleagues to provide them with certain information
which they will need to function better in their work.

2. Letters are more formal than memos. They are more often used
to communicate with parties outside the organisation.
However, this does not mean that letters are not used in internal
communication. Letters are used for more official purposes.
For example, when you are promoted, you will be given a letter
and not a memo to inform you of your promotion. Similarly,
if you are being asked to leave a company, the information will
be given to you in the form of a letter.

3. Reports are written when information has to be provided to

a group of people. A lot of research and hard work goes into
the writing of a report. Of course, there are different types
of reports. The annual report of a company is very formal and
comprehensive. Reports like a proposal to improve staff
performance can be less formal and can be presented in the
form of a memo.

Written documents used in the workplace can range from simple memos
to minutes of meetings, brochures and prepared speeches. What form
of written communication you use depends on factors like your intention
and the person(s) you are dealing with. Messages are now written usually
with the help of computers. Documents are normally prepared and edited
on the computer and a lot of communication is transmitted as electronic
mail (i.e., email). Email is nowadays so much a part of the workplace. It
is used for both internal and external communication.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 22

 Activity 1.2

You work as an administrative executive in a multinational

company. Study the following situations and decide how you
would communicate to accomplish each task. For example, you
may telephone a customer to explain your mistake or write a
memo to inform your staff of a change in the operating hours of
the cafeteria.

1. Your manager has asked you to inform all department heads

to attend a meeting.
_____________________________________________________

2. You wish to ask your superior for a few hours off so that you
can take your baby to see the doctor.
_____________________________________________________

3. Your manager has asked you to respond to a letter of complaint

about late delivery of electronic parts to another company.
_____________________________________________________

4. Your colleague has emailed you to ask for some information

related to a project.
_____________________________________________________

5. You just realised that there is an error in a memo you prepared.

The memo has been circulated to the people concerned.
_____________________________________________________

23 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Electronic and technology-related communication
Change is part and parcel of life. Nothing remains the same. Many of
the technological gadgets we take for granted today were not available
just a decade ago. In this Information Age, huge amounts of information
can be transmitted and retrieved electronically. Technologies such as
the Internet, voicemail and faxes enable people around the globe to
communicate 24 hours a day.

At the workplace, you will be expected to know how to use the computer,
access the Internet and use the scanner as well as the fax machine. All
these play an integral part in workplace communication.

Electronic communication

Computer-related communication can be conducted wherever you are.

Electronic communication is made possible with the Internet which is a
global computer network that links computer networks all over the world
by satellite and telephone. The Internet offers a variety of choices for
online communication.

Email enables us to create, edit and send messages merely with

a click on the mouse. It is probably the most common way of
interacting with others on the Internet. Email is effective when you
want to send short messages. It is now very widely used at the
workplace. Some organisations regard it as the preferred way of
exchanging business information.

Mailing lists will enable communication with special interest groups.

These are special interest groups to which you subscribe by sending
a message to the email address on the mailing list. Once you have
subscribed to a discussion mailing list,then all copies of messages
posted are sent to you via email. If you ‘reply all’ toany of those
email messages, what you write will be sent to all on that mailing list.
Newsgroups consist of posted messages and responses by people

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 24

 who subscribe to them. Newsgroups differ from mailing groups in
that messages posted are not sent to you via email. You access the
site by usually using a newsreader programme to read the messages
and responses posted.

Instant messaging and chat are sometimes used for work purposes.
Instant messaging allows people to carry on one-to-one or small
group conversations. It is more versatile than the telephone and
quicker than email. You can send messages to your colleagues
and be sure that the message will appear instantly on their screens.
Workers can actually conduct an online meeting in a private chat
area through instant messaging.

Videoconferencing is now becoming more accessible and therefore

more popular. It is increasingly being used to replace face-to-face
meetings as it allows people in different locations to meet and
talk to one another without having to leave their workstations.
Organisations save on travel time and on expenditure incurred during
overseas trips. Videoconferencing can be carried out in specially-
equipped rooms or with the use of less sophisticated desktops fitted
with videoconferencing software and web cameras. It is not likely
that videoconferencing will make face-to-face meetings obsolete
as people still need to meet to seal certain deals. However, it is
likely that more low priority meetings will be conducted through
videoconferencing.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the most basic way to download and
upload files. It allows you to attach formatted documents to your
email messages. Sometimes, users zip or compress large files so
that it will take less time to transfer these files. If you receive a zipped
file, you will need special software usually provided by your web
browser before you can read it. Volumes of information or data are
easily passed on in this way.

25 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 An intranet is used by most large organisations. If the organisation is
made up of just a handful of people, the intranet is not practical. It is
a website accessible only to employees. It works like the World Wide
Web but access is restricted to only employees of the organisation.
Employees key in their password and log onto their organisation’s
intranet. Apart from sending email, the intranet allows employees
to access company information from wherever they are. If you are
overseas on business and you need some data about your company,
you can easily get it from your corporate intranet.

An extranet is an external intranet. The extranet allows people who

are not employees such as suppliers and customers to enter the
network using a password. You can enter the extranet of another
company to check on the status of your order. Medical professionals
use the extranet to share information. You can access the extranet
of WOU to participate in forums and to check for announcements.

Activity 1.3

Answer the following questions.

1. What advantage does instant messaging have over email?

_____________________________________________________

2. Explain the difference between an intranet and an extranet.

_____________________________________________________

3. What are advantages of videoconferencing to the business

world?
_____________________________________________________

4. What is FTP on the Internet? What does it allow you to do?

_____________________________________________________

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 26

 Technology-related communication

Technology has improved very fast. It has obviously made communication

at the workplace much easier with many sophisticated communication
tools. Some of the innovations include new telephone systems, voicemail,
facsimile messages and handheld computer devices.

Tablet
VoIP
Mobile Speech recognition
Voicemail phone software Smartphone

Figure 1.4 Formal internal communication

Telephone systems

Fixed phonelines are still used for communication. However, phone

systems at the workplace normally act like computers with telephones
attached. Most companies use a call management system which screens
and directs calls. Some are still run by human operators but larger
organisations usually use a computerised system.

The mobile or cellular phone is now a necessary tool for workplace

communication. Employers can easily contact their employees wherever
they may be using the mobile phone. Wireless communication service

27 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

providers now offer very competitive rates. It is believed that wireless
phones will displace fixed-line telephones some time in the future. This
is possible, considering that new mobile phones come with features like
email access, instant messaging and web-browsing.

No matter how convenient the mobile phone may be, we must always
remember mobile phone etiquette. The following are some of the things
you must remember to avoid when using the mobile phone:

1. Do not leave your mobile phone on when you are attending a

meeting or at a place where the ringing may disrupt work. In
case you expect an urgent call when you are at a meeting, you
can always set your phone to vibrate and excuse yourself from
the meeting to answer the call.

2. Do not talk loudly during conversations on the mobile phone.

You do not want everyone around to listen to what you are
saying and you do not want to disturb other people.

3. Do not talk about issues related to your work when you are
conversing over the mobile phone in public.

Voicemail

Voicemail allows you to send, store and retrieve verbal messages.

Voicemail replaces operators who will have to manually transfer you to the
person you wish to speak to. It saves manpower and time as voicemail
can sometimes answer the caller’s question. Organisations compile a
list of frequently asked questions (FAQS). With the aid of technology,
voicemail can guide you through the menus so that you can get an answer
to your question(s) without actually having to speak to a live person.

Some banks allow you to check your account balance by pressing just
a few buttons. Similarly, you can check your current frequent flyer miles
with an airline by just listening and following the instructions given through
the voicemail.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 28

 Usually, we are put to voicemail when we call an organisation even though
we just want to speak to a specific person. Sometimes, we know that
the question we are going to ask cannot be answered by the machine
and we need to speak to someone to resolve the issue. If the voicemail
is clear and you get to speak to the person you wish to after pressing
a couple of buttons, it is fine. However, if you are transferred from one
menu to another and you have to listen to one recording after another,
you might just hang up out of sheer frustration. The major complaint
about voicemail is that callers have to listen to lengthy recordings and
be transferred from one menu to another before they can speak to the
person they are calling.

The following are a few points to remember when preparing a voicemail

message:

1. Prepare an accurate, brief and concise message which should

not be longer than two minutes. Not many people are prepared
to listen to a machine for more than two minutes.

2. Make sure you give the name of your organisation immediately

so that the caller knows he/she has reached the right
organisation.

3. Make sure you state the action you want the caller to take.

4. Speak clearly and slowly so that the caller can understand you
and has time to digest the information you give.

5. Make sure your message is grammatically correct.

6. Allow the caller to talk to a live person without being directed

from one option menu to another.

29 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Below is an example of a typical voicemail message:

“Thank you for calling Wawasan Open University.

For English, press 1; for Bahasa Malaysia, press 2; for Mandarin, press 3.

Please key in the extension number directly, press 1 for course enquiries or
press 0 for operator assistance.”

The voicemail ensures the caller that he/she has reached the correct
organisation. Specific instructions are then given to tell the caller what
to do. The message is short and concise. It allows the caller to speak to
a live person after pressing just two buttons.

Speech recognition software

Speech recognition software is now being used by many organisations

with the hope that this will make callers feel better as they will not have
to be put through the tedious phone menus of voicemail.

Instead of touch tone menus where voicemail directs you to “press 1 or

press 2”, the caller listens to an operator who is not human. These speech
recognition programmes listen to your voice, breaks it up into blocks,
looks for a match and gives apre-recorded response. This works well if
the caller speaks good clear English but if the caller cannot pronounce
certain words properly or if there is a lot of noise in the background, there
could then be a problem. Certain telecommunication companies provide
a telephone directory service which will give you the number you require
followed by a simple service provided by speech recognition software
which will connect you to the number you want.

“The number you require is 04-2291919.

To connect to this number, say ‘connect’.”

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 30

 If the speech recognition software can match what you say, you will then
be automatically connected to the number without having to first hang up
and then picking up the receiver again to call the number. If you cannot
say the word “connect” properly, then you will not be connected as the
speech recognition software cannot find a match to what you have said.
Telekoms Malaysia made use of this speech recognition software at one
time but (probably because of speech recognition problems) has replaced
it with a message asking the caller to press a number to be connected.

Smartphone

A smartphone is a mobile phone that usually has a large touch screen

and built on a mobile operating system. It has far more advanced features
than a typical mobile phone in that a smartphone can carry out many
functions of a computer. In addition to making and receiving calls and
SMSes, a smartphone allows the user to create, view and edit documents
and spreadsheet, access webpages, handle emails and popular instant
messaging services. Users can also download and execute various
applications, capture and edit photos, videos and create a playlist — to
name but a few. Smartphone technology is constantly evolving.

Many organisations supply employees with smartphones to expedite

communication as it functions as a computer and a phone in one.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

VoIP is now widely used as it allows conversations over the Internet.

VoIP allows for more than one telephone call using the same broadband-
connected telephone line. Offices make use of VoIP to cut costs as it is
like an extra free telephone line.

VoIP is accessible anywhere where there is an Internet connection to

your VoIP provider. Services like Skype are now available for free. They
are widely used by individuals and companies.

31 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 Activity 1.4

You called Micron Services because there seems to be a mistake in

the bill sent to you. You reached the following voicemail message.
Read it and rewrite it so that it meets the requirements of a good
concise voicemail message. Make sure that the organisation is
immediately identified, the message is grammatically correct and
that the caller finally gets the opportunity to speak to a live person
who will attend to his/her concerns.

“This is Tracy Lim, one of the operators working for Micron Services.
For English, press 1; for Bahasa Malaysia, press 2; for Mandarin,
press 3. Please note that this conversation may be recorded for
training and quality control purposes.

For billing, press 1; for special deals, press 2; for reconnection of

services, press 3; for technical assistance, press 4. (You pressed 1)

To check your balance, press 1; to pay your bill, press 2. (You did
not press any button)

You have not registered a response. Thank you for calling.”

Adapting to change

Good communication skills are now more vital than ever before because
we need to adapt to a workplace that is constantly changing. Changes
have come about as a result of advancing technology. Globalisation
has led to a culturally diverse workforce and the traditional style of
management has been replaced by team management.

It is obvious that technology will keep changing. Fifty years ago, people
never thought that the typewriter could ever be replaced. No one would
have believed at that time that we could one day not depend on the postal
service for the delivery of mail. We have, however, managed to adjust

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 32

 and to adapt. As a result, even the older generation is now comfortably
using modern technology for communication purposes. The workforce
of the 21st century will definitely see more changes and will need to be
able to adapt to these changes.

To ensure job security, you will need to be flexible. You will need to
be able to adapt to changes and to learn new skills which will enable
you to communicate more effectively. Employees should be open to
new technology.

Organisations will obviously be testing whatever new technology that

comes into the market. Employees may find that they have to attend
training sessions for communication products which may eventually not
be useful at all or which will soon become obsolete. However, this is a
fact of life that we have to accept. If you want to survive in the workplace,
you should be prepared to be trained and retrained so that you will be
kept up-to-date and possess the skills required by the company you work
for as well as by other organisations. These portable skills will enable
you to work for any organisation and ensure job security.

Just as employees need to adapt to change, so do organisations and

employers. Organisations also have to learn to adapt to the changes
brought about by communication technology. One of the major problems
that has arisen as a result of new technologies is information overload.
Organisations are being flooded with so many documents that it is
sometimes impossible to differentiate between what is useful and what
is trash. Some companies are training employees to send fewer email
messages and to mark urgent messages in red.

Companies are also battling with data security, fearing that information
on the Intranet or the Internet can be destroyed or changed by hackers.
Hackers break into a computer to steal or change data. Viruses are
programs that can change or delete files. Other than using security
software called firewalls and a range of antivirus programs, organisations
are trying to be more discreet when they issue passwords to employees

33 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

and customers. Many banks have resorted to asking customers to change
their passwords every month while others make changes to their system
every year.

Change is inevitable. Everyone can adapt to changes as long as we

keep an open mind and are willing to learn. After all, learning is a lifelong
process and adapting to change should not be too difficult as long as
we accept this.

Multimedia

Log onto WawasanLearn and tell your friends what you have done
over the years to adapt to changes which have arisen as a result
of technology at the workplace.

Summary

In this section, we discussed various forms of communication. We

stressed on nonverbal symbols which are more reliable than verbal
communication and you were asked to interpret some nonverbal
signals. We also dealt with internal and external communication and
how communication travels within an organisation. We discussed
the effects of new technology on workplace communication and
we analysed how some of these technologies are used as tools
for communication. You were also reminded about certain rules
relating to the use of the mobile phone and given guidelines on
voicemail preparation. We touched on the importance of adapting
to the many changes in communication technology and the
necessity to be flexible in order to survive and to progress in the
workplace. You also attempted several activities as well as a
case study.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 34

 We hope you have enjoyed this section and that you have started
applying what you have learnt at the workplace.

Self-test 1.1

Answer the following questions.

1. Identify and explain any three basic forms of nonverbal

communication.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

2. Explain the hierarchy of formal internal communication in the

organisation you are working for. Draw a chart to illustrate
how information is passed downwards, upwards and laterally
in the organisation.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

3. Which type of online communication is used most often at

the workplace? Why?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

35 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of voicemail?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Suggested answers to activities

Feedback

Activity 1.1

1. The person lacks confidence and is nervous.

2. The person is confident and is probably sincere.

3. The person is probably either nervous or not telling you

the truth.

4. The speaker is probably unprepared and uncertain of

the facts.

5. The speaker is probably very keen about whatever issue is

being discussed.

6. The speaker is probably sincere and means what is being

said.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 36

 7. The speaker obviously lacks nonverbal skills and is probably
being rude either intentionally or unintentionally.

8. The speaker is obviously very expressive. If the person’s

gestures agree with the verbal content of the message, it
may just show that he/she is very enthusiastic about the
issue. If the gestures do not match the verbal message, then
the person may merely be trying to impress.

Activity 1.2

1. Prepare and send a memo to all department heads, informing

them of the time, date and venue of the meeting.

2. Speak directly to your supervisor or your manager to ask for

time off so that you can take your baby to see the doctor.

3. Write a letter in reply to the letter of complaint giving an

explanation for the late delivery of electronic parts to the
company concerned.

4. Send an email reply that provides the information that is

asked for.

5. Write another memo to all the people you sent the first memo
to — apologising for your mistake and making sure you correct
the error made.

37 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Activity 1.3

1. Instant messaging allows one-to-one as well as small group

text conversations. The messages are displayed immediately
on the screen of the receiver. Email is not immediate as
transmission can be delayed. It also does not allow for
immediate interactive discussions.

2. The Intranet is a website which only employees can access.

The extranet is a website which allows access to both
employees as well as customers and other people who are
involved in business dealings with the organisation.

3. Videoconferencing enables discussions and meetings which

involve people from all corners of the globe to be conducted
without any physical movement of people. It can be conducted
at a mutually agreed time. Decisions are made much faster
this way and organisations save travel time as well as
expenditure.

4. FTP is an abbreviation for File Transfer Protocol. It enables

you to download files sent to you as well as to upload files
to be sent to another party, thus allowing for the transfer of
huge amounts of data or information very quickly.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 38

 Activity 1.4

“Thank you for calling Micron Services.

For English, press 1; for Bahasa Malaysia, press 2; for Mandarin,

press 3.

Please note that this conversation may be recorded for training and
quality control purposes.

For billing, press 1; for special deals, press 2; for reconnection of

services, press 3; for technical assistance, press 4. (You pressed 1)

To check your balance, press 1; to pay your bill, press 2; if you would
like to speak to a customer service operator, please press 0.”

39 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

1.2 Improving Communication
Skills
Objectives

By the end of this section, you should be able to:

1. Explain the importance of communication at the workplace.

2. Develop better reading, writing, listening and speaking

skills as well as nonverbal communication skills so as to
function effectively and efficiently at the workplace.

3. Use appropriate interpersonal skills expected of an

employee at the workplace.

4. Recognise cross-cultural diversities at the workplace.

5. Function effectively in a team.

Introduction
At the workplace, everyone spends a large part of the day communicating.
No one can work alone without communicating with another person. Even
if you work from home, you still need to telephone or email customers.
Without this communication, you will not achieve anything. Even more
time is spent communicating in an organisation. After all, talking to
someone, writing a memo, attending a meeting and answering telephone
calls are merely different ways of communicating.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 40

 “Studies show that the average person spends about 70% of each day
engaged in some form of communication.”

Dostal, J and Vincent, D S (1997) Technical Communication:

A Guided Approach, Minnesota: West Publishing Company.

Do remember that it is only useful if you are able to share your idea with
others no matter how brilliant and invaluable it is. For this reason, effective
communication is crucial at every level of an organisation. However, the
ability to communicate effectively does not come easily to many people.
It requires effort and a lot of practice but you can rest assured that it is
definitely possible to improve on and to sharpen your communication
skills as long as you are prepared to work on them.

Communication serves five basic purposes:

1. It helps you establish and build goodwill at the workplace.

Healthy relationships with employers, employees and
colleagues are the result of good communication skills. It is
quite obvious that the work environment will be so much more
pleasant if everyone were to practise proper communication
skills. When there is a healthy working environment, quality
work gets done fast.

2. Communication helps you to persuade and convince others to

act in a way beneficial to the organisation. This purpose,
however, can only be achieved if you are able to show your
audience that what you are proposing is for their personal
benefit. If employees are happily convinced by what you say,
then they will willingly strive to achieve the objective you want.

3. Communication enables us to share information with others at

the workplace. If the information is passed on clearly and
effectively, work can then be done smoothly and efficiently.
Deadlines can be met.

41 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 4. Communication gives you the opportunity to establish your self-
effectiveness. If you send a message that is error-free, accurate
and easy to understand, others form a good impression of you
and you feel that you have been effective.

5. Communication also makes you feel good about yourself.

It also contributes to your self-esteem when you receive
positive feedback on your communication skills or when you
know that you have done a good job communicating something.
You feel especially good when you have successfully conveyed
something complicated or sensitive effectively. It takes a very
skilled person to convey the right message which achieves the
desired effect when the issue in question is sensitive or
controversial.

This section will stress on the communication skills expected of employees

so that work can be carried out smoothly and with minimum conflict at
the workplace. As you should be fully aware, good teamwork depends
on the ability to communicate well with members of the team. You will
be guided through the principles of team communication. This section
will give you an idea of how to communicate in a diverse workplace and
how to adapt to cultural differences.

You will be attempting a variety of activities where you will have to

read, write, speak and listen. Do make an attempt at improving your
communication skills.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 42

 Basic skills expected of employees
Most organisations indicate that workers require certain communication
skills to qualify for employment and to survive in the workplace. The four
skills identified are reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Reading

Writing
You need four skills to
qualify for employment
Listening

Speaking

Figure 1.5 The four communication skills to qualify for employment

Reading

Employees are expected to be able to understand and correctly interpret

information both in text form and in the form of formatted documents
like graphs, tables, flow charts and manuals.

At work, you will have to read to locate information. The information you
get may be in any form. It can be visuals or a lengthy text document.
Some of the information may be complicated and you may have to read
it several times before you can get a clear idea of what is being said.
With the Internet, the volume of reading can be overwhelming. In such
a case, you will have to use your discretion, reading only parts of each
document to determine whether it is worth your while to read the rest of it.

You will be reading from printed text as well as from the computer screen.
You may receive so many email messages giving you information that
you may not have the time to read all of them in detail. You will have to
prioritise your reading.

43 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

The employee in the 21st century faces a formidable task where reading
skills are concerned mainly because of the Internet which allows access
to volumes of information. Reading skills today refer to locating and
selecting information as well as interpreting all forms of information
correctly.

Figure 1.6 Reading skills

Writing

The employee must be able to communicate his/her thoughts in writing.

You will be expected to pass on information and messages in writing.
Depending on the nature of your work, you may have to write memos,
reports, letters, email messages, manuals and advertisement brochures.

The employer of course expects employees to be able to use computer

software to create and edit documents. Again, depending on the natureof
your job, you may be expected to prepare not only text documents
but graphics and visuals on the computer as well. The job may appear
daunting but it can be done as long as you are prepared to learn.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 44

 Listening

Listening is one of the most difficult communication skills. Good listening

means being able to receive messages accurately.

Employees are expected to listen to and to interpret messages —

sometimes with the aid of nonverbal cues. When someone talks to you
at work, you have to listen to the person, putting aside what you are
doing and ignoring all forms of distraction like noise. If someone calls
you on the mobile phone to pass on information, you have to concentrate
before you can get the right message. Sometimes, poor reception in
certain areas can cause the caller’s voice to crack up. You will have to
make sure that you receive an accurate message despite all obstacles.

A wrongly interpreted or inaccurate message can cause havoc at the

workplace. It can cause an organisation to lose millions of dollars in
terms of revenue. So, the next time you listen to your manager or your
colleagues, make sure you listen carefully.

Speaking

All employees speak at work everyday. Other than casual conversation,

you will be expected to pass on information to your colleagues and
the management. You may have to attend meetings where you will be
expected to speak or asked to deliver a formal presentation. You may
even be asked to prepare voicemail for the office and this would mean
that anyone calling the organisation will hear you speaking first.

The way you speak, your tone of voice, your pronunciation, etc. tells the
listener volumes about you. Similarly, as you speak, you will be observing
the listener to see how your message is being perceived.

45 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Reading at the workplace
Effective reading and knowledge of workplace vocabulary can affect
other communication skills. They can also affect the employability of a
worker. Workplace reading is directed towards a purpose and requires
efficient use of time. There is a lot to read and time on the job is money.

With so many sources of information available via the Internet, libraries

and databases, vast amounts of information can be obtained immediately.
To meet expectations and to remain competitive at the workplace,
workers must be able to read independently and to process information
effectively. It is essential for workers to develop a strong working
vocabulary so that they can read for a specific purpose — whether it is
for information, summary or conclusion.

Each of you will work towards developing vocabulary related to your field
of work. A nurse would have to be familiar with medical terminology in
order to follow instructions given by the doctor. A salesperson working
for a computer company must be well versed in computer terminology
to be able to handle customers and to write sales reports. Employees
with strong reading skills and an extensive vocabulary will obviously
progress much faster than those who do not make an effort to improve
on these skills.

Successful reading at the workplace requires you to know when to

read fast and when to read slowly. You have to adjust the speed of your
reading depending on the purpose. Sometimes, you may be asked to
read for specific information. It may be a task as simple as your being
asked to get the invoice number of a certain order. This task can be done
very quickly on your computer. However, you may need to read more
slowly if you need to make a conclusion and make a recommendation
to improve sales based on a sales report given to you. You will need
to analyse the sales figures and identify items which are not selling
well. People dealing with highly technical information may have to read
very complicated information. In such cases, they may have to read
and re-read the information several times before they can make use of
the information.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 46

 At the workplace, you will normally be expected to read for a variety
ofpurposes — some of which are listed below:

1. To locate information.

2. To summarise.

3. To draw conclusions so that proposals or recommendations

can be made.

4. To accomplish a task.

5. To develop and use related technical vocabulary.

Reading to locate information

When you are asked to read to locate information, you either skim or
scan. You can skim and scan text documents, charts, graphs and maps.

Scanning is when you read fast to locate certain specific information.

For example, you may be asked to supply the names of all employees
born in the month of August as the company wants to organise a joint
celebration in conjunction with National Day. To do this, you run through
the list of employees, ignoring those who were born in other months.

Skimming requires you to read quickly to get a general idea. For example,
the department head may skim through the daily reports submitted by
the supervisors just to make sure that things are running well and that
there are no problems.

47 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 Activity 1.5

Scan the following list of suppliers to find the required information:

1. The telephone number of Jamil Tech.

2. The person to contact when contacting Pinang Electronics.

3. Blacklisted suppliers.

4. The most regular and reliable supplier.

5. The number of suppliers from Penang and the name of the

most reliable Penang supplier.

Directory of suppliers
Contact Successful
Company Address Telephone Blacklisted
person transactions
Data 22 Jenson 04- James 12 3 late
Analysis Road, 2274341 Lim consignments
10450
Penang
Jamil 1 Jalan 03- Samad 5
Tech Negeri, 78768442 Hussein
59100
Kuala
Lumpur
Biotronics 5 Persiaran 02- Indran 23
Utan, 3334466 Chandran
Singapore
415941

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 48

 Biotronics 5 Persiaran 02- Indran 23
Utan, 3334466 Chandran
Singapore
415941
Mawana 8 Major 04- Sandra 41 1 failure to
Supplies Avenue, 5566313 James deliver
Kulim,
09000
Kedah
Osmon 43 Jalan 03- Jim 15
Brothers 11/5, 78655442 Osmon
Petaling
Jaya,
46350
Selangor
Pinang 51 Sungai 05- Joe Aeria 12
Electronics Putih, 1118899
Rompin,
26800
Pahang
Rainer 80 Anson 04- Susie 33
Sdn. Bhd. Road, 2291824 Khor
10400
Penang
Temerloh 22 Jalan 04- Asmah 2
Supplies Air Putih, 5563112 Mohan
Alor Setar,
05675
Kedah
Wilayah 16 Jalan 03- Ravi Velo 6
Tech Duta, 78622119
50480
Kuala
Lumpur

49 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Skimming and scanning graphs and visuals

With instant access to data across the world and the huge amount of
information available to us, organisations sometimes consider it much
easier to convert data into graphic form. Bar graphs, line graphs and pie
charts usually present data in a simplified way.

Graphs are usually read with a combination of skimming and scanning

skills. When reading graphs, remember the following guidelines:

1. Read the title and all written information to get a general idea
of the information provided.

2. Read the labels on the columns and the lines.

3. Determine what is being compared.

4. Check the source of the information and when the information

was last updated to make sure it is not outdated.

Reading to summarise

Because of the vast amount of information available to us today, we need

to learn to summarise what we read. The summary will help workers
keep a record of the information they require. If twenty supervisors
submit a report each to the department head at the end of every week,
the department head will probably skim and scan the reports. He/She
will prepare a summary of each report to be kept in his/her file or folder.

Summaries are shorter than the original document. They may be just a
sentence, several paragraphs, several pages, a list, a chart or a graph.
Some information is best summarised as a chart while others being
summarised as a list and numbered in order of importance.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 50

 To summarise, you need to identify the main idea when you skim a
document. Sometimes, the main idea is obvious as it appears in the thesis
statement or the topic sentence. However, at other times, you will have
to study the document very carefully before you can identify the main
idea. The main idea is usually supported by certain details which you
sometimes have to include in your summary, depending on its purpose.
Preparing summaries can be time-consuming as you need to make sure
that your summary meets its purpose.

Reading to draw conclusions and to make decisions

Very often, we read so that we can draw a conclusion and thereafter make
a decision or recommendation. Retail outlets do, once in a while, try to
motivate employees by selecting the employee of the month based on
customer feedback. Customers normally complete questionnaires which
are submitted to the outlet. A senior officer will usually have to read the
ratings and the comments on the questionnaires before coming to a
conclusion and making a judgement. Similarly, an adjuster will gather
information about an accident, read the insurance policy, come to a
conclusion related to the situation and then make a recommendation to
the insurance company. Based on the recommendation, the insurance
company will decide whether claims are justified.

Making the correct judgement or decision is crucial as the wrong decision

can cause an organisation to lose millions of dollars. The decision-making
process involves the following steps:

1. Identifying the objective or the problem.

2. Gathering information related to the problem.

3. Reading the information selected.

51 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 4. Drawing a conclusion.

5. Finding the best solution or making the best possible decision.

Reading to accomplish a task or for a specific purpose

Very often, you will have to read to accomplish a task given to you. If you
are working for a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) company, you must be prepared
to explain the process given in the instruction booklet which usually
accompanies the product if a customer were to ask you for assistance.
You will need to skim through the instructions before you can explain
the procedure to the customer.

Forms are created for specific purposes. Most organisations have a

variety of forms ranging from job application forms to leave application
and stationery requisition forms. Before completing any form, you
should read it carefully. Make sure you complete all the information
required. If the information you supply is incomplete, the form cannot
be processed and you may not get what you want. If a job application
form is not thoroughly completed, you may not get the job. Similarly, if
you requested for leave and you did not specify the dates, you might
not get those days off.

You come across forms on the computer screen — for example, when
you want to book air tickets, hotel rooms or when you want to buy a
product online. If you omit any field, your purchase will be rejected. You
can gain access to all types of forms on the Internet. In this age where
online purchases are the norm, you must be sure that you can complete
the forms thoroughly and correctly. Furthermore, you must remember
to read and comprehend all the terms and conditions when you make
purchases. You may find that you will not be entitled to refunds for
certain purchases.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 52

 Reading to develop and use related technical vocabulary

What you have to read to gather information depends on the nature of

your job. You may read reference books, maps, flow charts, databases
and schedules. It is important to remember to use your skimming and
scanning skills to help you obtain the information you require from the
vast amount of material available. However, if you do not have the right
technical vocabulary, it will be difficult to understand what you have
to read.

Depending on the nature of your job, you should familiarise yourself with
relevant technical terminology. In addition to specialised vocabulary, you
will need to know certain abbreviations or acronyms of frequently used
words. AAM is the acronym for Automobile Association of Malaysia.
Most Malaysians are aware that the KLCI refers to the Kuala Lumpur
Composite Index and that the HSI refers to the Hang Seng Index. These
are acronyms the layperson is familiar with. You will probably be exposed
to more specific acronyms in your particular line of work.

Multimedia

You can log onto any of the following websites to book an airline
ticket. Complete the online forms and see if you can make a
successful online purchase.

http://www.airasia.com/en/home.page

http://malaysiaairlines.com/my/en.html

http://www.fireflyz.com.my

53 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Listening on the job
Listening is the most used of all communication skills. If you just observe
yourself for a day, you will realise that you listen more than you talk, read
or write.

The ability to listen and remember information correctly is essential

irrespective of your position in an organisation. A manager needs to listen
to his/her customers, subordinates and superiors before he/she can make
good decisions. All members of an organisation need to listen actively
to one another before they can function effectively. Listening is a difficult
and yet crucial skill at any workplace. It is a skill which is much sought
after by employers. Good listening is associated with good interpersonal
skills and it can be learnt like all other communication skills.

There are two types of listening:

1. Casual listening is when we listen to friends in the course of

a conversation. We understand but we may not make an effort
to remember what is said. In fact, we may not even recall
what the conversation was all about the next day. This is
probably because we have no specific purpose in mind when
we are listening and not because our friends are unimportant.

2. Active listening is essential when we are working as we listen

with a purpose in mind. When your manager tells you what to
tell your colleagues, you listen actively so that you can pass the
correct message across. When a customer describes the
product he/she is looking for, you listen actively so that you can
get him/her the product he/she wants. Irrespective of our
positions, we listen actively at the workplace.The chairman
of a meeting will listen actively when the participants speak as
the meeting was called for a purpose.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 54

 Active listening also requires another skill — viz., interpretation of
nonverbalsignals. When we listen to a person, we automatically
look at the speaker’snonverbal cues such as body language,
facial expressions and the tone of voice.We must be able not
only to listen and comprehend the person’s speech butalso
to interpret the accompanying nonverbal signals. You may be
trying to talkto your supervisor about a problem but if your
supervisor shakes his/herhead, looks at his/her watch and
frowns as he/she speaks, you have obviously picked the wrong
time. It would be best in such a situation to discreetly make an
appointment to see him/her at another time.

Obstacles to effective listening

Preconceived impression of the speaker

Very often, we dismiss a speaker merely because of physical appearance.

If the speaker is far from attractive or impressive-looking, many listeners
form a preconceived impression that what the person says will not be
worth listening to even before a word is uttered. Sometimes, negative
nonverbal symbols like attire and body language also turn us off from
the start. Of course, not everyone speaks perfect English in an accent
we prefer. However, listeners tend for some reason to allow this to affect
their listening, sometimes putting the blame on the speaker.

Preconceived impression of the topic

If you have already an opinion of your own about an issue and you are
notopen-minded to other ideas, then you will not take in what is being
said. The mind has automatically shut off other opinions and you may
miss out on certain important information as a result.

55 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Environmental distractions

We do not always have control over the environment. The workplace may
be very noisy when your manager is speaking to you. The air-conditioner
may just break down in the midst of a presentation, leaving both the
speaker and the audience perspiring in the heat. What we do under such
situations depends on our ability to adapt.

Inability to stay focused

Sometimes, listeners allow their minds to wander and to think of other

matters while the speaker is speaking. This will definitely not be tolerated
at the workplace as no one wants to waste time repeating what has been
said. Listening and staying focused when someone speaks to you at
your place of work is vital if you want to succeed on the job.

Unnecessary note-taking

Sometimes, it is necessary to take brief notes like when someone calls

and leaves a message for your colleague. You need to record the name
of the caller, the contact number and the message. If you have to record
some information you need to pass on, make sure your notes are brief
and accurate. Excessive note-taking may result in your hearing only very
little of what was said and therefore missing the major points.

Strategies for effective listening

Effective listening strengthens relationships in an organisation. Listening

is a very difficult but a very important skill. Section 3.2 of Unit 3 explains
strategies for effective listening very thoroughly.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 56

 Audio

If you prefer to start by listening to foreign speakers speaking

English, you can log onto the website:

http://www.englishskills.com/Sample_eng.htm

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/apps/learningenglish-
audio-and-video

Audio

Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab <http://www.esl-lab.com/>

gives you the opportunity to listen to a variety of dialogues ranging
from easy to difficult. If you do not have the RealPlayer on your
computer, you can download it for free through the ESL website:
http://esl.about.com/od/englishlistening/English_Listening_Skills_
and_ActivitiesEffective_Listening_Practice.htm

Listen to the dialogues and attempt to answer the questions.

You can listen to the dialogues as many times as you like. Make
sure you check the answers only after you have listened to each
dialogue very carefully. The answers are available under Post
Listening Exercises.

57 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 Start off with the dialogues rated as “Medium” and move on to
either “Easy” or “Difficult” depending on your listening skills. As
the accent is different from the Malaysian accent, you may have
a little problem initially. Remember that, at the workplace, we
need to listen and speak to people of all nationalities. So, make
sure you get used to listening to different accents so that you
can understand the person the next time you meet someone of
a different nationality.

Oral communication at the workplace

Oral or verbal communication is a skill you require whether you are at
school, at home or at your workplace. On the job, you may have to
speak both formally and informally to one person or a group of people.
When you speak to one person, it is usually informal but this may not
always be the case. When you speak to two or more people, it is usually
more formal.

For example, if you are explaining to a new colleague how to use the
photocopier, you speak informally. When you explain to a group of visitors
how your production branch functions, you speak formally.

Oral communication at the workplace includes a vast variety of activities

ranging from telephoning skills to persuasive skills and presentation skills.
You may be asked to brief your colleagues on sales figures or you may
be asked to prepare an oral presentation introducing a new product. In
such cases, you will have to analyse your audience and prepare slides
or visual aids to ensure the success of your presentation.

WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills deals with telephoning

skills andthe oral communication skills you will need to participate in
meetings and negotiations. You will be introduced to presentation skills
in Unit 4 of this course.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 58

 How to improve verbal communication

First impressions are important. When we see a person, we form our

initial impression based on physical appearance, attire and nonverbal
symbols. We do not just look at a person. A meeting is immediately
followed by speech and conversation. Thereafter, we create in our minds
our first impression of the person. In the same way, people form their
first impressions of us. Our articulation, tone of voice, choice of words,
etc. help the listener form that first impression of us.

Oral communication requires feedback both verbally as well as

in nonverbal forms. Our relationships with our colleagues and the
impression we give our superiors depend to a very large extent on our
verbal communication skills.

The following are a few tips on how to improve our oral communication
skills.

1. Use positive words

Verbal communication includes phrasing your words clearly

and positively. Your words and the explanations you give affect
thoughts and determine emotions. Telling a colleague “This
memo is badly written” can humiliate the person and create
ill feelings. However, saying “I think you should rephrase the
memo” makes the criticism sound like a suggestion which the
listener will probably respond to by taking positive action.

2. Give examples

One way to help others understand your message is by giving

an example. If you need to, tell a short story or a joke to illustrate
your point. Verbal communication through stories helps the
listener to relate to what you are saying or suggesting. A joke
usually helps people to be more relaxed, resulting in their being
more open to what you say.

59 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

3. Ask the right questions

It makes a difference whether you ask a “why” or a “how”

question. The former gives you a lot of reasons and explanations
while the latter gives you a solution or some useful information.
Depending on how the question is phrased, a “what” question
can give you either reasons or explanations. By asking
questions and wording them specifically, you invite positive
interaction that will benefit all involved.

Examples

Questions: Expected responses:

Why is the shipment delayed? Reasons will be given.

What caused the delay in the Reasons will be given.

shipment?

How can this problem be Solutions will be given.

solved?

What action can be taken to Solutions will be given.

solve this problem?

Closed questions which will only require a “Yes” or a “No” as

an answer are only useful if you are giving instructions and do
not want any other feedback.

4. Think before you speak

Irrespective of whether you are going to speak in public, talk

with your superiors or other colleagues, you must remember
to think before you utter your words. Misunderstandings can
occur when you express yourself without thinking. This may
result in both parties allowing their emotions to take control
of the situation.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 60

 5. Reduce verbal pauses

Verbal pauses or expressions like “ah” and “um” will irritate your
listeners when they are used too often. It may be perceived as
uneasiness or uncertainty on your part.

6. Avoid careless language

Use your phrases with care. Speak in a way that allows for an
accurate description of your thoughts or ideas. Do not expect
people to assume and guess what you are trying to say.

Avoid words like “always”, “never”, “every” or “all”. When you

tell an employee that a person is always late when in fact he
was late only twice, you are asking for an argument and causing
unnecessary misunderstandings.

Never compare two people at the workplace. A statement like

“You are much slower than Sunny” may create resentment and
a rebellious attitude.

7. Accept compliments graciously

Compliments are very often given by friends or superiors. We

appreciate compliments but somehow there are times when
we feel awkward and respond in the wrong manner. Learn how
to respond to compliments in the right manner.

If the manager compliments you on a job well done, say “Thank

you”. This shows that you appreciate the compliment. Do not
elaborate on the compliment too much. “Thanks. I always do a
good job” may create the impression that you do not appreciate
the compliment and may even make your manager feel that
you are arrogant.

61 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 Activity 1.6

Think of three questions (using What, How and Why) that you
could ask at a meeting to encourage participants to come up
with possible causes and solutions to a problem that has arisen.
Phrase your questions in grammatically correct English.

1. What ______________________________________________ ?

2. How _______________________________________________ ?

3. Why _______________________________________________ ?

Team communication
A team is made up of two or more people who work together to achieve
a common goal. Most organisations expect group interaction based
on the understanding that people achieve better results when working
collectively or as a team than individually. At the workplace, much of
your time is spent collaborating or working in a team. Some occupations
require that you function primarily in teams. An orchestra plays as a team;
soldiers in the military take action as a team; surgeons perform operations
with a team of other professionals like nurses and anaesthetists.

Not every member of a team contributes equally as some members take

on greater responsibility. However, a successful team is one where all
members work towards making a contribution so that a common goal
can be achieved.

Teams are important in the workplace and they are formed for a variety of
purposes. Some teams become a part of the company’s structure. Some
are formed to solve a problem or work on a specific activity. The problem-
solving team and the task force which set out to work on a specified

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 62

 task are usually disbanded once the goal has been accomplished. Some
teams are formed to deal with recurring issues and these eventually
become committees which become a permanent part of the structure
of an organisation.

For example, if there is a need to promote sales, a team working

towards that common purpose will be formed. If there is a continuing
need to improve on the sales, this team becomes a permanent part of
the organisation. Otherwise, it will be dissolved after the sales target
has been met. Similarly, if there is a need to come up with strategies
to launch a new product, a team with that goal in mind will be formed.
Once the product is launched, the team has achieved its purpose and
it can be disbanded.

Advantages of teamwork

When members of a group cooperate to achieve a purpose, this is called

collaboration. People collaborate for the following reasons:

1. To share expertise

Every member of the team has different skills and different levels
of knowledge which they share and make use of to achieve
the aim of the team. People in a team therefore complement
one another.

2. To share opinions and perspectives

A problem can be viewed from several perspectives. If the

occupancy rate of a hotel is very low, the team formed to solve
this problem may be made up of the sales manager, the public
relations manager, the restaurant operator, the head of facilities
and some management staff.

63 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 The sales manager may say it is because of the pricing or the
quality of the food served at the restaurant. The restaurant
operator may observe that hotel guests prefer eating local
hawker fare which is not available at the hotel restaurant.
The public relations officer may say that feedback indicates
that hotel guests are unhappy with the poorly managed hotel
facilities. The head of facilities may say there is insufficient
allocation of funds for maintenance.

The opinions expressed are not meant to put the blame on

another party. These different perspectives are brought out so
they can contribute towards solving the problem.

3. To maximise performance level of personnel

Teams allow employees to show their ability and creativity.

Furthermore, by allowing employees to belong to teams,
organisations are helping to increase feelings of dignity and
self-worth. It also helps to foster better relationships amongst
the workers.

Effective teams

Teams are only effective when team members share a common purpose
or vision and when they work together to achieve it. The effectiveness of
a team depends largely upon the collective skills of all group members,
their commitment to the mission and their ability to communicate
and collaborate.

An effective team is not formed just by naming some efficient and capable
people. The team needs to go through the initial stage where members
meet and establish a bond. Only then can the team start working. When
working in a team, members may need to sacrifice personal benefits to

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 64

 achieve the team objective. Information has to be shared for the team to
progress and for decisions to be made. Effective teams establish their
own identity and are committed to their goals.

Figure 1.7 An effective team

Virtual teams

Virtual teams bring together people from different corners of the globe
so that they can share information and accomplish specific goals. These
teams function using computer networks, teleconferencing and email.
They are as effective as teams working together under the same roof.

Cost-effective virtual teams are a result of web technology. Web-based

collaboration allows companies to pool resources so that certain goals
can be achieved. Members of virtual teams have no direct interaction with
one another. They must therefore have excellent project management
skills and good time management skills. You can only work effectively
in a virtual team if you are well versed in electronic communication
technology and have excellent collaboration skills. Where virtual teams
are concerned, team members must be able to work across cultures as

65 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

you will be working with people of all nationalities, many of whom you
have never really met. You will also have to work at odd hours to cater
to team members from different time zones.

Virtual teams are proving to be popular among multinational organisations

as it enables expertise from around the world to be tapped and fully
utilised. It also saves a lot of time and is very cost-effective.

Understanding the team

For a team to be effective, members must be fully aware of how the team
will function. Team members must identify the following:

• The goal of the team.

• The leader.

• The recorder.

• Task allocation method.

• Decision-making method(s).

The management will usually identify the goal of the team and sometimes
the team leader as well. The rest is decided by the leader or by the
team as a whole. The team leader may decide to assign tasks or ask for
volunteers to take on certain duties. Similarly, the leader may inform the
group of the decision-making method(s) or the group may be allowed
to decide.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 66

 Making decisions and solving problems as a team

Teams are formed with a specific purpose and they are usually required
to make decisions and/or solve problems.

Teams can come to a decision based on one of the following methods:

1. Democratic method

If this method is used, everyone on the team is entitled to a

vote. The decision of the majority is accepted.

2. Autocratic method

In this case, one person (usually the leader) gives an order

which everyone on the team will follow, irrespective of whether
they like it or not.

Consensus

When every member of the team discusses an issue before the team
reaches a decision, this is referred to as a consensus of opinions. A team
using thisdecision-making strategy would open the issue for discussion
amongst the group members before a decision is made. This method
does not require everyone to agree with the decision but it helps those
who do not agree with the decision to accept and abide by it more readily.

Teams have to go through the following stages before a decision is

reached or a problem solved:

1. Defining the problem

The problem has to be specific so that it can be properly

explained to team members.

67 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 2. Analysing the problem

Areas that need to be researched and discussed need to be

identified. The team has to be given time to analyse the data
collected.

3. Brainstorming

A spontaneous contribution of ideas is necessary so that team

members can build on one another’s ideas. One person’s idea
may stimulate another person to come out with another idea
and the end result would be a series of good ideas.

4. Evaluating alternatives and making a decision

Suggestions and ideas brought out during the brainstorming

session have to be evaluated. Alternatives have to be discussed
and the final decision made based on one of the decision-
making methods discussed above.

Maximising nonverbal communication skills

We discussed the importance of nonverbal communication earlier here
in Unit 1. Do remember that when communicating orally, you should
be aware of your own nonverbal signals. Pay attention to your posture,
gestures, facial expressions and vocal characteristics. Dress appropriately
for the occasion and be aware of cultural differences when it comes to
time, space and touch.

Nonverbal symbols determine your image at your workplace. What

others think of you depends on your body language, your sincerity
and the nonverbal signals you subconsciously display when you are at
work. Whether you are perceived as confident, overconfident, friendly or
insincere depends on how your nonverbal signals are interpreted.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 68

 Try to learn as much as possible about the nonverbal signals of different
cultures. This will definitely help you to communicate as expected
and also allow you to interpret the nonverbal signals of someone from
another culture.

There are uncountable nonverbal signals interpreted in different ways

by different cultures. Here are a few cultural differences in nonverbal
communication which you may find useful.

1. Body language

Bowing is not done in the United States and most Western

countries but it is a sign of respect for rank in Japan. Showing
the soles of feet is considered offensive in Thailand and in
several Middle East countries but it carries no significant
meaning to most Western cultures.

2. Eye contact

Americans and most Western cultures see direct eye to eye

contact as positive as it shows attention. Arabic cultures believe
it also helps them understand how truthful and sincere the
other party is. However, in Japan, Africa and the Caribbean,
the people avoid direct eye contact to show respect for the
other party.

3. Personal space

Most Western Europeans and Americans prefer personal space

of at least18 inches to 2 feet. In a business conversation, it is
normal to see two Canadians standing 3 feet to 5 feet apart.
Latin Americans and Arabs prefer to stand much closer to the
person they are communicating with, while the Japanese and
the Germans prefer more personal space.

69 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 4. Touch

Most Asians do not touch others, especially those of the

opposite gender. Americans and Europeans however shake
hands in a formal setting and give the other party a peck on
the cheek on less formal occasions.

Diversities in the workplace

No two people are alike and there is bound to be diversity whether at
home or in the workplace. There are bound to be men and women as well
as people of different age groups working in an organisation. Workers in
an organisation are from different social classes and of different races. We
believe in different religions, have our own beliefs and values and we also
have different levels of education. Diversity exists in all organisations and
we not only have to accept this fact but should also welcome it. Diverse
talents and skills help an organisation to grow and these diversities can
result in creative and useful ideas.

It is obvious that communication skills are essential at the workplace

because of these diversities. To work well together, employers and
employees have to be sensitive to these diversities and respect them.

It is imperative that we accept people for what they are and that we do
not stereotype them. Some of us tend to have certain pre-conceived
beliefs about certain groups of people. Some believe that Indians are
dark, when in fact the Northern Indians tend to be quite fair. Some believe
that nurses are females, while in actual fact, there are many male nursing
aides. Some of these stereotypes are formed based on hearsay and
some based on personal encounters.

While stereotyping people can sometimes be harmless, it is best to avoid

this habit. It is wrong and unfair to judge a group of people based merely
on our beliefs. Every individual is different. It is up to us to accept and
adapt to these differences. Only then can the benefits of diversity at the
workplace be realised.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 70

 Cross-cultural communication
When people of different cultures communicate, this is referred to as
cross-cultural communication. Globalisation and modern technology
have enabled the world to become a platform for cross-cultural
communication. The benefits are tremendous. The only setback to
cross-cultural communication is that people from different cultures
do not share common values and beliefs. Unless an effort is made to
understand the cultural values of the party you are dealing with, the
communication process may not be successful. Misunderstandings
may occur and negotiations may break down just because the parties
concerned have not been able to handle the challenging process of
cross-cultural communication.

Barriers to cross-cultural communication

Language

Language is a major barrier where cross-cultural communication is

concerned. Although the English language is widely spoken, there is still
a large portion of the workforce of most countries which do not speak
or understand English. The translator can only communicate the verbal
or written message. We therefore have to be very sensitive to nonverbal
skills when dealing with people who do not speak our language.

Although English may be the second language in many countries like

Malaysia, not everybody in the workplace speaks good English. When you
speak to someone who does not have a good command of the English
language, use simple concise sentences. Repeat your sentences if you
think the other party does not fully comprehend what you have said
and speak slowly if it is necessary. Make sure you repeat, summarise
or paraphrase what the other party says, to ensure that there is no
misunderstanding, without making it too obvious that the person has
poor language skills.

71 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

The use of jargon or abbreviations should be avoided as this will hinder
communication with someone of another culture. Being sensitive to the
different language skills of others will definitely be helpful when you are
communicating across cultures.

Probably as a result of the huge volume of business across borders,

many people have started studying foreign languages. With such a huge
consumer market in China, many organisations are setting up branches
and dealing with Chinese companies. Many non-Chinese living outside
China are now quite adept in Mandarin as they find it very helpful in
the course of their work. Similarly, if you are working for a Japanese
company and you are regularly being sent to Japan, it will help if you
pick up basic Japanese terms. At the very least, make an effort to learn
the basic greetings such as “Good morning”, “Goodbye” and “Thank
you”. Use them to show respect and sincerity when you are dealing with
someone of a different culture.

Figure 1.8 Basic greetings

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 72

 Cultural differences

Refusal to accept that there are differences among cultures is a definite

barrier to international communication. It is important to be willing to
learn about the cultures and values of the people you are dealing with.
Adopt an open mind towards the religious and political beliefs of the
people you are meeting. Do avoid discussing sensitive topics or cultural
issues you are not familiar with.

Nonverbal signals vary from one nationality to another. The wrong

nonverbal signals may give the wrong message. Gesturing with the finger
for someone to come is perfectly polite in many Western communities
but it is considered as very impolite in Malaysian society. “Pointing” is
accomplished in North America and Europe by using the index finger.
The thumb is preferred in Malaysia whereas an open hand is used in
China and Japan. Although the Malay gesture of pointing to something
with the thumb has now been accepted by other ethnic groups, it is still
strange to foreigners.

Tilting the head from side to side is a Greek gesture for “yes” while many
cultures like Indians nod their heads for “yes”. Even a smile is used for
different purposes by different cultures. Asians smile when they are
happy and even sometimes when they are confused. Americans smile
to show pleasure while people in the Middle East sometimes smile to
avoid conflict.

Simple sounds like “uh-uh” carry different meanings to different cultures.

Malays use “uh-uh” to mean “I agree”; Americans use “uh-uh” to mean
“I don’t agree”.

Do some research on nonverbal symbols of nationalities you are not

familiar with especially if you are communicating with people of other
nationalities for the first time.

73 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Remember to always stay open-minded, be patient and forgiving rather
than quick to show aggression or hostility should problems develop.
Problems should be dealt with cautiously and be prepared to adjust your
behaviour accordingly.

Summary

In this section, we discussed the four basic communication skills

required at the workplace — i.e., reading, listening, speaking and
writing. You attempted activities where you had the opportunity
to apply these skills. You also listened to some dialogues online.
The importance of teamwork was explained and we discussed
how effective teams function. We analysed cultural and other
diversities at the workplace.

We hope this section has made you aware of the importance of

communication skills especially at the workplace. Do put to use
what you have learnt at your place of work. Remember to select
your words carefully when you speak and write. Be alert to what
others say and to the nonverbal signals which accompany the
verbal message. Skim and scan information given to you carefully.
Also, be alert to diversities at the workplace.

Have fun communicating!

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 74

 Self-test 1.2

When we communicate, we want others to respond positively.

Using negative words, gender-biased expressions and complicated
expressions which other nationalities do not really understand will
lead to negative reactions.

Imagine you are speaking to a person of another nationality whose

mother tongue is not English. Reword the following expressions,
making sure there is no bias and that the receiver will understand
and respond positively to the message.

1. We need to finish this ASAP. After that, we can take five.

2. I have not met your secretary but I think she has made many
mistakes when typing this report. She will have to correct
these mistakes.

3. I think we can hit the road after the meeting.

4. It’s been a long session. Let’s have tea now, shall we?

5. That employee was axed because he had no communication

skills at all.

6. I don’t understand what you are saying. Can you speak clearly
and slowly?

75 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Suggested answers to activities

Feedback

Activity 1.5

1. The telephone number of Jamil Tech is 03-78768442.

2. The person to contact is Joe Aeria.

3. The blacklisted suppliers are Data Analysis and Mawana

Supplies.

4. The most regular and reliable supplier is Rainer Sdn. Bhd.

5. There are two suppliers from Penang and Rainer Sdn. Bhd.
is the more reliable of the two.

Activity 1.6

1. What do you think are the possible causes of this problem?

2. How can this problem be solved?

3. Why should we take the second alternative to this problem?

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 76

 1.3 The Communication
Process
Objectives

By the end of this section, you should be able to:

1. Describe the communication process and the main

elements involved in the process.

2. Explain the responsibilities of senders and receivers of

messages in communication.

3. Ask for and respond to feedback when communicating.

4. Use suitable channels and media when communicating.

5. Identify and overcome communication barriers.

Introduction
We communicate using a variety of channels and media everyday without
sometimes realising that communication is actually a process which
involves several phases. The sender thinks of an idea, encodes the idea
and sends the message using the appropriate channel, whether it be
verbal, nonverbal, spoken or written. The sender also selects a suitable
medium for the message. The person may decide to use the telephone,
write an email message or prepare a report to get the message across.
The receiver decodes and interprets the message and he/she responds
to the message using a channel and a medium of his/her choice.

77 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

This feedback enables the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of the
message sent.

Sometimes, we go through the entire communication process several

times before we accomplish a task. For example, if you have an idea which
you want to share with another colleague, you send your message using
a channel and medium of your choice and your colleague responds with a
question. In this case, you reply, going through the entire communication
process again, this time with an answer to your colleague’s question.
Figure 1.9 shows the different phases of the communication process.

Sender Receiver responds and

conceives idea Channel sends feedback
(verbal,
nonverbal,
Sender encodes spoken,
Receiver decodes and
(i.e., converts) idea written)
interprets message
into message and medium
(letter, email,
telephone,
Sender sends etc.) Receiver gets
message message

Figure 1.9 The sender, message and receiver

Communication can be between two or more people or between man

and machine(s). As mentioned earlier in section 2 of this unit, we have
voicemail and voice recognition devices which we can actually make use
of to communicate with others. Sometimes, the entire communication
process can be completed without another human being coming into
the picture.

Irrespective of what or who we are communicating with, it is vital to

ensure that the communication is effective and this is especially so at
the workplace. Since communication is a process, it is necessary to
understand the process itself as well as the barriers to this process if
we want to communicate successfully.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 78

 This section discusses the phases involved in the communication
process and helps you realise the importance of each component of
the process. You will be evaluating different channels and media used in
communication. You will also be analysing barriers to the communication
process.

The sender, message and receiver

There are two participants in a communication process: the sender and
the receiver. The third component in the communication process is the
message which is being sent from one party to the other.

The sender

All communication begins with the sender who has an idea. In order to
get the idea across in the best possible way, the sender has to take into
consideration several factors. The sender must understand the receiver
and analyse the environment in which the message will be sent. It is also
the responsibility of the sender to ask questions and to encourage the
other party to provide feedback.

Given here are some factors the sender should take into consideration
in preparing the message.

Analysis of the audience/receiver

It is the responsibility of the sender to make sure he/she understands the

person who is going to receive the message so that he/she can get the
message across in a way meaningful to the receiver. A person skilled in
communication will analyse the receiver’s background, culture, beliefs,
age, status, emotional state and a variety of other factors before deciding
how best to communicate a message.

79 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

You may not be aware of it but you probably have analysed your audience
before passing on a message. If you knew that your superior was in the
midst of a bitter argument with his/her spouse, you probably would have
held back a proposal till later.

Audience analysis requires much more than just assessing the emotional
condition of the person you are dealing with. If you are dealing with a
potential customer, you need to know the educational qualifications
and work experience of that person so that you will be able to transmit
a message which is neither too difficult nor too technical for him/her.
If you are selling electronic parts to an engineer with many years of
experience in electronics, you can use technical terms in your message
without wondering if he/she can comprehend the message. However, if
your customer is a businessman with little education, you may want to
avoid technical terms when talking to him.

If you are sending a message, you need to analyse the person you are
going to communicate with. You should know the person’s concerns and
motives. If you are communicating across cultures, you need to study
his/her cultural background as well.

The sender should be aware of certain techniques that can be used in

preparing a message. Usually, when delivering good news, the main idea
(i.e., the good news) is given first. This will be followed by supporting
ideas. On the other hand, if it is bad news you are conveying, give the
reasons first before delivering the news.

1. Delivering good news

• Congratulations! You have been promoted.

• Your proposal has been accepted. Your suggestion was

well-supported and we think it is feasible.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 80

 2. Delivering bad news

• This is the peak period when room occupancy in the hotel

is very high. Your application for leave cannot be
considered at this time.

• The company has not been doing well. Some of the staff
will have to be retrenched.

Techniques to use when preparing messages

Another technique we use in business communication is to adopt a You-

attitude when talking to someone. This puts the receiver first and the
sender second. It helps reinforce the impression that the receiver is more
important. Look at the following sentences which show the difference
between the I-attitude and the You-attitude.

1. I-attitude

• I can only pay the rental later this month.

• We cannot entertain your request now as we are short of

staff. We may be able to consider the request later.

2. You-attitude

• You will receive the rental later this month.

• Your request will be entertained later as we are currently

short of staff.

81 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Message environment

The environment must be conducive to the message. The timing and

the place where the message is conveyed play an integral part in the
communication process. If you want to ask for a pay rise, do so in a
proper environment and at the right time — not in the middle of a meeting
or when the company is retrenching workers. Some people prefer to
discuss business deals in the conference room while others prefer to talk
over a game of golf. Selecting an environment preferred by the person
receiving the message is of vital importance in any business dealing.

Activity 1.7

Analyse the following situations and compose the good news

or bad news messages you will transmit to the other party.

1. You are the production manager of a factory. There have

been some problems in the production plant and you are
unable to meet the deadline set for delivery of the goods.
You have to inform your customer about this.

2. You are one of the managers working for a company which

has made a huge net profit. You have been asked to tell your
staff about this and to tell them to expect a three-month
bonus at the end of the year.

3. You have won a prize in a slogan-writing contest. You wrote

this slogan with the help of a colleague. Share this good news
with your colleague.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 82

 4. You work as a sales executive selling cars in Kuala Lumpur.
Sales have been falling and you have been asked to tell your
colleagues that many of them will be deployed to East
Malaysia as part of the restructuring exercise.

The message

A message carries meaning. It may be verbal or nonverbal. It can be

a simple memo, a company report or a nonverbal signal like a nod or
a smile.

Suppose you are happy about the sales figures and you want to share
this with your colleagues. You will need to convert this feeling into words
accompanied by nonverbal signals like a smile. This is referred to as
coding a message. The receiver has to decode and interpret your oral
as well as nonverbal message as accurately as possible. We will discuss
coding and decoding later in this section.

The receiver

The receiver is the person to whom your message is directed. It is the

responsibility of the receiver to decode the sender’s message. The
receiver either reads or listens to the message. The message, irrespective
of the medium, must be correctly interpreted. Otherwise, there will be
miscommunication.

If you are the receiver, it is your duty to tell the sender whether you
understand the message. Do not assume you are so capable that you
can understand everything. You must be willing to put aside your ego
and ask for clarification if you are not sure what the message means. If
you are listening to a person, ask questions or contact the writer if you
have any queries about the message. Whatever it is, make sure that you
(as the receiver) have an accurate understanding of the message.

83 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Factors like cultural diversities, differences in opinion and the emotional
state of the receiver may affect the interpretation of the message.
Therefore, it is important that the receiver must be prepared to put aside
differences of opinion and culture and to accept the message with an
open mind.

Feedback
The receiver who gets the message interprets it and then responds to
the message. This response is referred to as feedback. The sender can
evaluate how well the message has been understood based on the
response. Feedback sorts out misunderstandings. It is important if you
want to develop and maintain a good relationship with the other party. In
fact, feedback is one of the most important phases of any communication
process.

The process of communication is actually quite complex. One-way

communication occurs when a message is received and no feedback
is given. In this case, the communication process is incomplete and has
failed. Two-way communication is when there is feedback. In this case,
the person providing the feedback becomes the sender. In the process
of a normal two-way conversation, the parties involved take on different
roles each time they speak, listen and then speak again. Communication
is successful only when it is two-way. This explains the importance of
feedback in the communication process. Figure 1.10 helps to explain
this process.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 84

 Sender First message Receiver

Receiver Reply – i.e., second message Sender

Figure 1.10 Feedback in the communication process

Feedback may be in any form. It may just be a smile and a nod or it may
be a verbal or written message in response to yours. Remember that
feedback is vital in any communication as it is the only way the sender
can know if the message has been understood. Feedback should be as
accurate and as sincere as possible. A speaker addressing an audience
can only know if his/her message has been understood through feedback
which may be in the form of a nod, a frown or a question.

Positive feedback is given when the communication is effective. If the

receiver does not understand the message, then negative feedback is
given. It is the sender’s responsibility to encourage feedback and to
welcome both positive and negative responses.

A good communicator accepts and even welcomes negative feedback.

He/She is receptive to ideas. In this way, you encourage discussion. You
will be in a better position to make wisely-deliberated decisions and to
solve problems.

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Follow-up feedback is useful in a business setting. Calling up your
customers to see if there is anything they need is a follow-up service
they will definitely appreciate. Keeping in touch with business associates
will help to establish and maintain a relationship which will be to your
advantage in the future.

Activity 1.8

Answer the following questions.

1. Look at the statements below and indicate whether the

feedback is positive or negative.

a. “What do we do after that?” ________________________

b. “Can you repeat what you said?” ___________________

c. “That’s a good idea.” ______________________________

d. “I’m not sure what you mean.” _____________________

2. Study the following situations and decide on appropriate

feedback.

a. You listen to a customer who has a whole list of

complaints.
_________________________________________________

b. One of your workers is late for work. She apologises for

being late and explains that she had to take her baby
to see a doctor.
_________________________________________________

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 86

 3. Explain the various ways participants at a meeting can
provide feedback.
_____________________________________________________

4. In what ways can the audience of live theatre performances

provide feedback to the performers?
_____________________________________________________

Choosing the right communication channel and

media
Messages are sent through a channel using a medium such as speech
or writing and they are accompanied by nonverbal signals. Messages
are received and interpreted through the channel sent, using media like
listening and reading.

Choosing the right channel

Messages are sent through a channel. The channel may be a letter,

an email message, a telephone call or a meeting. Choosing the most
appropriate channel to achieve your purpose is crucial. Selecting the
wrong channel may be a waste of time or may even bring disastrous
results. For example, if you speak to a customer who has called up with
a simple complaint, you can pacify the customer and sometimes solve
the problem there and then over the telephone. If however the customer
has to wait for an official reply in the form of a letter, this may prove
frustrating to the customer and will actually be a waste of company time.

The communication channels can be classified in several ways. They can

be classified into the verbal channel and the nonverbal channel.

87 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Verbal channels

Verbal channels include all forms of writing and speaking.

Written verbal communication channels include reports, memos, email

messages, graphs and maps.

Spoken verbal communication channels can come in the form of

telephone conversations, face-to-face conversations, discussions at
meetings and speeches.

Nonverbal channels

It is much faster and more cost-effective to communicate through

nonverbal channels as facial expressions speak volumes. A wave from far
away can replace a verbal greeting. Of course, the nonverbal expression
is usually accompanied by some words.

As communication involves the use of our five senses as well, the

channels used are sometimes classified according to our senses:

1. Hearing or aural channel

This channel is used when we speak and others listen. This is a

quick and easy method of communicating but is most effective
only when the listener is attentive and not easily distracted.

2. Visual channel

People remember what they see better than what they hear.
Colour visuals attract attention and the visual channel is usually
more precise and accurate.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 88

 3. Touch channel

We sometimes convey messages through physical contact.

We shake hands or hug one another. The main disadvantage
is that this sense may be interpreted differently by different
cultures. However, it can prove very effective when it is used
correctly. For example, a hands-on training session on how
to use WawasanLearn is definitely more effective than spoken
instructions and explanations given by the tutor.

4. Taste and smell channels

Having lunch with a business associate helps to establish

a relationship. Emitting just the right amount of cologne or
perfume can contribute towards communication. It is obvious
we would prefer to communicate with someone who smells
good rather than with someone with strong body odour.

Usually, we use a combination of these channels when we communicate.

When we conduct or attend a training programme, we will use both
the verbal and nonverbal channels. At the same time, we use the aural
channel to explain, the visual channel to look at the slides and the touch
channel as well if the training is hands-on.

Choosing the right channel or combination of channels is very important

in communication. You select the channel depending on your purpose.
If you plan to create a better relationship or to get fresh ideas, it is likely
that you select a more personal channel like face-to-face communication
or a meeting. Alternatively, if you want to make a public announcement,
then an impersonal statement to the press would be sufficient.

89 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Think about the various channels of communication and make sure that
you select the most appropriate channel or combination of channels
when you communicate.

Choosing the right media

We send messages by speaking or writing and we receive them by

listening to the message or by reading it. These are the four media we
use in communication.

The sender usually chooses the media depending on the situation and
on the sender’s own skill. If you are an impressive speaker who delivers
your message well, you may prefer to use this medium when the situation
permits. If however you tend to be nervous and say the wrong things
when you come face-to-face with another person, you may prefer to write.

The receiver usually has little say over the choice of medium. If someone
speaks to you, you listen. If a colleague writes to you, you read the reply.

However, if the communication process goes through several cycles,

then the medium used may change. For example, your manager speaks
to you and asks for a report of the staff in your department. You listen
and respond verbally by saying you will send it. You check your records
and write the report, sending it by email. Your manager reads the report
and replies to your email message. You will notice that all four media are
used in this simple communication of information.

Communication barriers
Anything which interferes with the communication process and causes
the message to be blocked or lost is a barrier to communication. You
should be alert to common communication barriers so that you can be
more effective when you are communicating.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 90

 Types of communication barriers

Communication barriers can be classified into two categories:

1. External barriers

Factors beyond the control of the sender and the receiver

are referred to as external barriers. Physical distractions
like poor reception, a breakdown in the air-conditioning or
sound system and even uncomfortable seating can affect
communication. Since most of these external barriers are either
unexpected or unavoidable, both the sender and the receiver
should be prepared to adapt to the situation and cater to
these barriers. Where possible, we should be prepared with a
contingency plan.

For example, if the air-conditioning system breaks down in the

middle of your presentation, you might need to pause to find
out whether anyone is attending to the problem and how long
it will be before the air-conditioner can function properly again.
If you are at the start of a half-day session and there is no one
around to fix the air-conditioner, you might need to consider
changing the venue or even postponing the presentation if the
situation permits. A perspiring audience sitting in a packed hall
will not be able to take in much of what you say. The paper you
prepared so carefully will be wasted when you deliver it as the
receivers may not receive your message well.

However if it is the computer which has broken down, meaning

you are unable to use the PowerPoint slides you have prepared,
then you may need to adapt and speak without the slides.
The audience will also have to adapt and accept just an audio
presentation. Many speakers come ready with a laptop as part
of their contingency plan.

91 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

 2. Internal barriers

Internal barriers are basically related directly to either the sender

or the receiver. They arise as a result of the personality and
beliefs of the parties involved in the communication process.
We all have preconceived impressions of certain issues.
When the perception of the sender is different from that of the
receiver, a barrier is created. A very outspoken person may
say something seemingly harmless to himself/herself but may
hurt a sensitive receiver. A lack of understanding of another’s
culture may also pose a barrier to communication. Internal
barriers can be minimised with a proper audience analysis and
an open mind.

Overcoming communication barriers

In order to improve our communication skills, it is essential that we are

prepared to overcome common communication barriers. The following
tips may prove helpful.

1. Adopt an audience-centred approach

Conducting an audience analysis prior to the communication

process is ideal. However, we are very often caught unawares
when we have to start communicating the moment we meet
a person. The audience analysis is done during the first few
minutes as you get to know the person better. Tread carefully
and use your common sense to assess the person you are
dealing with.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 92

 2. Create an open communication climate

Encourage feedback. Be open-minded and receptive to

opinions. An organisation which encourages an open climate
will encourage creativity among the employees as they will not
feel inhibited.

3. Adapting to and minimising external barriers

Do not allow external barriers like noise to affect your

communication. If your handphone rings when you are at the
production line, move to a quieter place where you can hear
the caller clearly. If the microphone breaks down, the speaker
needs to speak louder while the audience should make an
attempt not be affected by distractions and listen attentively.

Summary

In this section, we have analysed the entire communication

process. We have assessed the roles played by the sender and
the receiver and discussed the importance of selecting the correct
media and channel for communication. We also discussed the
barriers to communication and the methods of overcoming them.

You attempted several activities related to the communication

process and you also completed a case study activity.

You should be aware by now that communication is actually a

very complex process and that, to be a good communicator, you
need to analyse every stage of the process.

93 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Try applying what you have learnt at your workplace. When the
opportunity permits, spend some time thinking about your role in
the communication process. Consider the various channels and
media as you decide how best to communicate. At the end of a
day at work, analyse the complete communication process you
used when communicating with some of your colleagues at the
workplace. This will enable you to assess whether you have been
successful in communicating messages and it will add some fun
into your learning.

Self-test 1.3

Answer the following questions.

1. Identify and briefly explain the barriers to communication.

_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. You manage a bakery in Petaling Jaya. A potential customer

from Penang has sent an email message to ask if you can
deliver a birthday cake to a person in Petaling Jaya the next
day. You have the writer’s email address and telephone
number. What channel would you use to respond to the email
message? Why?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 94

 2. You manage a bakery in Petaling Jaya. A potential customer
from Penang has sent an email message to ask if you can
deliver a birthday cake to a person in Petaling Jaya the next
day. You have the writer’s email address and telephone
number. What channel would you use to respond to the email
message? Why?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

3. You have been asked to talk to a group of foreign tour agents

with the intention of encouraging foreign tourists to visit
Malaysia. What will you look for in the course of conducting
an audience analysis? Why?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

Suggested answers to activities

Feedback

Activity 1.7

1. There have been some problems at the production plant. We

are sorry that we are unable to meet the delivery deadline.

95 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

2. Congratulations! You’re all going to get a three-month bonus
at the end of the year. Our company has made a huge net
profit.

3. Good news! We have won the slogan-writing contest.

4. Sales have been falling. As part of the restructuring exercise,

some of you will be deployed to East Malaysia.

Activity 1.8

1. a. Positive feedback.

b. Negative feedback.

c. Positive feedback.

d. Negative feedback.

2. a. Thank you for bringing your complaints to our attention.

I shall look into the matter and get back to you tomorrow.

b. I hope your baby gets well soon but you should have
informed me or the human resources manager early
in the day. In case you are going to be late again, please
remember to call.

3. Participants at a meeting can provide feedback using

nonverbal signals as well as through speech. They can
respond either positively or negatively to seek clarification
or participate in a discussion.

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 96

 4. The audience of live theatre performances can provide
feedback both verbally as well as nonverbally. They can
clap their hands and they can smile to show that they
appreciate the performance. They can cheer the performers
with words of encouragement. However, their body language
would be enough to show the performers if they are not
satisfied with the performance.

97 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

Summary of Unit 1

Summary

This unit covers the entire communication process and has

introduced you to the forms of communication. You looked at how
information travels in an organisation. You also attempted exercises
geared towards helping you improve on your communication skills.
You worked on activities related to the basic reading skills of
skimming and scanning as well as exercises to help you improve
on your listening skills.

We focused on the importance of teamwork and diversities at the

workplace which may pose as barriers to communication. You
analysed the roles of participants in the communication process as
well as the variety of channels and media used for communication.
You were also reminded about the effect electronic communication
has had on our lives and the importance of being able to adapt
to change.

We hope you manage to put to use what you have learnt in this
unit at your place of work and have had fun with some of the
suggested activities.

We will meet again in Unit 2 where we will be dealing with effective

telephone skills. Meanwhile, have fun communicating!

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 98

 Suggested Answers to Self-
tests

Feedback

Self-test 1.1

1. Among the basic forms of nonverbal communication are

body language, vocal characteristics and personal
appearance. Body language includes facial expressions,
eye contact, body movements and posture. Vocal
characteristics refer to the tone of your voice as well as the
speed, volume and rhythm of your speech. Personal
appearance includes personal grooming, proper clothing
and accessories.

2. I work for a small organisation with just the manager and

three sales personnel. Information flows laterally, upwards
and downwards easily as there are so few of us in the
company.

Manager

Sales Sales Sales

executive executive executive

99 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

3. Electronic mail (i.e., email) is probably the most commonly
used online communication tool at the workplace. This is
probably because it is fast, efficient and convenient for
short messages.

4. Voicemail saves manpower and time. It replaces the

operator and can answer commonly asked questions. The
main disadvantage is that voicemail sometimes forces the
caller to go through endless menus before the caller can
speak to the person he/she wants to get in touch with.

Self-test 1.2

1. We should finish this as soon as possible. Then, we can take

a break.

2. Perhaps your secretary could make the corrections to the

report.

3. I think we can start our journey after the meeting.

4. It’s been a long session. Shall we take a break and have some
refreshments?

5. That employee was removed because of his poor

communication skills.

6. Could you please repeat what you said?

UNIT 1 Communication for career success 100

 Self-test 1.3

1. There are external as well as internal barriers to communication.

External barriers are beyond the control of both the sender
and receiver and include factors like distractions and electrical
failure. Internal barriers are related to certain preconceived
ideas ingrained into the minds of either the sender or the
receiver. These beliefs and personal opinions affect
communication.

2. I would respond by making a telephone call to the potential

customer because the order is for the next day. There may
be a delay in transmission if I send an email reply.

3. I would check the countries they come from and conduct

research about the religious beliefs and cultural values of the
people there. I would also check the status and seniority as
well as the ages of the people who are likely to be in my
audience. I will also check on their proficiency in the English
language. These will help me prepare a presentation which
will be of their level and which will appeal to them. I can also
avoid issues which the audience may consider sensitive.

101 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

References
AirAsia.com, http://www.airasia.com/site/en/home.jsp (Accessed
05 January 2014)

Bovee, C L, Thill, J V and Schatzman, B E (2004) Business Communication

Essentials, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Bovee, C L, Thill, J V and Schatzman, B E (2002) Business Communication

Today, 7th edn, USA: Bovee and Thill LLC.

Department of Statistics Malaysia (2007) External trade, http://www.

statistics.gov.my/english/frameset_keystats.php (Accessed 16 June
2008)

Department of Statistics Malaysia (2007) Major imports, http://www.

statistics.gov.my/english/frameset_keystats.php (Accessed 16 June
2008)

Department of Statistics Malaysia (2007) Population by age group,

http://www.statistics.gov.my/english/frameset_keystats.php (Accessed
16 June 2008)

Dostal, J and Vincent, D S (1997) Technical Communication: A Guided

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for Empowering Internet Generation, 10th edn, New York: McGraw-Hill/
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UNIT 1 Communication for career success 102

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103 WUC 107/03 Workplace Communication Skills

COURSE TEAM
Course Team Coordinator: Ms. Jasmine Emmanuel
Content Writers: Ms. Selina Rogers, Ms. Yeoh Suan Choo, Ms. Jasmine Emmanuel and
En. Norrizal bin Abdul Razak
Instructional Designers: Professor Dr. Ng Wai Kong, Dr. Madhu Parhar and Ms. Patricia Toh
Academic Members: Dr. Tan Toh Wah and Professor Dr. Cheah Kooi Guan

COURSE COORDINATOR
Ms. Jasmine Emmanuel

EXTERNAL COURSE ASSESSOR

Associate Professor Dr. Malachi Edwin Vethamani

PRODUCTION
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First revision 2015, Second revision 2018

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