1. Communication Technique Brenna Norman Columbia Southern University

2. Active Listening
As a good speaker one should involve the audience during the presentation.
He or she should not only inform their audience, they also listen to them.
Through active participation through question answer session, the I get to know the audience is listening and understanding the information
I also know which information is important to the audience and at what particular time.

3. Traits of effective listeners
This is how one knows a good listener, they;
Spend more time listening than talking
Does not finish the sentence of others.
Does not answer questions with questions.
Are aware of biases.
Never becomes preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk.
Lets the other speaker talk.
Provides feedback but do not interrupt incessantly

4. Communication
I base Communication as a two way process that involves the speaker and the audience.
The audience and the speaker interchangeably swap their roles for communication to happen.
Learning to identify the different communication styles - and recognizing which one we use most often in our daily interactions at the work place is essential in helping one to develop effective communication skills.

5. Decoding
When one is presenting to the audience, its important to avoid rushing them through.
Its good that, once one has made their point, he or she pauses a bit.
This is very helpful for the audience as it helps them digest the message and derive a meaning from it, according to the context of the communication.
This is what is called decoding.

6. Documenting
Documenting involves leaving a copy of the communication between the sender and the recipient with the sender.
It acts as a proof of communication between these two parties.
Documenting reduces cases of one party in the communication denying making or receiving the communication.
s are the best mode of communication in terms of documenting the communication.

7. Feedback
During communication, when one party in the communication sends a message to the recipient, the recipient on receipt of the message, decodes it to get the intended meaning.
For communication to be complete, the recipient needs to acknowledge receipt of the message by returning a feedback to the sender.
The feedback is important as it ensures that communication happens.

8. Professional communication style
Assertive communication – It’s born of high self-esteem.
It is the healthiest and most effective style of communication.
Offers the confidence to communicate without resorting to games or manipulation.
It shows respect for others and makes one not to push others too hard beyond their limits

9. Strengths of assertive communication
Good communication with the purpose of;
Helping people achieve their goals without hurting others
Helping others to protect their own rights and respectful of others' rights
Socially and emotionally expressive
Making your own choices and taking responsibility for them
Asking directly for needs to be met, while accepting the possibility of rejection
Accepting compliments

10. Improving Communication skills
So as to become an engaged listener
I should focus fully on the speaker, avoid interrupting, show your interest in what’s being said, try to set aside judgment, provide feedback,
I should pay attention to nonverbal signals
Be keen to notice change in voice, gestures, postures, facial expressions, spatial positions.
Keep my stress in check
Assert myself – Make direct and assertive expressions while communicating.

11. Receiving communication at workplace
A work place comprises people who are at different levels of management.
The organization has set goals to ensure that it progresses.
Therefore, I think the best way to receive communication from my superiors is through the aggressive style of communication through the electronic mails.
However, for collogues, assertive style of communication, through any channel of communication is preferred.

12. Email and calls from the superior is much preferable

13. Receiving communication at workplace
Communicating through phone call is a fast way of communicating. At a work place, communication through phone call is preferred when; there’s agent need for feedback,
Or when the sender of the message has no guarantee that the recipient of the communication has access to his/her mails at the time when action is required.
Or when it’s not a requirement for the sender to document the communication with the recipient

14. Communication – instant messaging/texting
Texting or instant messaging can be of great importance at workplaces.
It helps colleagues or teams form groups (of common interest) where they can quickly share the progress of project they are currently undertaking.
It’s a cheap and quick way to communicate within an organization.
It also helps employees socialize while going on with their daily duties.

15. Gossip
Gossip is an idle talk. In most cases touches on other people’s personal and private lives.
Social media is the greatest facilitator of fast spread of gossip.
Gossip through social media or sites helps third parties gain traffic to their social sites and as a result benefit financially.
Gossip should be avoided at the pla

16. Grapevine
Grapevine refers to the passing of information informally or unofficially by means of gossip or rumor.
Its characterized by passing of the information from person to person by a word of mouth.
It commonly happens among friends and collogues.
It can also be an overheard conversation with anonymous sources of information.

17. References
Blair, C. D., and Keenan, R.L. (2004). "Signal monitoring apparatus analyzing voice communication content." U.S. Patent No. 6,757, Jun
Chesebro, W., and Bertelsen, D. A. (1998). Analyzing media: Communication technologies as symbolic and cognitive systems. Guilford Press.
Devlin, Keith J, and Duska Rosenberg (1996). Language at work: analyzing communication Breakdown in the workplace to inform systems design. Stanford, Calif.