Communicating for Life SCENARIO ACTIVITY

Three Basics of Communication ◦1. Communication is a two-way process ◦2. Communication can be intentional or unintentional ◦3. Communication occurs even when the interpretation does not match the original intent.

Relays a Message  Language relays cultural, social, educational, and technical competence IMPORTANT: Choose words carefully when speaking as well as when sending messages electronically ◦Spelling Errors ◦Tone

To Communicate Effectively for Life 1.Understand the importance of studying communication 2.Understand the communication process 3.Understand types of communication 4.Understand basic communication principles

Choices & Consequences Get out a sheet of paper.  Describe a situation where you said something and then had to convince someone that you didn’t really mean it.  What were the consequences of your communication? We will share these scenarios.

Why is Communication Important? WE COMMUNICATE TO…INDEX CARD SURVEY – CRITICAL THINKING On your index card, answer the following: Why are you taking this class? What is your career goal? Why would a class in communication be so important that everyone in the school must take it in order to graduate?

Communication Process Activity 1 Communicators Messages A Channel Circumstances Feedback (sometimes) Noise

Communicators People involved in a verbal/nonverbal exchange. be aware that you are intentionally and unintentionally send and receive messages

Messages Communicators deliver both verbal and nonverbal messages Encoding – communicator reviews all of the available symbols or actions that could represent the thought and selects the most appropriate ones Decoding – thinking about the received symbols or actions, applying meaning to them, and making them into a usable thought for an appropriate response

Channel  Messages must go through a medium to get from one communicator to another  Different channels = different sensory receptors  Channels – cell phones, computers, newspapers, radio, tv, books, notes, sound systems, social media, and face-to-face interactions

Channel – Critical Thinking Discussion Describe a recent event where you chose the wrong channel to communicate an important message to someone else. When have you used technical channels to communicate important issues because it is easier than saying something in person?

Circumstances o Refer to the context of the situation and to the fundamental nature of the communicator o Communicator’s background, attitudes, beliefs, and values contribute to his or her fundamental nature o The context in which communication occurs also contributes to the meaning of a message

Feedback The response one communicator gives to another Feedback can also be verbal or nonverbal

Noise Anything that interrupts communicators from encoding, sending, receiving, and/or decoding a message properly Three Types of Noise – ◦1. Physical: anything external; distracts and competes with our thought process ◦2. Personal: ongoing thoughts in our minds ◦3. Semantic: Occurs when the person you are communicating with speaks a different language, uses technical jargon, and/or resorts to emotionally charged words

Personal Noise Types 1.Prejudice: occurs when we have a pre-conceived, often negative, view of someone or something (bias). We must be aware of and choose to work towards eliminating these prejudices. 2.Closed-mindedness: occurs when we refuse to listen to another person’s point of view. 3.Self-centered: occurs when we focus more on ourselves than on the other person; also includes technology as a sub-category

Communication Process Activity 2

Types of Communication 1.Intrapersonal communication – communication within yourself 2.Interpersonal communication – communicating with another person 3.Small Group Communication – communicating with 3-20 people who have a common goal 4.Public Communication – communicating with a large audience

Intra vs Inter - personal INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION When we mentally review or rehearse conversations/experiences Meditation Reflection Strategizing Self INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION When two people speak with one another Helps create and maintain our relationships Face-to-face vs. mass interpersonal communication (social networking)

Small Group Communication  Groups share a sense of belonging and have common goals and beliefs  Groups with task goals meet to solve a problem or to complete an assignment  Teams are a type of small group; work on tasks designed to accomplish a specific goal

Public Communication  Occurs when a communicator informs, persuades, and/or entertains a group of people.  Organized message & official audience  Prepare for their event  Examples: School assemblies, oral presentations, political speeches, sermons

Basic Communication Principles 1. We cannot NOT communicate – everything we do is received and interpreted by someone, somewhere 2. Communication is irreversible – if you say or do something that upsets another person, you can’t change it. Intentional or unintentional 3. Communication is a continuing process – information we collect becomes part of our circumstances and affects our future communication 4. Communication involves ethical considerations

Adapting Freedom of speech exists, yes, but if you want to have relationships with people and to hold a successful job, you may need to learn to adapt to different situations Adaptability – the ability to choose the appropriate communication style for the situation and the participants