Download Speaking Skills

Part 2 – Skills for Success
Chapter 5
Communicating on
the Job
Objectives
Determine how well you listen and how
you can perfect this skill.
 Identify ways you can improve your
reading and comprehension skills.
 Write business letters, memorandums, and
reports.

continued
Objectives
Identify ways you can improve your
speaking skills when interacting with
others.
 Describe technological tools in the
workplace that aid communications with
others.
 Build workplace competencies in using
interpersonal skills, information, and
technology.

Communication

The process of conveying a
message, thought, or idea so
it is accurately received and
understood.
Communication skills needed
in the workplace are listening,
reading, writing, and
speaking.
 Employers also want workers
to be skillful in using
communication technology.
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Communication Model
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Sender – starts communication
Encoder – forms mental picture
Message – something
understood by the senses
(written, spoken, printed)
Channels – how message is
delivered
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Receiver – gets message
Decoder – forms mental
picture
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Feedback – reveals what
message was received
Noise – anything that
interrupts message
Effective Communication
The communication process is more complex
than just speaking or writing to another person.
 The way the receiver reacts conveys what
message they understood.
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If the reaction is not what you expected, the receiver
may have misunderstood the message.
Aside from interference you hear, noise is a
psychological factor that affects conversations.
 Conflict between the sender and receiver can
result in psychological noise.

Listening Skills
Sometimes mistaken for the same,
listening and hearing are completely
different.
 When you hear something, you simply
recognize the sound.
 When you listen to someone, you
understand what you hear.
 Communication does not take place if the
person is not listening when the message
is sent.

Failure to Listen

The following situations often
lead to people not listening:
Being interrupted.
 Thinking they know what will be
said.
 Disagreeing with what is said.
 Having difficulty hearing.
 Being distracted by the speaker.
 Not understanding the words.
 Thinking about something else.

Reading and
Comprehension Skills
At your job you will be expected to read
many types of printed material.
 Aside from simply being able to sound out
the words, you need to be able to
comprehend, or understand, the
information.
 Good reading and comprehension skills
will help you do well on the job.

Becoming a Better Reader

Use the following
guidelines to improve
reading skills:
read with purpose
 look over the material you
are reading first
 try to read for meaning
 try to improve your
vocabulary

Writing and Keyboarding Skills
Both writing and
keyboarding are important
skills for an employee.
 Good writing is critical to
present clear and logical
thoughts.
 Basic keyboarding skill will
help you compose
workplace communications
and key-in data.

Business Letters
Letters written in the workplace are more
formal than personal letters.
 Business letters have different parts, use
specific styles, and have a distinct
appearance.
 It is important to keep a copy of every
business letter you write.

Parts of a Business Letter
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Return address
Date
Inside address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary close
Signature
Reference initials
Types of Business Letters

Business letters are usually written for one
of three reasons:
 to
request information, merchandise, or
service
 to send good news or a neutral message
 to deliver bad news
Request Letters

Three main points to cover
 your
request and why you are making it
 details necessary for the reader to respond
to your request correctly
 what action you want the reader to take and
when
Good News and Neutral-Message
Letters

Three important points
to tell the reader
 the
news or the main
idea
 any details, facts, or
reasons that relate to it
 an ending with a
positive, friendly note
Bad-News Letters

Four important points to tell the reader
 something
positive that interests the reader,
yet relates to the bad news
 why the request cannot be granted or why
the situation must be different from the way
the reader wants it
 a constructive suggestion or an alternative
 an ending with a friendly, positive note
Appearance of a Business
Letter
A letter needs margins, or blank space, at the
top, sides, and bottom of the paper.
 In the block-form letter, all parts begin at the
left margin with no indentation.
 In the modified block-form letter, the paragraphs
may be indented and all parts begin at the left
margin except the return address, date,
complimentary close, name, and signature.

Appearance of a Business
Envelope
The inside address needs to be repeated slightly
above the center.
 The return address, with the full name of the
sender, goes in the upper left corner.
 Printing the customer address in full uppercase
letters works best in U.S. Postal Service
scanners.
 Always include the zip code and two-letter state
abbreviation developed by the postal service.
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Memos
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A memo is a short informal written message to or
from people or departments in the same
company.
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Standard parts of a memo include
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date
to
from
subject
body
Business Reports
Business reports are written to present a
new idea, explain a problem, or
summarize work.
 When planning your report, you should

 define
the purpose.
 consider who will receive the report and how
much detail they need.
 determine what ideas need to be included.
Formal and Informal Reports
Formal reports are usually long and about
complex problems.
 Informal reports are short and include the
body of the message, like the body of a
letter or memo.

Nonverbal Communication

Any message that does
not use written or
spoken words.
Nonverbal
communications should
reflect what you are
saying in written or
verbal form.
 The meaning of what
you say can be altered
by facial expressions,
gestures, and posture.

Speaking Skills
Employers usually consider speaking skills one of
the basic skills needed by effective workers.
 When speaking to others, follow these
guidelines
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speak clearly and distinctly
speak to the listener
speak with a friendly, courteous tone
use standard English
talk “with” the listener, not “to” the listener
Talking on the Phone
One of the quickest ways to communicate in the
workplace is with the telephone.
 Pointers to improve work-related telephone skills

answer the phone immediately
 greet the caller pleasantly
 give the name of your company, your department, or
your own name
 speak clearly and say each word distinctly
 end the conversation pleasantly

Taking a Phone Message
Be prepared with pen and
paper so you can write down
messages.
 Record the following:
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date
time of the call
name of caller
name of person who should
receive the message
the message itself
Read the message back to the
caller to make sure it is correct.
Communication Technology
Methods of communicating are rapidly changing
in the workplace.
 The speed of communicating is also much faster
due to technology.
 Technology used in the workplace includes
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computers and access to e-mail
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voice mail
cellular phones
walkie-talkies
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headsets which allow you to multitask
teleconferencing and videoconferencing
Informal Communication
Channels

Unscheduled communication with coworkers that
occurs by chance is informal communication.
Sometimes more information is communicated in
the workplace informally rather than formally.
 It is important to distinguish facts from gossip.
 These communications take place in a variety of
settings
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while commuting
while on a shift change
during work breaks
Thinking Back
What skills are
required for effective
communications?
 What new
technologies are
employed in
communications?
 What are some
differences between
formal and informal
communications?
