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BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
Good effective communication
The Anti-Discrimination Act sets as a legal requirement that we value and treat all individuals
with respect and courtesy in order not to discriminate them because of their gender, race,
age, sexual preferences or religion. In every formal or informal communication, we must
keep into account people cultural differences and try to maintain a positive relationship by
trying to overcome language barriers or cultural differences. A flexible and polite approach is
key to successful and effective communication in order to relate to other people, being
colleagues, customers or other parties.
What makes good communication and Barriers to good communication
Semantic (language related): message is badly expressed, words or symbols with different
meanings, faulty translation, use of technical jargon, cultural diversity.
Emotional and psychological: emotional state when communicating can lead to
misinterpretation, digging out meaning that is not in the message, loss of transmission when
the message is relayed orally from person to person and the final message has been
modified in comparison to the original. Lack of attention, lack of trust in the other party.
Organisational or process barriers: rules, written and unwritten, that are followed within
an organisation which hinder good communication. The type of medium to be used, the steps
to be followed, the number of people to be involved, the status of the people involved etc.
Personal barriers: related to the personal relationship between the 2 parties involved. It
includes the personal lack of respect of authority, or the undermining and lack of confidence
in subordinates.
If you want to know more:
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business -communication/4-different-types-ofbarriers-to-effective-communication/1004/
Cultural differences
General Appearance and Dress
All cultures are concerned for how they look and make judgements based on looks and
dress. Consider differing cultural standards on what is attractive in dress and on what
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
constitutes modesty. Dress is considered an aspect of non-verbal communication and has
social significance for the audience. Dress also includes the things that people wear such as
jewellery, ties, handbags, hats and glasses. Clothing conveys nonverbal clues about a
speaker's personality, background and financial status. Your clothing style can demonstrate
your culture, mood, level of confidence, interests, age, authority, values and sexual identity. It
is also important to be aware of what is considered to be formal wear in different cultures.
For example, wearing black or wearing white when attending a funeral.
Body Movement
As a general rule, body language is believed to comprise up to 90% of our total
communication. Studying certain patterns of movement allows us to communicate nonverbally within our own cultural groups. It is important to understand that one culture's set of
acceptable body language gestures or movements may not translate with the same meaning
in a different culture. For example, a handshake can denote a greeting and respect in one
culture. That may not be the case in another culture, where a handshake may be taken as an
insult. Body language is in fact the most mistranslated form of human communication in our
world today and that is based on simple cultural differences.
Posture
They manner we sit, stand or hold our posture when communicating has different
interpretations around the world. Consider the following actions and note cultural differences:
Bowing (not done, criticized, or affected in US; shows rank in Japan)
Slouching (rude in most Northern European areas)
Hands in pocket (disrespectful in Turkey)
Sitting with legs crossed (offensive in Ghana, Turkey)
Showing soles of feet. (Offensive in Thailand, Saudi Arabia)
Gender differences on what is considered an appropriate sitting position are also quite
common.
Hand Gestures
There are a variety of hand gestures which are part of different cultures which can be easily
misinterpreted. The “ok” sign with the index finger and thumb joined together in a circle is an
example of completely different meaning in different cultures, in fact it is considered a
positive comment in western cultures, while is very offensive in others.
Finger counting (counting using your fingers) is also performed in different ways in different
cultures and might lead to confusion.
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
Also pointing or giving directions using your fingers can be seen to be rude in some cultures.
Facial Expressions
While some say that facial expressions are identical and are a hard-wired human behaviour
with evolutionary origins that does not differ across cultures, others believe that people from
different cultures perceive happy, sad or angry facial expressions in unique ways and
therefore the meaning attached to them differs among cultures.
For example:
Many Asian cultures suppress facial expression as much as possible.
Many Mediterranean (Latino / Arabic) cultures exaggerate grief or sadness
Some see “animated” expressions as a sign of a lack of control.
Too much smiling is viewed in as a sign of shallowness.
Eye Contact and Gaze
Certainly, there are many non-verbal cues that have completely different meanings in
different cultures. One of the most important means of nonverbal communication in any
culture is eye contact—or lack thereof
In Western cultures — see direct eye to eye contact as positive, we advise children to look a
person in the eyes, while in Japan, Africa, Latin American, Caribbean it is better to avoid eye
contact to show respect.
Touch
Touch is culturally determined! But each culture has a clear concept of what parts of the
body one may not touch. Basic message of touch is to affect or control, protect, support,
disapprove (i.e. hug, kiss, hit, kick).
The type of touching that is allowed when greeting someone is the most common example of
cultural differences. In some countries a handshake is seen as sufficient, while other cultures
may expect strangers to kiss or other cultures avoid any physical contact altogether.
In western cultures usually a handshake is common (even for strangers), hugs, kisses for
those of opposite gender or of family (usually) on an increasingly more intimate basis.
Islamic and Hindu: typically don’t touch with the left hand. To do so is a social insult. Left
hand is for toilet functions. Mannerly in India to break your bread only with your right hand
(sometimes difficult for non-Indians)
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
Islamic cultures generally don’t approve of any touching between genders (even
handshakes). But consider such touching (including hand holding, hugs) between same-sex
to be appropriate.
Many Asians don’t touch the head (Head houses the soul and a touch puts it in jeopardy).
Another simple example is when we purchase something and we are owed some change
back. Do you expect the change to be handed in the palm of your hand or do you expect it to
be left on the counter?
How to be a good communicator
Effective questioning and Active listening
Effective questioning
Key characteristics of a good communicator is the ability to ask the correct question and to
be at the same time an active listener. When asking a question, it is important to keep it
“open-ended”. Example of open-ended questions start with “how” and “what”. Questions
which can instead create conflict are “leading” questions; usually questions starting with
“why” are more challenging and not a good way to start a conversation. Good questioning
technique avoid making assumptions but rather focuses on finding out what the other
persons knows about the subject.
Active Listening
A good communicator is a good listener as well as a good presenter. It is important to realise
that when taking part in a conversation you must not just hear what the other person is
saying but trying to understand what they are saying. Listening is not just something you do
whilst others are talking. Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are
gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise
putting him or her down
The following are five key components of active listening:
Pay attention: look directly to the speaker and put aside any distracting thoughts
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
Show that you are listening: encourage the speaker to continue by nodding, giving short
verbal comments such as “yes”, “uhm”. Take notes if necessary. You might need to ask
questions or give feedback and it is useful to have key points to which refer.
Provide feedback: how that you are listening by summarizing what has been said – “you
are saying that…”, “so you are trying to say…”, “my understanding is…”
Defer judgement: interrupting the speaker is a waste of time. Give them opportunity to
present their points before asking questions.
Respond appropriately: be candid, honest and respectful in your comments. There is no
gain in hurting the other person.
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
Communicating in writing
A large amount of communication in a workplace is completed in written format. There are
some obvious advantages to communicating in writing, but we must make sure that our
language is clear and that the meaning can be easily understood by the receiver. It is also
important that any formal written communication follows specific corporate design or style
guides. A consistent format and high level of accuracy ensure that communication is more
effective and clearer to read. Of course any written communication should be proof read in
order to avoid misspelling, grammar mistakes or any other logical mistakes (addressing a
woman as Mr., etc)
What is a style guide or corporate design?
When producing written documents, it is important that they same style or “look” is applied. A
Style Guide is the framework of rules that must be followed when producing official company
documents. A good guide includes details about fonts, colours, font sizes and other formatting
to be followed in order to achieve a consistent look. A good guide will also include details on
best language and phases to be used especially when dealing with customers.
Communication mediums
Emails: the most common form of written communication. There are clear rules on how to
start a mail, end it, what to include in the body and salutation, etc. All these rules make up a
different set of style guide rules called netiquette
Letter: still a very common way to communicate, as in many occasions is used as proof that a
transaction has happened. Simple rules to follow: include your address at the beginning of the
letter, include the recipient full name and address, use the correct greeting, end the letter
with the correct formal salutation.
Memo: is a document used for internal communications within an organisation. It can be
formal or informal. The timing of it is a very important feature so usually the date and time
are included.
Poster: often used to advertise or as a form of internal communication on the business
premises.
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes
Leaflet: it can be a single page to a more complex and long document. It is used to provide
quite extensive information to the audience.
Flyer: another document usually made up of images and text. It is used to provide quick
information on a topic
Presentation: a presentation is usually multimedia, but often a printed copy is available for
the audience.
Note: usually a very informal but effective way to communicate with other people; just leave
a post-it with a short message on it.
BSBCMM201 – Communicate in the workplace
Theory Notes